Much is left up to the imagination when you watch koholā (humpback whales) from shore on Hawaiʻi Island. You will see plenty of blows in the distance, as well as tail and pectoral flipper slaps. You may luck into spyhopping or a dramatic breach — but you need binoculars or a spotting scope to really see what’s going on. Mostly, you have to be patient and fill in the visual blanks.

The National Park Service recently issued a prospectus for the operation of one of its most unusual lodging facilities, Kettle Falls Hotel in Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota. The prospectus also involves such associated services as retail, boat rental and portage, marina services, guest transportation, and food and beverage service. The hotel is accessible only by boat or float plane and is the only Park Service lodging facility within the park. Transportation for guests can be scheduled when room reservations are made.

It shouldn't require a lawsuit to provide some transparency into the inner workings of Recreation.gov, but now that one has been filed it hopefully will reveal how much it costs Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., to operate the national portal for recreating on public lands, the process it follows to set its add-on fees, and how much it is earning from the public's desires to enjoy their federal lands.

The inaugural Tremont Writers Conference is the coordinated effort of two educational park partners, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and Great Smoky Mountains Association. Set on the lush, secluded Tremont campus, the event will immerse a small group of selected writers in an intensive retreat of brainstorming and fine-tuning their work while learning about nature and writing in small groups from Wednesday, October 25, through Sunday, October 29.