Sandstone trails, soft sand, and compacted sand all seemed the perfect test for Danner's Nobo Mid, a sturdy mid-weight boot the company's designers came up with to handle both light and mid-distance hikes.

Anyone considering the purchase of a used vehicle should certainly take a test drive before closing the deal, but a recent incident at the Buffalo National River confirmed that "prudence is a virtue" only if prudence has a vote in the way that test drive is to be conducted.

Got a hankering for monitoring marmots? Call Olympic National Park.

If you're at a loss for things to do during National Park Week, which kicks off Saturday, you're not trying hard enough.