It gets woefully hot in West Texas during the summer months, with temperatures routinely in the mid-90s and a hot, glaring sun shining down on Big Bend National Park staff and visitors alike. Yet while park staff five years ago invested a quarter-million dollars in air-conditioning units for offices and shade shelters for campgrounds, the equipment was never installed, according to an Inspector General's investigation.

Meteorology is being factored into the future of visitation at Big Bend National Park, at least when it comes to finding a room in the rugged and sprawling swath of Chihuahuan ecosystem protected by the park in West Texas.

How much do you think you know about our national parks? One of the fun things about visiting any national park is learning something about the park. Contributing photographer and editor Rebecca Latson created a short quiz and added a little trivia to the mix to test your knowledge and maybe spark your curiosity to learn a little bit more about our parks and historical sites.

Photographer Rebecca Latson has visited quite a few national parks since she started contributing to the Traveler, and she's got favorite spots for great photos within each park. In this final article for 2019, Rebecca wants to share some of those favorite spots with you while explaining why they are favorites for her and her cameras.