Crater Lake National Park in Oregon will temporarily open the North Entrance Road for two-way travel beginning 7 a.m. Saturday through Monday to accommodate visitors over the busy Labor Day Weekend.

A water shortage on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will force closures of hotels there, the National Park Service announced Wednesday.

Visitor spending in communities near national parks last year resulted in a record $55.6 billion benefit to the nation’s economy and supported 415,400 jobs, according to the Interior Department.

Traveler contributing photographer Rebecca Latson was always told to use a tripod for really sharp landscape shots, as well as providing stability for heavy telephoto lenses capturing wildlife portraits. After years of camerawork and tens of thousands of images, however, Rebecca believes you don’t always need a tripod.