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National Park Road Trip 2010: The Corps of Discovery Returns to the Dakotas

Greetings from Bismark, the capital of North Dakota, one of our country’s few economically vibrant states. A low unemployment rate (4.1%), a state budget surplus ($800 million over two years), and an optimistic outlook; that’s what comes with a limited population sitting atop loads of coal, oil, and natural gas.

Oil Spill Doesn't Seem To Have Major Impact on Gulf Islands National Seashore's Nesting Shorebirds

While there was great concern that the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe would have significant impacts on wildlife that rely on the national seashores that line the Gulf of Mexico, there seems to have been little effects on nesting black skimmers at Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Reader Participation Day: Should Pets Be Given More Leeway in National Parks?

It always surprises me to see folks bring their pets -- usually dogs -- to national parks. It's surprising because most parks ban pets from trails, and always require them to be on leashes. As a result, the pets usually spend time in a nearby kennel, in the rig, or being walked in parking lots. Should the rules change?

Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site Offers Window Into the 19th Century

A signature triple-note staccato rings sharply across the ranch compound from the smithy's anvil in the blacksmith shop, signaling another creation from fire and iron. Though only symbolic these days, the hammering at Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site recalls perhaps the greatest cattle baron America ever produced.