Cruise ships plying the waters of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska can approach the size of small towns, with thousands of passengers that require food services and wastewater management systems. On top of those waste generators, they use propulsion systems with fuels that could devastate the park's environment if leaks arise. Against that backdrop, the National Park Service has started an unannounced inspection system by which third-party inspectors will board ships to monitor their operations.

Fact blends with fiction as I meander down Lover’s Lane in the literary heart of Prince Edward Island, tracing the steps of author Lucy Maud Montgomery and her globally adored fictional character Anne Shirley, she of the spunky disposition and signature red braids.

A wildfire burning about a dozen miles west of Yosemite National Park is pumping huge clouds of smoke into Yosemite and raising concerns that it could threaten the park in the coming days.

Grand Canyon National Park will implement mandatory Level 2 water conservation measures due to diminished water resources. All concessions operations will switch to disposable dishes and utensils, alter menus to use less water for food prep and dish washing, adopt low water use for hotel room cleaning, and serve drinking water at restaurants by request only.