So, what'd you think of SPOT's test run through the backcountry of Dinosaur National Monument? Overall, it seemed to perform well, but I have a couple of suggestions for the designers.

When you fully appreciate that Yellowstone National Park is centered over one of the world's largest super volcanoes, you can't help but wonder when it might next erupt. This final installment of a USGS video series on Yellowstone touches on that question.

Breeding populations of Burmese pythons have been established in Everglades National Park and some other parts of Florida. Limiting the growth and spread of this ecologically disruptive, potentially dangerous invader will be a daunting task.

If you're driving between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, here's a new option for lunch that combines history with a short scenic respite from the interstate: the Beanery lunch counter is open for business again at the historic Kelso Depot in Mojave National Preserve.