This book, published by Mountaineers Books, is all that I could have asked for during this, the National Park Service centennial year. At 352 pages, its 125 archival and modern photographs, historical context, and great insight, make this a meaty, but accessible, read. It starts with a bang, as Jonathan B. Jarvis, National Park Service director writes in the forward: "The park system is the biggest, real-world science laboratory on the planet, and an eyewitness to American history.”

And, author Heather Hansen is no stranger to the threats that face our outdoor places. She, (along with co-author Kimberly Lisagor) wrote, Disappearing Places: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them. Hansen has done a fine job organizing, researching, and telling the story of our National Park System. It will entertain, enlighten, and educate even the most knowledgeable park enthusiast.

Our parks' success was not always assured. The book’s first section covers the time period from 1872 through 1916 and describes the shaky start to wilderness preservation in our first national park: Yellowstone. Yellowstone was a free-for-all of poachers, robbers, and malcontents, running roughshod over the wilderness, with inadequate oversight back then. Eventually the U.S. Army had to be called in to control things, but it would take passage of the Lacey Act of 1894 to give park guardians more authority, punish wrongdoers, and truly protect this wondrous park. You’ll read of how our concept of wilderness morphed from a place to conquer, and control, to a romantic vision of nature and recreation.  

And, though this book stars the natural wonders of America, the human actors are just as important, and well detailed here, from Stephen Mather to John Muir, to Yellowstone’s first game warden, Harry Yount, to conservationist George Melendez Wright. The author has profiled some well-known names, but will introduce readers to people they may not be familiar with, such as in the factoid sidebar, “If you like Ansel Adams, you’ll love Carleton Watkins.”  There’s a list of iconic lodges, and even the story behind the story of the ranger hat: a Montana Peak, four-pinch style.

Open the book anywhere, and you’ll be drawn in. For instance, read about the battle between John Muir and Gifford Pinchot over the fate of Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy Valley culminating in its damming in 1923. It’s especially poignant today, as we face many of the same resource issues they faced.           

“America’s Best Idea,” these parks are truly our national treasures. Today the National Park Service protects more than 84 million acres, with 85,000 miles of rivers and streams, and 12,250 miles of trails. It’s a big job. From the chasm at Grand Canyon to the Everglades' waterways to the glacial valleys of Alaska, the system is a source of pride and wonder. From its inception, through a Depression, two World Wars, to political pressures, it has survived and thrived, through events, conflicts, and success. This is a rich story about a complex subject, and it’s all brought to life within these pages.