The prolonged drought in California had at least one silver lining for researchers studying wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains. Native western toads were found to be breeding in September, the latest ever known observation for the species, which has a breeding season that typically begins in late January. Western toads need pools of water to breed, and without winter rains, it wasn’t until an unusual summer rain event, caused by Eastern Pacific Hurricane Linda, that the toads in this particular spot bred.

Shenandoah National Park will honor America’s Wilderness heritage during its 17th annual Wilderness Weekend this coming weekend. You can celebrate Wilderness by viewing Shenandoah’s Wilderness from Skyline Drive, hiking a Wilderness trail, joining a ranger program, learning how to use traditional tools for Wilderness trail maintenance, completing the Ranger Explorer Wilderness Activity Guide, watching a movie about Wilderness or exploring a visitor center exhibit.

Grand Teton National Park experienced its busiest day in history on August 21, when crowds turned out to be in the path of totality during the solar eclipse. This short video captures "sundown" and "sun up" on the Tetons in a matter of minutes.

With an approaching cold front pushing gusting winds toward Glacier National Park, officials on Sunday issued an evacuation order for an area stretching from the south end of Lake McDonald north to Logan Pass.