One of the most incredible birding spots in the National Park System is Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Cruise up the bay and enter its side bays and you'll be astonished by the many species of seabirds. For the rest of the summer, the park staff has instituted some restrictions so you don't disturb them during nesting season.

Most national park lodges operated by Xanterra Travel Collection are scheduled to reopen by June 15, with one at Grand Canyon National Park reopening Friday.

The Appalachian Trail may be the most documented trail in the world; it’s certainly one of the best known. Hikers come from all over the world come to walk the entire 2,190 miles. Each year, thousands of hikers attempt a thru-hike; only about one in four makes it all the way. But there are several ways to explore and sample the A.T.

Forty years ago, I read Mountains Without Handrails: Reflections on the National Parks by Joseph L. Sax, a law professor and astute observer and student of America’s National Park System. I knew few national parks then and wondered what such a provocative title might mean. Now, after 40 years of exploring and studying the parks, I reread Sax’s book to see if his reflections back then might be relevant today. I think they are.