The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009)

Episode Overview

Previously, visits to national parks were mainly enjoyed by affluent Americans who could afford costly train excursions. However, the rise of the automobile has opened up access, allowing a broader audience to explore these natural wonders. John Muir seizes this chance to advocate for the construction of more roads within the parks. Meanwhile, park enthusiasts Margaret and Edward Gehrke from Nebraska embark on a mission to "collect" parks, aiming to visit as many as possible. In North Carolina, writer Horace Kephart and Japanese immigrant George Masa begin efforts to preserve the last untouched forests of the Smoky Mountains by advocating for its designation as a park. In Wyoming, John D. Rockefeller Jr. discreetly acquires land in the Teton Mountain Range, planning to eventually donate it to the government for park development.