Unexpected downtime for the National Park Service's planning website has prompted Denali National Park and Preserve officials to extend the scoping period for comments on climbing permits in the park.

A second starry night photograph from Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has surfaced, and the park's friends group is selling prints to raise money to reinvest in the lakeshore.

If you visit Bryce Canyon National Park in winter, and there is snow on the ground and blue sky overhead, the one hike you must take is the Queen's Garden-Navajo Loop Trail.

Birds and human "snowbirds" aren't the only critters that enjoy spending the winter in Florida, and "The Wings of Butterfly Exhibit" at Big Cypress National Preserve offers beautiful photos and useful information about these lovely residents. The exhibit runs through February, and special programs and hikes featuring butterflies will also be offered in the park on December 11.