Planning a trip to a national park or other park unit? If you are heading out for a day or two on the beach at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas, this Traveler’s Checklist can provide a few helpful tips for you to make the most of your visit.

When you look at photos you’ve captured during a visit to a national park unit, do you notice one or more of your shots clearly showing a division of light and dark, or energy and calm, or two different colors, or two different textures? Contributing photographer Rebecca Latson sees this phenomenon in many of her own images, calling it the “yin and yang of a composition.” In this month's column, Rebecca provides examples of this yin-yang concept and how you can look for it in nature with your camera.

Why should you invest in National Parks Traveler to help ensure it remains online? There are a number of reasons.

The giant sequoias, the world’s most massive trees, have been in California’s Sierra Nevada for 200 million years. Now this species that stood when dinosaurs walked the Earth faces new threats. Is its longevity at risk?