A few special tours are on tap at Mesa Verde National Park this summer and early fall, including visits to both the Mug House and Square Tower House ruins.

A fresh, content-rich makeover has spread across the National Park Foundation's website, providing information on parks in your backyard as well as updates on how the Foundation spends its charitable dollars.

A set of sticks is a handy thing to have when you're hiking in the National Park System. They take some of the load off your knees, can offer you greater stability, and, in a pinch, can help you pitch your tent. But which set of trekking poles is right for you?