In the aftermath of major fires near Fort Collins and Colorado Springs earlier this summer, smoke rising from a heavily wooded mountainside in Rocky Mountain National Park last week wasn't a welcome sight. Park officials took no chances by promptly attacking the lightning-caused blaze.

Spring blooms are gone in many areas of the National Park System, but they're really showing their true colors at Mount Rainier National Park, where the locals are rallying around "Wildflower Watch 2012."

Summer is a great time to star-gaze, thanks to the normally comfortable night-time temperatures. If you find yourself near Stanton, North Dakota, this week, stop by the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site and you can gain some insights into how Native Americans interpreted what they saw overhead.

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site will host the 31st annual Culture Fest on July 28-29 with a strong list of presenters after traditional skills such as flint knapping and beadwork.