It is one of the oldest parks in the National Park System, having been established on this date in 1899, and yet ... there's a decidedly new face to Mount Rainier National Park.

March 1st is a landmark date for our national parks—and not only because it's the birthday for Yellowstone. Another park became the first of its kind exactly one century after Yellowstone was established. This one includes cliffs, caves and canoeing in its list of attractions.

Over the coming months there will be a flurry of construction work across the National Park System thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. But then what?

Migrating gray whales are a common sight in the nearshore waters of the Pacific Coast, and two of the region’s national parks are whale watching hotspots. Now the timing of the gray whale migrations has shifted perceptibly, fewer whales are passing close to shore, and whale watchers will need to be more flexible.