A set of sticks is a handy thing to have when you're hiking in the National Park System. They take some of the load off your knees, can offer you greater stability, and, in a pinch, can help you pitch your tent. But which set of trekking poles is right for you?

In late March, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation continued its cascade of contributions to the Parkway by conveying ownership of a new 1,800 square-foot Communications Center building.

With just four years until the National Park Service marks its centennial and ventures into its second century of managing the National Park System, officials at the agency's Alaska units are beginning to plan for that anniversary.