The National Parks: America’s Best Idea — A New Series from Ken Burns and PBS

By The Mother Earth News Editors
Published on September 25, 2009
1 / 12

Mount Rainier National Park in Washington is just one of the many breathtaking destinations you’ll travel to in the new national parks series from PBS and Ken Burns. You can see more elegant national park photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
Mount Rainier National Park in Washington is just one of the many breathtaking destinations you’ll travel to in the new national parks series from PBS and Ken Burns. You can see more elegant national park photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
2 / 12

Yosemite Valley in winter, Yosemite National Park. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
Yosemite Valley in winter, Yosemite National Park. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
3 / 12

Rainbow from South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
Rainbow from South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
4 / 12

Sunset on the Pacific, Olympic National Park. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
Sunset on the Pacific, Olympic National Park. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
5 / 12

Grizzly bear fishing for salmon, Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
Grizzly bear fishing for salmon, Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
6 / 12

Herd of buffalo, Wind Cave National Park. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
Herd of buffalo, Wind Cave National Park. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
7 / 12

Tourists at an erupting Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, 1884. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
Tourists at an erupting Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, 1884. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
8 / 12

John Muir in Yosemite National Park, c. 1902. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
John Muir in Yosemite National Park, c. 1902. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
9 / 12

Tourist at Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, c. 1902. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
Tourist at Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, c. 1902. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
10 / 12

George Masa photograph of Great Smoky Mountains. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
George Masa photograph of Great Smoky Mountains. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
11 / 12

Klapatche Park, Mount Rainier National Park. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
Klapatche Park, Mount Rainier National Park. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
12 / 12

The Snake River at Deadman’s Bar, Grand Teton National Park, June 13, 1941. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.
The Snake River at Deadman’s Bar, Grand Teton National Park, June 13, 1941. See more photos at www.pbs.org/nationalparks.

<p>Where can you find trees that existed before the Egyptians built the first pyramids, rocks that are more than 1.7 billion years old, the world’s greatest collection of geysers and more, all in 84 million acres of breathtaking scenery? Right here, in our national parks — that “treasure house of nature’s superlatives,” which belongs not to rich aristocrats or high-ranking government officials, but to you and every other American citizen. </p>
<p>To honor these national nature treasures and the history of our parks, PBS and renowned filmmaker Ken Burns spent six years creating <em>The National Parks: America’s Best Idea</em>, a six-part series that premiers Sunday, Sept. 27.</p>
<p>The series is packed with interesting history, inspiring personal stories and — it can’t be emphasized enough — awe-inspiring footage of the most beautiful places in the United States. We’ve watched all six episodes and have written short synopses of each to give you a taste of what you’ll see. It’s rough work, we know, but that’s what we’ll do for our readers. In all seriousness, though, this series is stunning; we guarantee it’ll stir your soul. So set your DVR or VCR; schedule some family time to watch it; save those errands for another week — whatever you’ve got to do, don’t miss this.</p>
<h3>Part 1: “Our Best Selves”</h3>
<p>In the first episode of <em>The National Parks: America’s Best Idea</em>, we witness the birth of our national parks system. A few notable points:</p>
<ul>

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368