For eight years, families whose memories of the Blue Ridge Parkway were nurtured around summer evenings chasing fireflies on the rolling highland meadows below Bluffs Lodge at Milepost 241 have wondered when it might reopen. But a question that might better be asked of the charming 24-room lodge that opened in 1949 is whether it ever will be able to reopen or instead be razed.

Land a site in one of the park campgrounds our writer points to and you’ll be a happy camper

Dude ranches have been showcasing Western landscapes in national parks, and their associated experiences, for generations of families, many who come back year after year after year to relive the experience. And why not? These typically week-long vacations revolve around trail rides that literally carry you into these marvelous settings. And that day in the saddle is followed by a hearty meal that might feature Citrus Roasted Half Chicken, Porcini Mushroom Risotto, or a classic Buffalo Tenderloin. At day’s end, you’ll settle into a soft, warm bed in a cabin that’s rooted in the setting.

A battle is ramping up over grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, with Wyoming officials planning a hunting season on the bruins, while conservation and environmental groups are challenging the removal of the bears from protections of the Endangered Species Act.