How many times have you started planning your national park vacation, only to suddenly and regretfully realize that you started too late and all the lodgings inside the park are booked for the dates you wanted to travel? Well, perhaps you should consider staying at a dude ranch near one of the national parks on your itinerary.

Migratory Bird Day will be marked this Saturday in Yellowstone National Park, where rangers will take you birding and staff from the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center will teach you about raptors seen in the park.

The early birds were ready and waiting this morning when the South Entrance to Yellowstone National Park opened for the season.

Traveler's 2nd Annual Essential Friends + Gateways publication, a collaboration between the Traveler and a core group of national park foundations, cooperating associations, trusts, friends groups, and gateway communities, is aimed at enhancing and furthering the now nationally significant role of these organizations and entities in the preservation and enjoyment of our parks.