The Big Thicket National Preserve in southeast Texas has been called the "Biological Crossroads of North America," and some easy hikes in the park offer plenty of interesting sights. Just watch your step—it's a place where carnivorous plants catch their own lunch

Olympic National Park officials are trying to determine if a 63-year-old Washington man was killed during an encounter with a mountain goat in the park's backcountry.

Proclaimed in 1908, Montana's Lewis and Clark Cavern National Monument never could muster get the monetary support needed to develop and operate it as a viable national park. Congress abolished it in 1937 and it subsequently became Montana's first state park.

If you're a professional visual artist looking for an inspiring place to work next summer, this opportunity is hard to beat. Denali National Park is accepting applications for the 2011 Artist in Residence program, and those who are selected will have use of the historic Murie Cabin in the heart of the Alaskan park for 10 days.