Wireless at the beach

Related story:
Surf in the park

Trees, trails … and email? Parks and beaches in the West arenow catering to visitors who want both nature and network.

California State Parks have launched the most ambitious wirelessprogram of any park system in the country, equipping 85 locationswith wireless (Wi-Fi) Internet connections. In participating parks,including San Elijo State Beach near San Diego, visitors withwireless-enabled laptops and PDAs have full Web access for about $8a day and free access to select state websites, like the Californiaparks site. www.parks.ca.gov

Grand Canyon National Park is plugged into the high-speedInternet scene too. Hop on at an Internet kiosk at any of fourSouth Rim lodges and share your adventures with friends and familyvia email–while you’re still on vacation. www.nps.gov/grca

Yosemite National Park offers Wi-Fi in various meeting rooms andpublic places at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. There are alsoInternet kiosks near the front desk at the Ahwahnee, temptingguests to surf the Web between hikes or zip off digital photos tothe folks back home. www.nps.gov/yose