There are seemingly endless guides to exploring the national parks: Moon, National Geographic, Lonely Planet, and various other corporate publishers. Indeed, it's rare these days that you find a writer who takes on the role of both guidebook author and publisher.

Most of these guidebooks take the same approach: a nice overview of the park in question, followed by a breakdown of places to stay, where to eat, things to do, nearby attractions. Mike Oswald is swimming against the current with his park guidebooks.

First he came out with "Your Guide to the National Parks," a thick, hefty volume that has won awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association. Along with the usual park basics, he fills his chapters with history, maps that point out some of his favorite hikes and don't-miss attractions, some details on plants and animals, a suggested vacation planner, and of course, full-color photographs of some iconic settings.

Today we're sitting down with Mike to discuss not only his decision to "go independent against those giants in the guidebook publishing world," but also his latest park-related projects.