Fog shrouds the mountains on Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Newfound Gap Road (NPS photo)

Three of the four major desert ecosystems in the United States surround the 186,000 acres of water that simply did not exist 100 years ago. The construction of the Davis and more famous Hoover Dam in the 1930s brought water to the desert. The 14,000 acres of Lake Mead National Recreation Area adjacent to the water is a recreation playground for hikers, adventure seekers, and campers, not to mention many species of plants and animals drawn to this oasis which was once the Black Canyon. But like other endangered parks, you may want to plan a trip soon.c Changes in climate are helping the desert reclaim the land from an increasingly stressed Colorado River.

Exit Glacier and fireweed, Kenai Fjords National Park (NPS Photo/A Simon)

April 19, 1995, started an ordinary Wednesday in Oklahoma City. Just after 9 o’clock, it became hell on earth. In an instant, 168 people were killed by a domestic terror attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Among them were 19 children under the age of 6. Jointly managed by the National Park Service and a local foundation, the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum remembers the innocent victims and courageous first responders while providing an opportunity to be grateful for those who protect us and endure the worst that humanity can offer, day in and day out.

Happy National Park Week 2024! Celebrate our natural beauty and the wisdom shared with us by the experts at the National Park Service. (Zion National Park staff photo by NPS/Daren Reehl)

Happy National Park Week! Hope you can get to some of the 429 NPS units across the country! What's the most surprising NPS unit you've visited?