National Parks

Robert Chaplin is a frequent contributor to the News Leader.

Since 1994, seniors have been given the ability to purchase a $10 Lifetime Senior Pass to visit National Parks throughout the United States. This reasonable one-time fee has greatly benefited seniors, particularly those on fixed incomes, by providing a way to explore recreational areas without breaking the bank. The Lifetime Senior Pass is usabl...

Family camping and excursions coming back to hidden gem of the Everglades.

Washington, D.C. –

Beginning on Thanksgiving this year, Everglades National Park opened Joe Bay, and adjacent Snag Bay, to the public for the first time in more than 30 years. The area will allow non-motorized boating and become the park's first catch-and-release fishing area.

When traveling in Miami on U.S. 41, also called Tamiami Trail, 8th Street or "Calle Ocho," as it's affectionately known by the locals, you can easily feel that you're in a never-ending urban landscape. But if you continue west and cross Krome Avenue, you realize that you have arrived in a different, and often underrated, side of Miami.

Every visit to Biscayne National Park is an adventure filled with charm, wonder and beauty. This is no surprise. Visitors have come to national parks for over a century in search of such things. This year is the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

August 25 is Founder’s Day for the National Park Service, when it turns 100 years old. To celebrate, the federal agency and its partners invite the general public to attend a free birthday party at the Coral Gables Museum.