A coyote that got a taste for human food from garbage strewn about Death Valley National Park during the partial government shutdown had to be put down by rangers after it repeatedly stopped traffic, while other coyotes and and two bobcats were seen approaching visitors in the park. Human visitors left other waste behind: an estimated half-ton of human waste on the landscape.

If you're planning a visit to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park in December, there are a number of free guided hikes and programs in the Kahuku Unit that you can take advantage of. Visitors can also explore Kahuku on their own, Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Have you visited Hawai'i National Park and gotten close to the Kīlauea Volcano, enjoyed Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park, climbed to the top of Lassen Peak in its namesake park, or hiked down to Crater Lake? If so, you've placed yourself in the midst of some of the country's most dangerous volcanoes in terms of the threats they pose, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park has reopened most coastal and backcountry trails and campsites in the park. Other parts of the park reopened last month following a record 134-day closure due to hazardous volcanic and seismic activity on Kīlauea Volcano.