When and why did the idea of national parks emerge in American history? Several creation myths, or “campfire tales” as Diamant and Carr call them, have been embraced by historians and government officials. Among them are the discussion around the campfire at Madison Junction on the Yellowstone Plateau during the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane expedition broaching the idea, which was then promoted by Langford on behalf of the Northern Pacific Railroad and resulted in the creation of Yellowstone as the world’s first national park.

As climate change continues to alter habitats for plants and animals, and as the call for a national biodiversity strategy gets louder, the country's long-distance hiking trails could prove to be valuable corridors for species.

In a bid to reduce congestion made worse by construction projects this summer, Yosemite National Park will require reservations beginning May 20 for those hoping to enter the park between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Finding places to charge an electric vehicle in the National Park System is slowly getting easier, most recently with support from Rivian, the American company that makes EV vehicles.