It was just about a year ago that a college professor headed into the remote backcountry of Canyonlands National Park to find his final resting place. His remains recently were discovered by another hiker.

At Gettysburg, the old visitor center and the Cyclorama Building were constructed atop a key part of the historic battlefield. The NPS has long planned to remove both buildings and return the site to its 1863 appearance. The old visitor center is now being knocked down and toted away, but preservationists have blocked demolition of the Cyclorama Building.

Alaska marks 50 years of statehood this year, and Mt. Redoubt, located in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, has crashed the party with a series of impressive eruptions.

For roughly 47 cents on the dollar, Virgin Islands National Park is growing by more than 400 acres thanks to the efforts of the Trust for Public Land.