The National Park Service recently announced that it would package the Blue Ridge Parkway concessions operation for lodging, retail, and food and beverage visitor services for Peaks of Otter Lodge, Bluffs Lodge, and Rocky Knob Cabins under a single prospectus expected to be released in April 2012.

Civil war buffs, and those fascinated by American history in general, can make plans now to attend the 2012 Gettysburg Seminar, which will explore some of the long burning issues of the battle at Gettysburg.

Nature's fireworks are on display at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where a stream of lava from Kīlauea’s is pouring into the Pacific Ocean.

Someone with a taste for venison poached a majestic whitetail buck at Monocacy National Battlefield in Maryland, where authorities are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever did the deed.