Springtime is a great time to take photos in the national parks, but are you prepared for that task? Rebecca Latson has some suggestions for what you need to consider before heading off into the parks.

The National Parks Conservation Association is urging Congress to repay those states that made it possible for a handful of national parks to open for business during last October's shutdown.

With all the current attention on the Winter Olympics, we have a two-part question for this week's Reader Participation Day. In an earlier era, a U. S. National Park was one of three finalists vying for the right to host the 1932 Winter Olympics. Do you know which park was in contention then...and should a NPS site ever be considered for some events for a future Winter Games?

It's not unusual for major public events to have an Honorary Chair, someone with local name recognition to aid in promotion of the activity. Rocky Mountain National Park will begin its Centennial Celebration on September 4, 2014, but the selection of Senator Mark Udall as Honorary Chair for the Anniversary Celebration has an interesting personal and historical connection.