Visting the Parks

How far in advance do you plan your national park trips? A year? Six months? Two weeks out?

You can plan on standing in line next year if you intend to hike to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, and not just because of the long 400-foot final ascent.

While the Sunrise area of Mount Rainier National Park will be open this weekend, not all services will be available due to the cool, snowy spring, say park officials.

The American Southwest is honeycombed with ruins from long-past civilizations. Mesa Verde National Park and Canyon de Chelly National Monument are well-known for their cliff dwellings, while at Bandelier National Monument the sandstone walls are pocked with "cavates" used as shelter centuries ago.

The September-October 2009 issue of Audubon magazine has a Kenn Kaufman article that provides helpful information about birding in twelve national parks.

Michael Dunn always wondered how he would die, whether his life might be lost in a plane crash or if he would grow old and simply not wake one morning. But as he repeatedly was raked by the grizzly's 4-inch-long claws and berry-stained fangs, he feared fate was at hand.