Yosemite Valley is so crowded, why not build a temporary gravel lot in Cook's Meadow that could handle 75 vehicles?

There should be little doubt that the National Park Service's Find Your Park campaign for its centennial in 2016 was a resounding success, with overall visitation up nearly 8 percent to 331 million, setting a record for the third consecutive year. But those visitation levels are having adverse impacts on both park resources and the national park experience in some corners of the National Park System.

A 20-year-old woman working in Yosemite National Park was killed when a falling tree hit her in Half Dome Village, previously known as Curry Village.

Spring can be one of those iffy seasons in the National Park System. You might run into warm, sunny days with an easy breeze at your back. Or, you could find yourself being pelted by sleet, battered by a stiff wind, with grey clouds scooting by overhead.