National park friends groups are playing an increasingly important role in support their favorite parks these days. Instead of just providing "the icing" on the parks, more groups are being asked to help support operational needs, such as trail improvements. That's why you should plan to attend Washington's National Park Fund's Spring Dinner and Auction in April.

If you've been following along with contributing photographer Rebecca Latson's Armchair Photography Guide of Mount Rainier National Park, then you'll have read Parts 1 through 3, which took you through a photo odyssey of Mount Rainier National Park via Sunrise (Part 1), then along the route to Paradise including Stevens Canyon Road (Part 2), and within the Paradise area, itself (Part 3). This final Part 4 will lead you down the road from Paradise to Longmire and on toward the park’s Nisqually entrance for the culmination of a photographic jaunt filled with locations, camera tips, gear advice, and techniques to help you capture your own images without having to expend a great amount of energy for those of you who aren't able to or don't wish to venture too far into the backcountry.

Riots of blooming wildflowers are one of the joys of visiting national parks, but climate change is tinkering with the schedule of some of those flowers. At Mount Rainier National Park, for instance, all wildflower species are blooming earlier than in the past, roughly half have extended their season, and a little less than half shortened theirs, according to research conducted by University of Washington personnel.