The southern half of Utah is canyon country, a land of aridity, sparse vegetation, and unique and scenically spectacular topography and geology. It is a land rich in sites of archaeological importance and parts of it are sacred to indigenous people. It is also mostly public land, owned by the American people, part of their national legacy, and for a century it has been contested terrain.

Collaboration between the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service could lead to new access to the Graveyard Fields trail system on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

Across the National Park System there are crowding and environmental issues that park managers are struggling to address. But Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida has an issue that is a bit more unusual than many others. It involves Crab Island, a lively spot within the national seashore that attracts throngs of partiers, personal watercraft, and businesses that sell everything from frozen bananas to hot boiled peanuts.

The rush to get outdoors this year has impacted many areas of the National Park System, and at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming that rush in October nearly doubled visitation for October 2019.