There are many faces to winter in a national park. Some park units have no snow, while others host feet of the fluffy white stuff. On sunny days, the atmosphere is clear and sharp, producing saturated colors for your camera. On not-so-sunny days, your camera’s LCD lens might be filled with varying shades of gray and white. Contributing photographer Rebecca Latson provides examples of what you might see through your camera’s lens and how to prepare for winter photography in a national park.

National park gateway towns often put up with a lot when high season brings floods of tourists, but they also profit quite a bit, too.

As more and more people heading into the National Park System to escape being cooped up, rangers are finding themselves responding to more and more search-and-rescue calls.