Whether you hold a sentimental tie to national park lodgings, or look at them nostalgically, can we afford to hold onto all historic lodge facilities in the National Park System?

Here's hoping for clear skies Saturday night in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Mount Rainier National Park, where rangers will be leading stargazing programs.

In a surprising announcement, the Trust for Public Lands has said it has been able to acquire a 440-acre parcel of land for Mount Rainier National Park. The announcement is surprising in its timing, as it mentions a relocation of the road and campground in the park's Carbon River Entrance on the heels of a Park Service announcement concerning access via that entrance.

When it comes to autumnal splendor, the Eastern parks get the lion's share of national publicity, but there's some mighty fine leaf peeping to be enjoyed on the park roads in western states and the Ozarks too. Here's how to find some of the best of it.