People in the Parks
Yosemite provided my introductory experience with our national parks. On the very first night of that visit there was a highly anticipated super moon, which drew visitors in the Valley to gaze at the rising moon at dusk. Sharing that enchanting scene with everyone in the park at the time inspired my passion for our public lands and made me understand why they are so popular and deserving of our protection. The record numbers of visitors to our natural wonders are a testament to the success of “America’s greatest idea” - including the spread of the concept internationally - and a warning to preserve everyone's privilege to experience them in their own way. The grand show of the national parks includes us.
Yosemite National Park, 2014
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.”
Yosemite National Park, 2017
Ben Nevis and Glen Coe National Scenic Area, Scotland, 2017
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, 2017
The parks allow a deeply personal experience, and everyone enjoys them in different ways - everything from practicing the mindfulness of John Muir to plunging into glacial lakes.
Yosemite National Park, 2017
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, 2017
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, 2017
The premise of the American national parks movement, that the public should own land for the benefit of all, has spread around the world.
Cerro Torre, Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina, 2017
The Cliffs of Moher, Ireland, 2017
Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon National Recreational Area, 2016
The parks, even at their most crowded, avoid the claustrophobia of museum exhibits; there is room to seek your own perspective. Thankfully, the dystopian scene surrounding the Mona Lisa at the Louvre has not befallen our parks.
Grand Canyon National Park, 2016
You hear that 95% of visitors at the Grand Canyon never venture below the rim. Even in the most popular parks, solitude is well within walking distance.
Devil's Bridge, Coconino National Forest, 2015
Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park, 2016
Viedma Glacier, Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina, 2017
Cabo Virgenes Nature Preserve, Argentina, 2017
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida, 2017
White Sands National Monument, 2016
At White Sands, a lesser known monument, solitude abounds. Given the popularity of the National Park System, we should more fully recognize the multitude of parks we have inherited and seek the splendor of even the smaller ones. When our public lands come under threat, we should remember our personal experiences with them, aiming to preserve them and keeping in mind that we could use more parks, not fewer.
White Sands National Monument, 2016