Mention wilderness stewardship involving Olympic National Park, and people listen. That's why the park has rescheduled a public meeting to discuss its Wilderness Stewardship Plan -- so it can accommodate a larger crowd than expected.

There is likely no more cherished national park experience on the planet than the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to climb Mount Fuji. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Japanese do it—and pilgrims from all over the world are joining them. I was one of them not long ago.

Along its thousands of miles of shoreline, across its wide waters, and inside its secluded backwaters, the Chesapeake Bay watershed offers a rich and diverse playground, one that should become easier to navigate thanks to a campaign launched in conjunction with the National Park Service's release of its Chesapeake Bay Watershed Access Plan.

Despite a sour economy and expensive gasoline, nearly 283 visitors traveled to the National Park System in 2012, an increase of nearly 4 million from 2011 and the highest level of visitation since 2009.