Winter's vagaries -- blizzards and periods without snow, sub-zero thermometer readings, and unseasonably warm temps -- can toss you curveballs when it comes to enjoying the season in the National Park System, but if you plan carefully you can be prepared with alternatives.

Crowds in particularly popular areas of the National Park System are challenging park managers to manage the crowds while preserving the natural resources. One solution that seems to be growing is to require reservations for access, something that's been adopted at Zion and Acadia national parks and tested at Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah national parks.

A slow motion eruption of sorts is continuing on the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, with a sluggish stream of lava heading towards a highway that bisects the Big Island.

Approval has been given to have the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina rehabilitated inside and out.