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Wonderlandscape
Yellowstone is America's premier national park. Today is often a byword for conservation, natural beauty, and a way for everyone to enjoy the great outdoors. But it was not always this way. Wonderlandscape presents a new perspective on Yellowstone, the emotions various natural wonders and attractions evoke, and how this explains the park's relationship to America as a whole.Whether it is artists or naturalists, entrepreneurs or pop-culture icons, each character in the story of Yellowstone ends up reflecting and redefining the park for the values of its era. For example, when Ernest Thompson Seton wanted to observe bears in 1897, his adventures highlighted the way the park transformed from a set of geological oddities to a wildlife sanctuary, reflecting a nation was concerned about disappearing populations of bison and other species. Subsequent eras added Rooseveltian masculinity, ecosystem science, and artistic inspiration as core Yellowstone hallmarks.As the National Park system enters its second century, Wonderlandscape allows us to reflect on the values and heritage that Yellowstone alone has come to represent—how it will shape the America's relationship with her land for generations to come.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
11 people are currently reading
889 people want to read
About the author
John Clayton
36 books21 followersJohn Clayton is the author of Natural Rivals: John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and the Creation of America’s Public Lands (Pegasus, 2019). The Wall Street Journal says, "Mr. Clayton writes with clarity, passion and insight." John's previous book, Wonderlandscape: Yellowstone National Park and the Evolution of an American Cultural Icon (Pegasus, 2017) arose because he has lived for 29 years on the outskirts of Yellowstone, watching how his houseguests and others react to the world's first national park. What makes Yellowstone famous? And how has that changed over the years? John is also the author of Stories from Montana's Enduring Frontier, a collection of essays on Montana history. A major previous book, The Cowboy Girl, is a biography of the Montana/Wyoming novelist, journalist, and homesteader Caroline Lockhart. John is an independent journalist and essayist who lives in Montana with his dog Chaka Khan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 23, 2017
I'm kind of a national parks geek and if you're thinking about reading this, you probably are too. If you have an average or less than average interest in the national parks, just move on by.
OK hello. I overall enjoyed this book, which is basically a series of essays focusing on different aspects of Yellowstone National Park in history and popular culture. I learned some really interesting stuff (I loved the chapters about "parkitecture" and the specific style that's become associated with National Parks, and stuff about bears and wildfires and how those policies are shaped were very interesting.)
A couple of missteps:
- I thought the chapter about Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park causing Yellowstone to have an elevated role in popular culture was...interesting but also a stretch? And also he spent some time interviewing 2 random people about how much they liked Yogi bear as a kid and I thought it was going to be like "and now...they're park rangers" but they're not, I guess they're just randos who liked Yogi Bear. One of them has never even been to actual Yellowstone. Couldn't he have found a park ranger who liked Yogi Bear to talk to??
- Throughout the book he barely talked about Native Americans, but occasionally would refer to a "Nez Perce hostage incident" like the reader was supposed to be familiar with it, but didn't explain it until later on in the book. But also later on in the book he joked that maybe people reading this book are confused about the difference between Yellowstone and Yosemite, so like...this is clearly aimed at a casual-ish reader and not someone who's already an expert in the park's history. So explain that thing the first time it comes up jeez
- Anyway so throughout the book it was bugging me that he so so barely talked about Native Americans, since I know that in general tribes were often dislocated by national parks etc...and then I got to the epilogue and he said (direct quote) "I was pained to spend so little of this book discussing Native Americans. But I was looking at what the wider culture had valued through American history, and it had not valued indigenous people." OK SURE BUDDY BUT NOW YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM?!? I know he's talking about its role in popular culture/history but the absence of something can still be commented on.....or you could talk about how the park was viewed in tribal histories....or something?!
- also in the epilogue he was basically like "lol why is everyone so obsessed with the supervolcano, it's probably not going to kill us get over it"
ugh just take us now supervolcano
ANYWAY again I mostly enjoyed reading this book just got bugged by those things.
Also it was good at including photos of everything that I wanted there to be photos of, but they're all in the middle plates without necessarily indicating ("see photo in the middle plate") so I'd just have to optimistically flip to the middle of the book hoping he'd replicate for example the Ansel Adams photo he'd just described.
Anyway if you're only going to read ONE National Parks book I'd rec The Hour of Land by Terry Tempest Williams over this--she does a way better job of including Native Americans and also just writes about the parks so beautifully and honestly probably kind of ruined me for other parks books. But if you already read that and you're that big of a nerd that you want to read another national parks book, hell yeah this one will do.
OK hello. I overall enjoyed this book, which is basically a series of essays focusing on different aspects of Yellowstone National Park in history and popular culture. I learned some really interesting stuff (I loved the chapters about "parkitecture" and the specific style that's become associated with National Parks, and stuff about bears and wildfires and how those policies are shaped were very interesting.)
A couple of missteps:
- I thought the chapter about Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park causing Yellowstone to have an elevated role in popular culture was...interesting but also a stretch? And also he spent some time interviewing 2 random people about how much they liked Yogi bear as a kid and I thought it was going to be like "and now...they're park rangers" but they're not, I guess they're just randos who liked Yogi Bear. One of them has never even been to actual Yellowstone. Couldn't he have found a park ranger who liked Yogi Bear to talk to??
- Throughout the book he barely talked about Native Americans, but occasionally would refer to a "Nez Perce hostage incident" like the reader was supposed to be familiar with it, but didn't explain it until later on in the book. But also later on in the book he joked that maybe people reading this book are confused about the difference between Yellowstone and Yosemite, so like...this is clearly aimed at a casual-ish reader and not someone who's already an expert in the park's history. So explain that thing the first time it comes up jeez
- Anyway so throughout the book it was bugging me that he so so barely talked about Native Americans, since I know that in general tribes were often dislocated by national parks etc...and then I got to the epilogue and he said (direct quote) "I was pained to spend so little of this book discussing Native Americans. But I was looking at what the wider culture had valued through American history, and it had not valued indigenous people." OK SURE BUDDY BUT NOW YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM?!? I know he's talking about its role in popular culture/history but the absence of something can still be commented on.....or you could talk about how the park was viewed in tribal histories....or something?!
- also in the epilogue he was basically like "lol why is everyone so obsessed with the supervolcano, it's probably not going to kill us get over it"
ugh just take us now supervolcano
ANYWAY again I mostly enjoyed reading this book just got bugged by those things.
Also it was good at including photos of everything that I wanted there to be photos of, but they're all in the middle plates without necessarily indicating ("see photo in the middle plate") so I'd just have to optimistically flip to the middle of the book hoping he'd replicate for example the Ansel Adams photo he'd just described.
Anyway if you're only going to read ONE National Parks book I'd rec The Hour of Land by Terry Tempest Williams over this--she does a way better job of including Native Americans and also just writes about the parks so beautifully and honestly probably kind of ruined me for other parks books. But if you already read that and you're that big of a nerd that you want to read another national parks book, hell yeah this one will do.
August 10, 2025
Ready to return to Yellowstone and bore my companions with all the juicy details I learned about America's National Park.
April 24, 2021
Yellowstone National Park is my favorite place that I have ever visited so I was excited to read this book. It didn't disappoint. I found it very interesting and it made me look forward to visiting the park again someday. My favorite chapters were the ones about bears (quelle surprise!), the one about Yogi Bear and the founding of Jellystone Campgrounds, and the one about the 1988 fires. I remember being riveted by the news of the fires that year having just visited and falling in love with the park the year before. I went back in 1989 and saw the stark "moonscape" of the burned areas. There was a strange beauty in the burned areas. Reading the accounts of the various fires was fascinating. Great book about a national treasure!
May 31, 2025
2. The best chapters were about the bears and the politics around the 1988 fires. Unfortunately, the rest is super dull and not concise enough. There’s not even a chapter on the wolves.
August 25, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up
I am a huge fan of our National Parks, and although I’ve only been there once, Yellowstone is one of my favorites. The wildlife is captivating, the history is intriguing, and the geology is fascinating – where else will you see naturally occurring boiling pots of thick, gooey mud? Forty years later, and I can still see, hear and smell these mudpots :)
This book divides its contents into 11 sections, each looking at Yellowstone in a different way. The sections are given simple names: Special, Half Tame, Informal, Rugged, Patriotic, Teachable, Spiritual, Political, Popular, Threatened and Triumphant, and each paints a broad picture in the reader’s mind of that aspect of the Park.
I found some of the sections to be quite compelling, while others fell flat. I honestly find it hard to believe that people confuse Yellowstone with Yosemite, nor do I put much credence in Yogi Bear’s influence on the popularity of Yellowstone. So much information was crammed into some sections that it felt like things were glossed over in order to fit it all in. I would have liked to read more about the history and the geology of the place, and the human aspect (little is said about the indigenous people who were there long before it was “discovered” by White explorers), but there are other books out there where I can find that information.
I don’t see any other books on this author’s page on Goodreads, but if there are any, I would consider reading one – depending, of course, on its primary topic.
I am a huge fan of our National Parks, and although I’ve only been there once, Yellowstone is one of my favorites. The wildlife is captivating, the history is intriguing, and the geology is fascinating – where else will you see naturally occurring boiling pots of thick, gooey mud? Forty years later, and I can still see, hear and smell these mudpots :)
This book divides its contents into 11 sections, each looking at Yellowstone in a different way. The sections are given simple names: Special, Half Tame, Informal, Rugged, Patriotic, Teachable, Spiritual, Political, Popular, Threatened and Triumphant, and each paints a broad picture in the reader’s mind of that aspect of the Park.
I found some of the sections to be quite compelling, while others fell flat. I honestly find it hard to believe that people confuse Yellowstone with Yosemite, nor do I put much credence in Yogi Bear’s influence on the popularity of Yellowstone. So much information was crammed into some sections that it felt like things were glossed over in order to fit it all in. I would have liked to read more about the history and the geology of the place, and the human aspect (little is said about the indigenous people who were there long before it was “discovered” by White explorers), but there are other books out there where I can find that information.
I don’t see any other books on this author’s page on Goodreads, but if there are any, I would consider reading one – depending, of course, on its primary topic.
September 2, 2017
I worked and lived in Yellowstone National Park during the summer of 1988-- the summer of the great Yellowstone fires. Our location was evacuated prior to the end of the summer. Chapter 10 focuses on that harrowing time.
This book is an interesting read in that its focus is on Yellowstone's development as a cultural icon.
This book is an interesting read in that its focus is on Yellowstone's development as a cultural icon.
May 13, 2022
Long winded history by someone that has his own long history of the park and his love of the park shines through in the words he writes of it. I learned a few things from this book. Worth a read.
October 19, 2023
A nice primer on Yellowstone as a cultural icon.
June 10, 2021
I’m almost done, but I just need to note my thoughts. Honestly, some of the assertions are a bit of a stretch. That concurrent bear attacks made people in the 1960’s think that the collective conscious of grizzlies had shifted to murder mode (among other theories)? Nope, don’t buy it. Also, the author’s assertion that he doesn’t know why people associate T. Roosevelt with Yellowstone and then begins to list grandiose cultural theories…without noting that in the prior chapter he literally points out that Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the arch or that there is an entire part of the park named after the former president?? Idk; it was just wild. It felt like the author had such a broad, extensive view that he missed the obvious in some cases.
November 9, 2022
This book was much better than I expected, especially considering it was a freebie for me from Audible. I have had the joy of visiting Yellowstone National Park and think it is one of our nation's true treasures. Clayton obviously does too. He has put together a collection of long essays covering a wide array of topics that allows him to give a fine overview of the founding and development of the park, some of its most remarkable geographical features, preservation efforts of the land and wildlife, threats and challenges, and the its future.
Clayton's approach is to use each chapter to tell a story, which in turn reveals information about different aspects of the park. He goes into great detail about several of the people who were instrumental in getting the land designated as the first national park, how it should be maintained, how it should be made available to the public, and how it could function as a huge outdoor museum with traditional museums included within its borders.
He explores the research conducted on grizzly bears and the relationship between these massive animals and park officials, scientists, and the general public. He gives only an afterthought near the end of the book to the reintroduction of wolves to the park in recent years - grizzly bears are his focus for the points he wants to make about wildlife conservation efforts in the park.
Clayton also goes into detail about the influential architect of the park, or its "parkitecture." He uses Old Faithful Lodge as the best example, and I have a greater appreciation now for the building where I had breakfast but never actually lodged. He spends considerable time with stories about firefighting efforts in the park and how scientific knowledge has changed through the years about managing fire to protect structures and people while recognizing the necessity of fire to the ecosystem.
One of the major takeaways from this book is how attitudes in the scientific community, and even in the political arena, have evolved away from seeing "threats" and more towards recognizing forces that are at work in the park to keep everything in balance, including fire, bears, wolves, and weather patterns. He points out that native people who had inhabited the region for thousands of years before Europeans moved in understood this concept very well and had little desire to manipulate the environment as white people had a tendency to do.
Clayton also dispels a few myths along the way, the most important being the role that Theodore Roosevelt played in the success of the park in the early years. The chapter on the spiritual significance of the park will also have some readers pondering questions they perhaps had not considered. This book offers an interesting approach to understanding Yellowstone specifically and perhaps the idea of national parks in general.
Clayton's approach is to use each chapter to tell a story, which in turn reveals information about different aspects of the park. He goes into great detail about several of the people who were instrumental in getting the land designated as the first national park, how it should be maintained, how it should be made available to the public, and how it could function as a huge outdoor museum with traditional museums included within its borders.
He explores the research conducted on grizzly bears and the relationship between these massive animals and park officials, scientists, and the general public. He gives only an afterthought near the end of the book to the reintroduction of wolves to the park in recent years - grizzly bears are his focus for the points he wants to make about wildlife conservation efforts in the park.
Clayton also goes into detail about the influential architect of the park, or its "parkitecture." He uses Old Faithful Lodge as the best example, and I have a greater appreciation now for the building where I had breakfast but never actually lodged. He spends considerable time with stories about firefighting efforts in the park and how scientific knowledge has changed through the years about managing fire to protect structures and people while recognizing the necessity of fire to the ecosystem.
One of the major takeaways from this book is how attitudes in the scientific community, and even in the political arena, have evolved away from seeing "threats" and more towards recognizing forces that are at work in the park to keep everything in balance, including fire, bears, wolves, and weather patterns. He points out that native people who had inhabited the region for thousands of years before Europeans moved in understood this concept very well and had little desire to manipulate the environment as white people had a tendency to do.
Clayton also dispels a few myths along the way, the most important being the role that Theodore Roosevelt played in the success of the park in the early years. The chapter on the spiritual significance of the park will also have some readers pondering questions they perhaps had not considered. This book offers an interesting approach to understanding Yellowstone specifically and perhaps the idea of national parks in general.
August 9, 2018
I bought this book for my husband to get him motivated for our upcoming Yellowstone trip. It definitely did the job and now I've read it, too, and I'm just as excited.
As discussed in the intro, the author made a conscious and successful choice to use a different person or set of persons to talk about a different aspect of park. This definitely helped provide more depth and color, plus it emphasizes the social forces that shaped the park. I'm not sure other books would have done that as successfully.
As another person noted, the chapter about Yogi Bear could have been stronger. I think Clayton was trying to show how even people who have never visited the park have been influenced by a version of it that wasn't really even the park. It would have been better to be more explicit about that idea.
Also, the author only hints at the wolf reintroduction controversy, which seems pretty central to Yellowstone these days, but I can also see why you wouldn't want to wade into it too deeply since it's still being so debated.
Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who is planning to visit or has visited Yellowstone and wants to learn more.
As discussed in the intro, the author made a conscious and successful choice to use a different person or set of persons to talk about a different aspect of park. This definitely helped provide more depth and color, plus it emphasizes the social forces that shaped the park. I'm not sure other books would have done that as successfully.
As another person noted, the chapter about Yogi Bear could have been stronger. I think Clayton was trying to show how even people who have never visited the park have been influenced by a version of it that wasn't really even the park. It would have been better to be more explicit about that idea.
Also, the author only hints at the wolf reintroduction controversy, which seems pretty central to Yellowstone these days, but I can also see why you wouldn't want to wade into it too deeply since it's still being so debated.
Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who is planning to visit or has visited Yellowstone and wants to learn more.
December 31, 2018
“Wonderlandscape,” by John Clayton, is a history of Yellowstone National Park and its place in American culture. The book traces the evolution of the park and how its management has changed over time as attitudes towards nature and conservation priorities evolved. It was interesting to see how the park responded to changing visitor populations – from wealthy painters and amateur naturalists in the 19th century, to the dude ranchers of the early 20th century, to the invasion of the automobiles in the 1950s, and finally to the more ecologically focused modern era. With the exception of an odd chapter about Jellystone campgrounds, the book is a solidly done history of the park and should be of interest to people who have been to the park or are planning to visit.
April 15, 2018
If you are interested in how Yellowstone National Park came to be, Wonderlandscape is the book for you. Clayton covers the history of the landscape, the process by which it became a park, "parkitecture," human interactions with wildlife, and the fire in 1988. He doesn't cover the geology at all (a minus), and touches on the supervolcano issues only briefly in the last chapter. Still, I found this to be an enjoyable book and recommend it if you are interested in Yellowstone, or plan to visit.
The preface is plodding. Indeed, I wasn't sure I could make it through the book if it all read like the preface. It doesn't, and I recommend skipping this chapter.
The preface is plodding. Indeed, I wasn't sure I could make it through the book if it all read like the preface. It doesn't, and I recommend skipping this chapter.
May 22, 2023
I listened to this historical retelling of the importance of Yellowstone National Park by author John Clayton immediately after finishing "Natural Rivals" also by Clayton. I was pretty sure I would end up disappointed since I have always been more fond of Yosemite NP and often considered Yellowstone NP an old-timey place and an oddity with its history of feeding betters. Clayton puts the importance of Yellowstone helps me better understand the importance it holds in our national park system and in the history of conservation. I found it interesting and may even want to visit soon.
February 22, 2018
Most histories tend to approach their subjects from the chronological. Not this book. More than answering the question of how Yellowstone came to be, he asked WHAt Yellowstone means. His analysis is delightfully thought-provoking and wonderfully researched. The final chapters on the 1988 wildfires I found to be especially telling when viewed through my own recent experiences with the recent Smokies fires. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys histories, cultural essays, or national parks.
July 23, 2025
2.5 stars. The Ansel Adams chapter was excellent. Author left a bad taste in my mouth by making excuses for moron tourists who tried to care for a baby bison by putting it in their car. "Bison only survived because people tried to help before" ignoring the fact that that situation itself was manmade. The epilogue has the author admitting it "pains" him to spend so little time talking about native Americans because American culture had so often ignored them. YOU'RE DOING EXACTLY THAT.
September 20, 2017
Some chapters were a lot more interesting than others. I would have expected to be more interested than I was in the Ansel Adams chapter and the 1988 fire chapter. The chapter about Old Faithful lodge was probably my favorite. I wish I had read it before I visited Yellowstone last June!
February 27, 2021
This book provides a look at Yellowstone National Park and its history through a variety of cultural lenses. I found Clayton's treatment of these to be perceptive, even-handed, well-written, and enjoyable. I now look even more forward to visiting the park someday.
March 20, 2022
This author clearly did his research and wrote a fascinating book about Yellowstone. As I was reading along I realized I’d forgotten all about the tragic fires in 1988. (I was a new mother then, it must have been self preservation!)
September 26, 2017
More wolves, please.
November 10, 2017
Engaging historical overview of various aspects of Yellowstone since the time of explorations in the 1870s. Each chapter covers a different topic in roughly chronological order.
December 7, 2017
Living as close to Yellowstone as we do in Billings, MT this is a great book to learn more about this great national park.
March 19, 2018
This a a story about how Yellowstone became the cultural icon it is
June 15, 2018
This was a decent read about my favorite National Park (and I've have been to almost all of them).
December 31, 2020
If you're taking a trip to Yellowstone, this is a great book for before you go.
January 13, 2021
Great book - an excellent look at the key events involving Yellowstone since the park's creation in 1872!
January 6, 2022
A lovely book that captures the historical majesty of Yellowstone-- our national treasure.
August 15, 2022
Audio. I would recommend reading, not listening, to this book. It has some great information in it and I feel like I didn’t absorb a lot of it.
August 3, 2023
this is a fun pre-visit to Yellowstone book.
a bit history, a bit thoughts a bit insight
a bit history, a bit thoughts a bit insight
March 13, 2026
Lovely distillation of the human and natural forces that shaped the Yellowstone we know today.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews