For the last 31 years, Yosemite Park Ranger Laurel Boyers has had your dream job. She's been working for the park, patrolling and managing the wilderness backcountry of Yosemite. In a few days, she'll retire. Our story links to a WildeBeat audio program.

Unseasonably dry conditions are believed to be behind bear problems in both Grand Teton and Yosemite national parks this year, according to officials in those parks.

The long list of projects and programs for the National Park Service Centennial Initiative has been announced today. Secretary Kempthorne and Director Bomar shared the details of the plan for a crowd of reporters in Yosemite National Park.

Generations of Americans got their first taste of national parks via car camping, that venerable tradition of driving to a park and setting up a tent or two in a roadside campground. That genre of park visitation seems to be slipping these days, though, and at least one car camping veteran blames it on economics -- there's more money to be made in lodgings than campgrounds.