nature

Our national parks are overcrowded, especially in summer. One solution is to create more of them. Here are the regions that get our votes.

Cap off a day on the trail with a soak in a steamy mineral pool. We found the best from Alaska to North Carolina.

Wyoming, Idaho would have offered up to 23 bears to hunters.

Hike, run, or bike this moderate 6.2-mile out-and-back, which follows a scenic, rolling ridgeline to a boot-shaped mesa with a stunning ocean vista.

This out-and-back beach hike climbs over Point Dume to a coastline littered with tidepools. Tip: Bring snorkel gear and plenty of drinking water.

Trace the muddy flats and coastal bluffs of Upper Newport Bay and observe a long list of birds on this easygoing 5.9-mile stroll.

Hidden deep inside the Santa Cruz Mountains, this 2.4-mile out-and-back wanders through old-growth forests and past meandering creeks to century-old limestone kilns.

Climb to a rocky highpoint in the San Gabriel Mountains on this 6.7-mile dayhike in Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area.