Acadia National Park. Grand Canyon National Park. Zion National Park. These parks, and dozens of other units of the National Park System, have been created through presidential decree. On Wednesday, though, the House of Representatives will be asked to approve legislation that would greatly dilute that power for future presidents.

A rebranding effort has been launched by the National Park Service to build public enthusiasm toward the agency's centennial in 2016.

Incubating eggs in the harsh coastal expanses of Kenai Fjords National Park and Preserve in Alaska is tough business to start with, and with predators on the prowl, it becomes even more difficult to rear a brood.

The million-plus acre Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument that's squeezed between Grand Canyon National Park and the Utah border has drawn kudos for its wonderfully dark night skies.