How are we to act in a national park? That might seem to carry an obvious answer, but it's not always so obvious these days. As different generations, different racial groups, and different cultures enter the National Park System, not all seem out to enjoy the natural beauty on display in the landscape parks simply by walking about and gazing at the setting, hiking or backpacking, paddling or climbing, or watching wildlife.

It took nearly a month, but Artists Drive in Death Valley National Park is back open for visitors to tour. But the reopening didn't come easy.

As National Park Service officials and crews at Death Valley National Park work to recover the park from heavy rains in mid-October, let's take a look at some of the numbers associated with the rains and resulting flash flooding.

Death Valley National Park often is regaled as the "hottest, driest, lowest" place in the hemisphere, but recent rain storms washed away portions of roads, damaged historic Scotty's Castle, and piled debris up 15 feet in places.