A member of the Denali National Park and Preserve staff was killed in an avalanche while skiing alone in the park.

A shortage of staff is delaying the mandatory shuttle service for visitors to Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico.

The Lost Mine Trail is one of the most popular at Big Bend National Park, and with good reason. The trail is not too very steep and the views of the Chisos Mountains and Chihuahuan Desert are expansive. Traveler contributing writer and photographer Rebecca Latson shares her observations about this trail she’s hiked.

Crouched over a thermal pool, I can see dozens of warm water creatures the size of apple seeds quietly living their best lives on floating mats made up of bacteria, algae, woody debris and leaves. The sulphur-rich water smells like rotten eggs and wants to be turquoise but it’s dominated by globs of green, brown and white scum. You probably wouldn’t notice the tiny brown aquatic snails unless someone told you what to look for.