Increased fire danger at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state has led to a ban on wood and charcoal fires that takes effect Friday.

If you find yourself on the west side of Washington state, heading up the I-5 Corridor toward your intended destination of one of Washington’s three national parks, you should consider stopping for a day, or even just a half day, at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site to soak in a little history and a look back into Washington’s fur trading and aviation pasts.

An 80-year-old mountaineer attempting a solo climb of Mount Rainier was found dead five days after he was reported as overdue.

Every photo you capture of your experience in a national park fleshes out that visit for yourself and your viewing audience. That national park photo story should include a few low-light shots of your explorations through a shadowy forest interior, or around the spacious lobby of a rustic park lodge, or gazing skyward toward the Milky Way on a clear, moonless night outdoors.