Most of us spend our time looking up at our mountains. Often we reach a vista, or sometimes a peak, moving forward while jutting our chins toward the sky. The rare occasion is one where we get to look down at the majesty.

Washington's National Park Fund has hit a milestone, and the beneficiaries are Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic national parks.

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.

Hours spent in a line waiting to enter a national park. Crews working to maintain trails that climb through piny forests and are blighted by piles of human waste. Visitors taking out their rage against fellow visitors and park staff when they can't find a parking spot at their favorite trailhead or overlook. These are some of the issues National Park Service staff are trying to solve as they cope with record visitation.