Yellowstone volcanism has produced some of the youngest rocks in North America. This same region also features some of the most ancient rocks in North America—as old as 3.96 billion years in the Beartooth Mountains to the northeast of Yellowstone caldera.

National Park Week kicks off April 19 and runs through 27 with plenty of special programming for visitors.

Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota commemorates those French-Canadian fur traders (voyageurs), the first Europeans to travel through the area with their canoes 250 years ago. Indeed, while there are a few visitor centers and trails that can be reached by car, the best way to explore the 218,000 acres of lakes, rivers, and forests is by boat.

The U.S. Senate, by a three-vote margin, is fine with public lands being sold off to reduce the federal government, according to conservation groups.