It's going to cost you a little bit more to head into the backcountry of Rocky Mountain Nationa Park for overnight stays beginning this summer, when the permit fee climbs from $20 to $26 per trip.

The winter season may not be as busy as the summer in terms of total visitation at Rocky Mountain National Park, but the scaled-down "off-season" staff has stayed plenty busy with rescues. The past week brought a multi-day search for a hiker on an ill-advised attempt to cross the park via Trail Ridge Road; that effort was followed yesterday by the rescue of a climber after a fall in the park's backcountry.

I’ve managed to get around North America quite a bit during my five years as a serious birder. At least it seems like I have. When I plot a map of every checklist I’ve ever entered at eBird, it looks like I’m neglected large swaths of the continent. What’s with the interior plains? The west coast south of Olympic National Park? Alaska isn’t even on the map because there were no pins there, so I cropped it out.

Despite all the electronic gadetry that allows you to consume media, hard-bound and paperback books continue to hold a considerable marketshare. And more than a few of those titles have something to do with national parks. We read as much as we could this year, and came away with the following reviews for your consideration.