Despite the storms that battered Cape Lookout National Seashore this summer, park officials report that the shorebird nesting season seems to have been successful, with good broods from piping plovers, oystercatchers, terns, and Wilson's plovers.
Slipping from the top of the arch into the abyss below was a difficult move that rattled my psyche. Even though the sandstone band I was perched on was not much more than 4 feet wide, it was stable. Putting my faith into the rope cinched to my climbing harness and dropping into the 100-foot void went completely against my desire for self-preservation.
What is the most elegant, upscale hotel located in the National Park System? While an argument could be made in favor of several hotels, it is likely that most people would say it is the 4-star-rated Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park.
It's always interesting to watch Congress. Not always pleasant, but always interesting. Why, just take a look at some of the national park-related legislation that has been introduced in the Senate since June alone.
Yet another act of vandalism has struck nesting grounds at Cape Hatteras National Seashore -- this time involving a turtle nest -- and in turn seashore officials expanded the off-limits boundary area around the site.
While the National Park System protects wide swathes of officially designated wilderness, there are many, many wilderness-quality acres in the parks that are not so designated, though they are managed as de facto wilderness. President Obama, with hopes Americans would become more familiar with wilderness, has designated September as National Wilderness Month.
How often do you cook a turkey dinner on a houseboat? The opportunity arrives this Thanksgiving, when a houseboat rental at Glen Canyon, Lake Mead, or Lake Amistad national recreation areas will also get you a turkey for the big day. Plus, the rental comes at 40 percent off.
Fall can be a fantastic season to experience Glacier National Park, what with the crisp air, wildlife on the move, color streaking the forests, and crowds somewhere else. But road construction on the Going-to-the-Sun Road could complicate things for even the savviest traveler.