As Rocky Mountain National Park and highway officials ponder what to do about reopening the Alluvial Fan area and Old Fall River Road following the destruction wrought by the September floods that scoured so much of Colorado’s Front Range, it is worth noting that Bear Lake Road easily survived the floods.

Bruce and Sara Schundler, who alleged they lost their seasonal jobs as rangers at Mesa Verde National Park for bringing attention to suspect spending by the park's superintendent, have been vindicated by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.

How much do you really know about winter in the National Park System? Take the following quiz and see how you match up with the Traveler's quizmeister.

Whether due to oversight, a lack of political expediency, or inadvertent shunning, the country's first state was last in landing a unit of the National Park System within its borders. And now, though First State National Monument is open for business and shining a light on the country's origins, it continues to struggle.