The 1988 wildfires that drew the nation's attention to the world's first national park were considered simply part of the fire regime that historically has existed in Yellowstone National Park. But in the aftermath of the fires, "climate change" entered the country's lexicon and increasingly intense wildfires have forced the National Park Service in the West to both evaluate and refine its approach to battling flames that are arriving with greater and greater ferocity.

With wildfires burning on its northern and western borders, Rocky Mountain National Park on Thursday was forced to close for the immediate future.

When you're crossing the Colorado River in the middle of winter, wearing snowshoes, it's best not to have the ice give way and drop you into the river. Sheridan Steele can attest to that.

According to the National Park Service, there are over 5,000 miles of paved roads through the National Park System. Park roads (paved or unpaved) allow us to reach amazing vistas we might not otherwise see within a national park, national monument, or national recreation area. These roads are marvels of construction and merit a nod of appreciation to those builders who may have risked life and limb to ensure completion of that navigable ribbon of gravel or pavement. How many of these roads have you traveled, what have you seen and accessed via these roads, and how much do you know about them?