Declines in wild steelhead populations have prompted the National Park Service to close the Queets River in Olympic National Park to sport fishing.

Just weeks after announcing he planned to hold onto his seat as top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Raúl Grijalva has decided to step down as a ranking member of that committee.

Encircling Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State is a historic 93-mile (150-km) loop trail with 22,000 feet (6,705.6 m) of elevation gain and loss. An estimated 200–250 hikers complete the Wonderland Trail’s entire circumference annually, taking between 10–14 days, while thousands of others hike sections of the trail to enjoy the stunning views.

Sunday's guest on the National Parks Traveler's podcast has floated the Noatak River more than once and backpacked all over Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. And Jon Waterman returned from those trips with incredible stories of the places he saw, the people he met, and the wildlife that came in range of his eyes.