While the bountiful winter is recharging both reservoirs and lakes in the Rockies and High Sierra, it also has lengthened the avalanche season for potential slides. In Grand Teton National Park the especially huge snowpack has officials warning backcountry travelers to be cognizant of avalanche conditions.

Editor's note: David and Kay Scott have just about reached the end of the road in their westward trek to sample lodgings so they can update their book, The Complete Guide To The National Park Lodges. This dispatch covers two of Olympic National Park's lodging options, the Kalaloch Lodge and Lake Quinault Lodge.

Looking for a birthday party to attend? Plan now to attend the June 25 rededication of Shenandoah National Park, which turned 75 this year.

What would you do if you were in charge of the largest waterfront property in New York City? Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, New York Mayor Bloomberg and other dignitaries gathered earlier this week in New York City to discuss some possible answers to that question, and they involve plans to transform Gateway National Recreation Area into an "iconic urban national park."