While two river guides, armed with a UV flashlight, searched the beach for scorpions, I wandered in the other direction down the shoreline of the Colorado River to stare into the night sky at the Milky Way and its surrounding twinkling diamonds of light.

Over the years, five national parks were established during the month of November. See how much you know about Badlands, Congaree, Theodore Roosevelt, Arches, and Zion national parks with this latest National Parks Quiz And Trivia piece.

There are many faces to winter in a national park. Some park units have no snow, while others host feet of the fluffy white stuff. On sunny days, the atmosphere is clear and sharp, producing saturated colors for your camera. On not-so-sunny days, your camera’s LCD lens might be filled with varying shades of gray and white. Contributing photographer Rebecca Latson provides examples of what you might see through your camera’s lens and how to prepare for winter photography in a national park.

Can you compress it more?” Her face scrunches with effort. I exhort her, “Push! Really push it!” “Oomph! It barely fits, but I got it.”