As Midwest states struggled with record spring flooding this year, the Southwest was wrestling with the opposite problem: not enough water. On May 20, 2019, federal officials and leaders from seven states signed the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan, a sweeping new water management agreement for this arid region.

Spanish explorers and wayfarers traveled across the Southwest, and through present-day Utah, 250 years ago, but what is the chance that one dropped some coins along the way while resting near the river we know as the Colorado? Or, in light of the estimated dates of the coins, were they trade pieces passed along going back two centuries more?

Four conservation groups have filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration's decision to divert nearly 73,000 acre-feet of water from the Green River just upstream from some of the West's most remarkable national parks in one of the most arid regions of the country.

Out of all the national parks and other protected areas you visited the previous year, you've got certain favorites, right? How easy (or difficult) was it to choose those favorites? Sometimes, it might come down more to the feeling you had when capturing that image rather than just the composition. Continuing her New Year's tradition with the Traveler, contributing photographer Rebecca Latson shares her favorite photos captured during the previous year. Usually stopping at 5 or 7 shots, this year, Rebecca is sharing 10 favorite images to mark her 2018 visit to 9 national parks and 1 national recreation area, explaining why she chose each image and how she captured it.