Hiking is an easy and enjoyable activity that can quickly turn into a lifelong passion. And while it's as easy as setting one foot in front of another on a path through the woods, sometimes the fleeting attention spans of kids can make that difficult. That's where the rangers of Shenandoah National Park come in.

Are many months as fickle as April? Bogged down in gooey mud that once had been the campground at Deer Lodge in Dinosaur National Monument while grilling brauts over an open fire in the rain didn't seem to portend a good river trip. At least it wasn't snowing. No, that would come the next night.

Ropes and pulleys have replaced helicopters as the preferred method to haul fireworks to top of Theodore Roosevelt's head for the annual Fourth of July celebration at Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

The National Park Service wants the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas, to quit advertising itself in ways that blur the distinction between the city and Hot Springs National Park.