"Based on a film by Ken Burns produced by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns, written by Dayton Duncan."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 389-390) and index.

Preface: A treasure house of nature's superlatives -- The scripture of nature -- Homeland : an interview with Gerard Baker -- For the benefit of the people -- Transcendence : an interview with Shelton Johnson -- Empire of grandeur -- Stories of discovery : an interview with Nevada Barr -- Going home -- Redefining beauty : an interview with Paul Schullery -- Great nature -- Democracy at its best : an interview with Juanita Greene -- The morning of creation -- This is what we loved : an interview with Terry Tempest Williams -- Essay: The best day.

Americas national parks spring from an idea as radical as the Declaration of Independence: that the nations most magnificent and sacred places should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. In this evocative and lavishly illustrated narrative, Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan delve into the history of the park idea, from the first sighting by white men in 1851 of the valley that would become Yosemite and the creation of the worlds first national park at Yellowstone in 1872, through the most recent additions to a system that now encompasses nearly four hundred sites and 84 million acres.