The written word is a marvelous thing, so much more so when it's used to describe a place. In the early part of the 21st century, those employed by the Government Printing Office had a stylish way to describe national parks. Perhaps not as eloquent as some of today's finer writers, but stylish just the same.

You're not normally allowed to take plants out of a national park, but come this Saturday you'll be able to walk away from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area with some of the natives. But it's for a good cause.

A 26-year-old Michigan man was found dead in a lean-to along the Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, according to park officials.

Another chapter -- and that's it, a chapter, not the end of the book -- in the at times bitter struggle over how to manage off-road vehicles in Cape Hatteras National Seashore comes to an end Tuesday when seashore officials close the comment period on their draft management plan.