Alcatraz Island was used for a special private party on Saturday with the purpose of marketing the Toyota Scion to a youthful audience. Since when did the Park Service decide that 'car lot' was an appropriate use for our public lands?

What comes to mind when you think of Everglades National Park? What sort of experiences would you want to encounter when you visit the park? How should the lands within the park boundaries be managed? Should powerboats have unlimited freedom? Should there be more designated wilderness? These are some of the questions you can provide input on as Everglades officials chart the park's next 20 years.

Welcome to National Parks Traveler 2.0, which is a significant upgrade from the original version launched in August 2005 that we believe will provide you with even more value from the site.

There's an interesting poker game under way in Washington, D.C., and the national parks are right smack dab in the middle of it. The question, of course, is who will blink first?