National Parks Traveler

Spruce Flat Falls is one of the hidden gems of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The hike is about a mile each way, not too rugged, but with a bit of a climb. The trail passes through a thicket of Mountain Laurel, which will be in bloom the first week or two in May. It's also a wonderful spot for photography.

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By William Britten - April 19th, 2011 2:22am

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The National Parks, Our American Landscape

If the cover photo of The National Parks, Our American Landscape, doesn't encourage you to call in sick and head into the national parks, well, perhaps one of the hundreds of other images inside this book will.

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By Kurt Repanshek - April 19th, 2011 2:16am

10 Best of Everything, National Parks

In a catchall bid to categorize the national parks, the staff at National Geographic has a new book for you just in time for National Park Week. 10 Best Everything, National Parks, is a book of lists, with the parks as a backdrop for those lists.

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By Kurt Repanshek - April 18th, 2011 2:31am

Essay Contest Winners View National Parks as "America At Her Best," Cite Need For Preservation, Benefits For Kids

Why national parks need to be preserved, how they reflect "America at her best," and how parks benefit kids were the themes expressed by the winners of the Traveler's first Take Your Family to the National Parks essay contest.