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That Wild Country: An Epic Journey through the Past, Present, and Future of America's Public Lands
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Science & Technology (2020)From prominent outdoorsman and nature writer Mark Kenyon comes an engrossing reflection on the past and future battles over our most revered landscapes—America’s public lands.
Every American is a public-land owner, inheritor to the largest public-land trust in the world. These vast expanses provide a home to wildlife populations, a vital source of clean air and water, and a haven for recreation.
Since its inception, however, America’s public land system has been embroiled in controversy—caught in the push and pull between the desire to develop the valuable resources the land holds or conserve them. Alarmed by rising tensions over the use of these lands, hunter, angler, and outdoor enthusiast Mark Kenyon set out to explore the spaces involved in this heated debate, and learn firsthand how they came to be and what their future might hold.
Part travelogue and part historical examination, That Wild Country invites readers on an intimate tour of the wondrous wild and public places that are a uniquely profound and endangered part of the American landscape.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2019
3775 people are currently reading
12295 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 470 reviews
November 2, 2019
Years ago, I was fortunate to be on an overseas trip, visiting friends and taking in the sights of England and Scotland. I marveled at the age of buildings sometimes twice as old as the settlement site in Jamestown, sadly thinking that we didn’t have anything like that in America.
How wrong I was.
It is the natural wonders of the world that are there for us to enjoy, and Mark Kenyon’s book offers a mixture of details that is sure interest everyone. If history is your passion, Mr. Kenyon takes us on a journey through the pitched battles between the businessmen and the conservationists, each pursuing a diametrically opposed path. The parks and monuments we visit today (and perhaps take for granted!) might not have been here if not for the efforts of people like Theodore Roosevelt, George Bird Grinnell, John Muir, and Presidents Harrison, Cleveland, and McKinley. When Roosevelt assumed the Presidency, he fought hard for what he believed in, extending by millions of acres the federal land earmarked for enjoyment by the American people. These initial steps were later taken farther by people like Aldo Leopold, Bob Marshall, and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
If your interests lie in communing with nature (or perhaps you prefer the fishing or hunting aspects), you will not feel left out. Mr. Kenyon describes his fishing almost as if it were holy (and I am sure, to him it is), and even as one who does not fish, I can understand the essence of what he is feeling. Hunting trips are also described, although I enjoyed his detailed search to find antlers. The author shared that these searches also tell him much of where the deer might be once hunting season commences, certainly a huge advantage to those who walk the forests and mountains hunting with a bow.
I found the mixture of history and life interesting and entertaining. Wherever Mr. Kenyon was hiking or fishing or whatever, he would interject slices of history before returning to what ever he and his wife or friends were doing. This kept the book moving forward and I liked the combination of personal life story mixed with historical background. This is a great read that just might cause you to begin a search for a good pair of hiking boots. Five stars.
How wrong I was.
It is the natural wonders of the world that are there for us to enjoy, and Mark Kenyon’s book offers a mixture of details that is sure interest everyone. If history is your passion, Mr. Kenyon takes us on a journey through the pitched battles between the businessmen and the conservationists, each pursuing a diametrically opposed path. The parks and monuments we visit today (and perhaps take for granted!) might not have been here if not for the efforts of people like Theodore Roosevelt, George Bird Grinnell, John Muir, and Presidents Harrison, Cleveland, and McKinley. When Roosevelt assumed the Presidency, he fought hard for what he believed in, extending by millions of acres the federal land earmarked for enjoyment by the American people. These initial steps were later taken farther by people like Aldo Leopold, Bob Marshall, and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
If your interests lie in communing with nature (or perhaps you prefer the fishing or hunting aspects), you will not feel left out. Mr. Kenyon describes his fishing almost as if it were holy (and I am sure, to him it is), and even as one who does not fish, I can understand the essence of what he is feeling. Hunting trips are also described, although I enjoyed his detailed search to find antlers. The author shared that these searches also tell him much of where the deer might be once hunting season commences, certainly a huge advantage to those who walk the forests and mountains hunting with a bow.
I found the mixture of history and life interesting and entertaining. Wherever Mr. Kenyon was hiking or fishing or whatever, he would interject slices of history before returning to what ever he and his wife or friends were doing. This kept the book moving forward and I liked the combination of personal life story mixed with historical background. This is a great read that just might cause you to begin a search for a good pair of hiking boots. Five stars.
November 9, 2019
This historic overview of our national public lands was a great read.
As a seventy year old female nature lover and birder, I was unsure if I would relate to this young hunter and fisherman's story. But one chapter into it I was hooked!
He vividly describes his journeys into some well known as well as lesser known sites. Then he weaves in the history of how those places became publicly owned and preserved. He brings together the political battles and challenges in a meaningful way.
Every person who loves our National Parks and other natural areas should read this book. He makes a great case for how conservative hunting/fishing advocates and liberal nature lovers can and should work together to protect our wild and wonderful public lands.
As a seventy year old female nature lover and birder, I was unsure if I would relate to this young hunter and fisherman's story. But one chapter into it I was hooked!
He vividly describes his journeys into some well known as well as lesser known sites. Then he weaves in the history of how those places became publicly owned and preserved. He brings together the political battles and challenges in a meaningful way.
Every person who loves our National Parks and other natural areas should read this book. He makes a great case for how conservative hunting/fishing advocates and liberal nature lovers can and should work together to protect our wild and wonderful public lands.
March 20, 2020
This is an elegy for our public lands in America that are slowly being consumed.
Trash.
Graffiti.
Influencers.
Encroachment.
In many ways, we are loving our public lands to death. We are desperate to prove that we did something or that we went somewhere that we disregard nature for our own desires. We stray from the paths that keep the lands safe. We trample poppies and climb fences. Public lands are suffering from this and changing.
This book is a remembrance of what escapism is all about. What it is for. The lands are for getting away, not for your next post. This book dives into the history of why public lands are so cherished and necessary in the United States and how the author likes to use them. He emphasizes that even in this crazy digital world we are in, it is possible to disconnect completely.
I like the idea of being able to remove myself from the modern and reconnect to the past and to nature. It is so difficult to do but I believe that it is necessary for the soul.
"We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope." - Edward Abbey
Trash.
Graffiti.
Influencers.
Encroachment.
In many ways, we are loving our public lands to death. We are desperate to prove that we did something or that we went somewhere that we disregard nature for our own desires. We stray from the paths that keep the lands safe. We trample poppies and climb fences. Public lands are suffering from this and changing.
This book is a remembrance of what escapism is all about. What it is for. The lands are for getting away, not for your next post. This book dives into the history of why public lands are so cherished and necessary in the United States and how the author likes to use them. He emphasizes that even in this crazy digital world we are in, it is possible to disconnect completely.
I like the idea of being able to remove myself from the modern and reconnect to the past and to nature. It is so difficult to do but I believe that it is necessary for the soul.
"We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope." - Edward Abbey
January 28, 2024
DNF at page 89 (plus some skipping around). Just too much travelogue and not enough public land information.
Kenyon, a hunter and outdoor enthusiast from Michigan, argues in support of federally-owned ("public") lands. Unfortunately, he seems to lump anyone who doesn't espouse his view in with Cliven Bundy and his radical followers, without delving into what most Westerners actually think. Growing up in Utah, I heard the arguments from both sides. Most do not disagree with protecting land but are resentful of Eastern politicians locking up Western land simply for environmental/political points (Obama) or to enhance their "legacy" (Clinton). Pronouncements are never made with local input, but are done by political expediency. And Kenyon seems oblivious to the troubles such land designations cause for those who live there - such as the crowds, litter, and noise he complains about on his brief trip to Moab, UT (not to mention that few tourism jobs pay well, or that Nat'l Parks are woefully underfunded). Instead we read pages and pages of his driving (where he can't get a spot in crowded campgrounds) and trying to figure out how to dump the sewage from his camper/trailer. (Incidentally, the federal government is already the largest landowner in the West, claiming over 50% of Western states, and more than 60% in Utah and Idaho. In Nevada it's just over 80%. No wonder the Bundys and a whole lot of other people are disgruntled.)
For the most part I agree with his view of the value of public lands, but the lack of balance (or even any sincere understanding) and excess of travelogue was just disappointing.
Kenyon, a hunter and outdoor enthusiast from Michigan, argues in support of federally-owned ("public") lands. Unfortunately, he seems to lump anyone who doesn't espouse his view in with Cliven Bundy and his radical followers, without delving into what most Westerners actually think. Growing up in Utah, I heard the arguments from both sides. Most do not disagree with protecting land but are resentful of Eastern politicians locking up Western land simply for environmental/political points (Obama) or to enhance their "legacy" (Clinton). Pronouncements are never made with local input, but are done by political expediency. And Kenyon seems oblivious to the troubles such land designations cause for those who live there - such as the crowds, litter, and noise he complains about on his brief trip to Moab, UT (not to mention that few tourism jobs pay well, or that Nat'l Parks are woefully underfunded). Instead we read pages and pages of his driving (where he can't get a spot in crowded campgrounds) and trying to figure out how to dump the sewage from his camper/trailer. (Incidentally, the federal government is already the largest landowner in the West, claiming over 50% of Western states, and more than 60% in Utah and Idaho. In Nevada it's just over 80%. No wonder the Bundys and a whole lot of other people are disgruntled.)
For the most part I agree with his view of the value of public lands, but the lack of balance (or even any sincere understanding) and excess of travelogue was just disappointing.
February 2, 2021
Completely disregards the fact that public lands are stolen lands. Doesn’t acknowledge that these forests took away rights and created social unrest.
December 9, 2019
I am a National Park addict - I have made it a point to always visit the national parks available to all Americans whenever I'm near one. My favorite is the one I'm closest to and thus have visited the most - the Great Smoky Mountains NP. But I think that Glacier NP has to run a close second - this jewel of Western Montana is so lovely, with landscapes and vistas so sweeping and majestic that they almost defy description. The wildlife is so varied, from the small pika to mountain goats and bighorn sheep to grizzly bears. So this book - part a history of the many types of public lands (it's not just national parks) and how they came into being and how they are managed, and part a travelogue and personal journey of the author's through some of America's most pristine places - appealed to me on many levels. Some of these are places I've visited, or want to visit, while others are places I'm unlikely to go and yet I feel richer knowing that they are there for all Americans.
Americans as a nation own an incredible 28% of our land as public lands - 640 million acres. It's not just national parks, but also wildernesses, wildlife refuges, national forests, and other publicly managed lands. The author starts with Yellowstone - the first national park, and first of its kind in the world - and traces the development of public land policy as pro-conservation forces like Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir were confronted by pro-development forces. The pendulum swings back and forth over the next 100 years as these two forces continually push and pull the boundaries on how we use our public lands. The past few years have been an overall loss for the public as there are forces that want to exploit the resources with little regard to what we all lose. This is an important book because Kenyon is not a tree-hugger - he does hunt and fish and wants to protect the natural areas for those uses. The use of public lands can bring together liberals and conservatives, hunters and tree huggers - we all should be concerned about our lands. It has become a partisan point and it should not be - this should concern all of us as Americans. This land IS our land - unless it is sold or exploited by industry.
Quotes to remember:
Teddy Roosevelt: "Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is keep it for your children, your children's children, and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American, if he can travel at all, should see."
Mark Twain supposedly once said that "history doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes."
...wild places and resources of America, especially its forests, shouldn't be monopolized by the rich few, but rather conserved for the many....conservation should be defined by managing natural resources to "provide the greatest good for the greatest number in the long run."
Roosevelt...created 5 national parks, 150 national forests, more than 50 wildlife refuges, and 18 national monuments - in total more than 230 million acres of newly protected lands. And he did all of this despite enormous pushback from anti-public-land forces.
In its 9 years of existence, it's said that the Civilian Conservation Corps planted between 2 and 3 billion trees, cleared 13 thousand miles of hiking trails, built more than 40 thousand bridges and 3 thousand fire towers, helped establish more than 700 new state parks, made improvements in 94 national parks or monument areas, and developed 52 thousand acres of public campgrounds. And while all the work happened nearly a century ago, many CCC projects are still used today.
October 2, 1968. The legislation formally established two national scenic trails - the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail [I had no idea that the AT was this recently established]
...the nation witnessed a rare moment in history when both Democrats and Republicans fought in equal measure to carry the mantle of the environmental movement forward.
Rather than proposing overt land sales...now it's 'Let's cut agency budgets, let's impair the value of these lands, let's not fund all of the management actions, let's not fund all of the back-logged maintenance, let's not give the agencies the money they need to do their work.'
Americans as a nation own an incredible 28% of our land as public lands - 640 million acres. It's not just national parks, but also wildernesses, wildlife refuges, national forests, and other publicly managed lands. The author starts with Yellowstone - the first national park, and first of its kind in the world - and traces the development of public land policy as pro-conservation forces like Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir were confronted by pro-development forces. The pendulum swings back and forth over the next 100 years as these two forces continually push and pull the boundaries on how we use our public lands. The past few years have been an overall loss for the public as there are forces that want to exploit the resources with little regard to what we all lose. This is an important book because Kenyon is not a tree-hugger - he does hunt and fish and wants to protect the natural areas for those uses. The use of public lands can bring together liberals and conservatives, hunters and tree huggers - we all should be concerned about our lands. It has become a partisan point and it should not be - this should concern all of us as Americans. This land IS our land - unless it is sold or exploited by industry.
Quotes to remember:
Teddy Roosevelt: "Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is keep it for your children, your children's children, and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American, if he can travel at all, should see."
Mark Twain supposedly once said that "history doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes."
...wild places and resources of America, especially its forests, shouldn't be monopolized by the rich few, but rather conserved for the many....conservation should be defined by managing natural resources to "provide the greatest good for the greatest number in the long run."
Roosevelt...created 5 national parks, 150 national forests, more than 50 wildlife refuges, and 18 national monuments - in total more than 230 million acres of newly protected lands. And he did all of this despite enormous pushback from anti-public-land forces.
In its 9 years of existence, it's said that the Civilian Conservation Corps planted between 2 and 3 billion trees, cleared 13 thousand miles of hiking trails, built more than 40 thousand bridges and 3 thousand fire towers, helped establish more than 700 new state parks, made improvements in 94 national parks or monument areas, and developed 52 thousand acres of public campgrounds. And while all the work happened nearly a century ago, many CCC projects are still used today.
October 2, 1968. The legislation formally established two national scenic trails - the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail [I had no idea that the AT was this recently established]
...the nation witnessed a rare moment in history when both Democrats and Republicans fought in equal measure to carry the mantle of the environmental movement forward.
Rather than proposing overt land sales...now it's 'Let's cut agency budgets, let's impair the value of these lands, let's not fund all of the management actions, let's not fund all of the back-logged maintenance, let's not give the agencies the money they need to do their work.'
December 17, 2019
I received a free electronic copy of this excellent history of America's Public Lands on December 5, 2019, from Netgalley, Mark Kenyon, and Little A Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. Kenyon brings to us all the many reasons our public lands are worth fighting for, and details the battles we and our forefathers have fought to keep this important heritage for our children and grandchildren and theirs. I am pleased to recommend this work to friends and family. Mark Kenyon is an author I will follow.
This is a must-read for all ages. For hunters, fishermen, adventure filmmakers and writers, mountain bikers, skiers, backpackers, and RVers, for people looking for a picnic spot to those with a summer to spend in the wilds. This is a go-to for finding your favorite place, the spot that you know in your soul you need to find peace or to share with a loved one. Kenyon covers all the greats and many of the not-so-great parks for those of us seeking solitude and the blessings of wilderness. He also defines all the past proponents of our national parks, forests, Wilderness parks, BLM, and monuments - from Teddy Roosevelt, Edward Abby, Wallace Stegner, to modern nature lovers like this author, Randy Newberg, Peter Metcalf, Rose Marcario of Patagonia and corporations like Patagonia, REI and Cabela. This is a battle we will lose if we don't stand together. And it is a dirty fight. Always check your sources before you believe what you read, and especially before you donate. Those seeking to move federal lands to state control or private sale can throw unlimited funds into the fight. We can't match them a dollar per dollar. We need to make every penny of our hard-won money count. This is not a political party issue but a concerted effort to keep irreplaceable wild America as it is.
I will end with a quote Kenyon shared from Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. "They say that hunters and tree huggers can't get together. That's BS. The only way we're going to get anything done is to work together." And remember that if 'they' can't buy the lands, they can cut the funding until there is nothing left to save. Just look at what happened to our parks - especially Joshua Tree National Park, over the last Federal budget shutdown.
pub date Dec 1, 2019
rec Dec 5, 2019
Publisher Little A
Reviewed on December 17, 2019, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub. Not available for review on Kobo or GooglePlay.
This is a must-read for all ages. For hunters, fishermen, adventure filmmakers and writers, mountain bikers, skiers, backpackers, and RVers, for people looking for a picnic spot to those with a summer to spend in the wilds. This is a go-to for finding your favorite place, the spot that you know in your soul you need to find peace or to share with a loved one. Kenyon covers all the greats and many of the not-so-great parks for those of us seeking solitude and the blessings of wilderness. He also defines all the past proponents of our national parks, forests, Wilderness parks, BLM, and monuments - from Teddy Roosevelt, Edward Abby, Wallace Stegner, to modern nature lovers like this author, Randy Newberg, Peter Metcalf, Rose Marcario of Patagonia and corporations like Patagonia, REI and Cabela. This is a battle we will lose if we don't stand together. And it is a dirty fight. Always check your sources before you believe what you read, and especially before you donate. Those seeking to move federal lands to state control or private sale can throw unlimited funds into the fight. We can't match them a dollar per dollar. We need to make every penny of our hard-won money count. This is not a political party issue but a concerted effort to keep irreplaceable wild America as it is.
I will end with a quote Kenyon shared from Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. "They say that hunters and tree huggers can't get together. That's BS. The only way we're going to get anything done is to work together." And remember that if 'they' can't buy the lands, they can cut the funding until there is nothing left to save. Just look at what happened to our parks - especially Joshua Tree National Park, over the last Federal budget shutdown.
pub date Dec 1, 2019
rec Dec 5, 2019
Publisher Little A
Reviewed on December 17, 2019, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub. Not available for review on Kobo or GooglePlay.
June 10, 2020
If you have no knowledge of public land use issues AND have no experience hiking/backpacking but are curious about the subject then this book is for you. I did find the history of public land use to be a good refresher, but this book broke no new ground for me. The stories of his backpacking adventures that intersperse the history lesson were a bit long winded and were met with (from an experienced backpackers perspective) a good amount of eye rolling.
June 19, 2020
Kenyon capably follows the history of public lands in The United States and that section really becomes the highlight of the entire book.
From there the personal anecdotes are woven with figures and opinions that are structured to support the authors view of public land, which would largely seem to be supportive of non consumptive use (besides hunting and fishing) while tolerating other consumptive/extraction users in a limited sense
Hearts in the right places but falls victim to the one of the classic blunder (never enter into a land war in Asia) and don’t treat all public lands like they are Zion or Yellowstone. This is a trap that more Easties seem to fall into, idealizing federal control of state land without really appreciate the burden that politicians voting in DC can place on a state like Idaho which is 62% federal land. 53% in Oregon.
I like to wax poetically about the most beautiful chunks of land of land in the country but let’s be real have you spent a lot of time of the public land East of Burns? How about West of Casper? There is land that’s most valuable use will be extractive or consumptive.
(Also no love for Nixon? ESA, EPA, Clean air & water?? Legacy of parks?)
2.5
From there the personal anecdotes are woven with figures and opinions that are structured to support the authors view of public land, which would largely seem to be supportive of non consumptive use (besides hunting and fishing) while tolerating other consumptive/extraction users in a limited sense
Hearts in the right places but falls victim to the one of the classic blunder (never enter into a land war in Asia) and don’t treat all public lands like they are Zion or Yellowstone. This is a trap that more Easties seem to fall into, idealizing federal control of state land without really appreciate the burden that politicians voting in DC can place on a state like Idaho which is 62% federal land. 53% in Oregon.
I like to wax poetically about the most beautiful chunks of land of land in the country but let’s be real have you spent a lot of time of the public land East of Burns? How about West of Casper? There is land that’s most valuable use will be extractive or consumptive.
(Also no love for Nixon? ESA, EPA, Clean air & water?? Legacy of parks?)
2.5
December 14, 2019
I really wanted to like this book, but in the end I just couldn't. Mark Kenyon sets out to visit all of our National Parks and write a history of the National Park System as well as part memoir or travel log. Unfortunately, all of the national parks he talks about sort of become one thing - a fishing trip with bears - and they all sort of sound like the same place. Even the geysers that are unique to Yellowstone he just passes over and hardly mentions. So over and over again he goes into nature taking too many pounds of gear, gets startled by a bear and scares it off by yelling "hey bear!" and then goes fishing. The primary difference between the different national parks seems to be how much the fish bite there, and I really don't care how much the fish bite. Furthermore, sometimes he takes his wife with him, and then she spends her time setting up camp and cooking for him while he spends his time fishing. What a sexist sack of shit. But really the big problem with it was that the national parks didn't seem distinct from one another, and really I would have been more interested in some of the touristy things to do at each one than fishing and scaring off bears. I admire him for this effort though, as, as he says, republicans are getting a little too fond of trying to privatize our public lands, and they are our heritage.
October 31, 2020
Lots to love here but unfortunately rather than really looking at the real motivations and thought processes for the opposing view and addressing why they are wrong he dismisses those people as “ilk” and paints everyone who disagrees with him as having evil and selfish intent. Was hoping for more thoughtful discussion of the subject as a whole rather than just that public land is good and everyone who puts policy forward that could endanger it is selfish and despicable.
August 10, 2022
I loved reading about the history of the public lands and the park descriptions. I hope to visit them all in my lifetime. But I did get bogged down in the minutiae of his trips. I would have appreciated more highlights from the parks themselves, particular must see trails and sites.
June 7, 2021
Time to get up to date with my reads! I've been reading, but I've taken a few weeks off from reviewing so as a result I'm left with a list of "currently reading" titles that I actually finished some time ago.
First off was this gem about America's public lands and why they're so great. I doubt anyone picks this one up who has yet to be convinced of the value inherent in public land, but those people likely don't read much to begin with so what can you do?
This was a nice outdoorsy read, along the lines of Robert Moor's On Trails: An Exploration and Robert McFarlane's Underland: A Deep Time Journey. If you like those authors, then you're likely to enjoy this one.
There are two parts to "That Wild Country." One is a history of America's public lands and how they came to be, and the other consists of the author, Mark Kenyon, going out camping and hiking with family and friends in those lands. The first part was more up my alley than the second, but it's nice to see the author practicing what he's preaching, not that it would matter — you don't have to set foot in a National Park like Yellowstone or Yosemite to benefit from or see the value in it.
Part of "That Wild County" recounts the 2016 occupation of Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by a group of philistines led by the Bundy family, a pack of halfwit inbreds who believe public lands should be auctioned off and sold to the highest bidder. Because the government won't allow them to graze their cattle on this land, because it belongs to everyone — not just them — the Bundys figure they'd rather it go to millionaires and billionaires who'd sooner not allow access to anyone. No, it doesn't make much sense, but that's what passes for conservative "thought" these days: if the government's involved, it's automatically bad.
Whatever happened to the "conserve" part of "conservative"? I don't rightly know. It was a Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt, who began the National Parks system after all, but the party has come a long way from Teddy as anyone who's witnessed the last five years can attest.
It's simple: America's public lands are what makes America great. We have some of the most stunning, incomparable nature of any nation on Earth, and the fact that the "Make America Great Again" con artists decided that selling off portions of this land and opening it to drilling for oil and natural gas shows exactly how full of shit they are — and who they're working for.
Check this one out, you'll learn a good deal about what makes America's public lands so special. But if you've ever stepped foot in a National Park and witnessed how truly magnificent the American landscape is, you already know just how special it is.
First off was this gem about America's public lands and why they're so great. I doubt anyone picks this one up who has yet to be convinced of the value inherent in public land, but those people likely don't read much to begin with so what can you do?
This was a nice outdoorsy read, along the lines of Robert Moor's On Trails: An Exploration and Robert McFarlane's Underland: A Deep Time Journey. If you like those authors, then you're likely to enjoy this one.
There are two parts to "That Wild Country." One is a history of America's public lands and how they came to be, and the other consists of the author, Mark Kenyon, going out camping and hiking with family and friends in those lands. The first part was more up my alley than the second, but it's nice to see the author practicing what he's preaching, not that it would matter — you don't have to set foot in a National Park like Yellowstone or Yosemite to benefit from or see the value in it.
Part of "That Wild County" recounts the 2016 occupation of Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by a group of philistines led by the Bundy family, a pack of halfwit inbreds who believe public lands should be auctioned off and sold to the highest bidder. Because the government won't allow them to graze their cattle on this land, because it belongs to everyone — not just them — the Bundys figure they'd rather it go to millionaires and billionaires who'd sooner not allow access to anyone. No, it doesn't make much sense, but that's what passes for conservative "thought" these days: if the government's involved, it's automatically bad.
Whatever happened to the "conserve" part of "conservative"? I don't rightly know. It was a Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt, who began the National Parks system after all, but the party has come a long way from Teddy as anyone who's witnessed the last five years can attest.
It's simple: America's public lands are what makes America great. We have some of the most stunning, incomparable nature of any nation on Earth, and the fact that the "Make America Great Again" con artists decided that selling off portions of this land and opening it to drilling for oil and natural gas shows exactly how full of shit they are — and who they're working for.
Check this one out, you'll learn a good deal about what makes America's public lands so special. But if you've ever stepped foot in a National Park and witnessed how truly magnificent the American landscape is, you already know just how special it is.
November 19, 2021
Like the author, I am a passionately devoted user of federal public land. I happened to read this during a solo move (with side adventures) from Denver to Portland, with a cat and dog in tow, so I had the privilege of seeing and exploring many, many national lands and monuments, and truly appreciating the message of this book.
As Kenyon notes, 28 percent of all land in the US is federal, public land. Bigger than the entire country of Germany… times seven. Yet so many Americans do not have great access to these lands, or they simply aren't familiar enough with them, which is a shame. Because Americans are the heirs of the largest portion of public land in the world. Each of us OWNS these incredible lands-- from the wild, untamed BLM lands, the lightly-moderated national forests, to national parks like Yellowstone and Mesa Verde and the splendid Arches National Park in Utah. What an incredible inheritance.
The author does a great job of summarizing the importance of national lands and the jeopardy they face if we don't make it clear to our elected officials that we want this land to stay wild-- and we want MORE of it.
As Kenyon notes, 28 percent of all land in the US is federal, public land. Bigger than the entire country of Germany… times seven. Yet so many Americans do not have great access to these lands, or they simply aren't familiar enough with them, which is a shame. Because Americans are the heirs of the largest portion of public land in the world. Each of us OWNS these incredible lands-- from the wild, untamed BLM lands, the lightly-moderated national forests, to national parks like Yellowstone and Mesa Verde and the splendid Arches National Park in Utah. What an incredible inheritance.
The author does a great job of summarizing the importance of national lands and the jeopardy they face if we don't make it clear to our elected officials that we want this land to stay wild-- and we want MORE of it.
November 2, 2025
Going to be a little harsh on this just because there's not a ton of there there, but I enjoyed this for what it was — part dive into the history of public lands, part travelogue of the author's experiences among them. Most of all, an impassioned argument in favor of continuing America's rich tradition of public lands, a cause I can fully get behind.
I enjoyed my time with this book — more than anything, it made me want to go hiking again, as it's been far too long. Most compellingly written for me — or at least the place I wanted to go the most while reading — was the section about Theodore Roosevelt National Park, though a special shout out to Pictured Rocks as a wonderful location in our shared home state of Michigan.
I enjoyed my time with this book — more than anything, it made me want to go hiking again, as it's been far too long. Most compellingly written for me — or at least the place I wanted to go the most while reading — was the section about Theodore Roosevelt National Park, though a special shout out to Pictured Rocks as a wonderful location in our shared home state of Michigan.
March 17, 2021
There is so much of the USA to explore and I’m thankful there are protected and public lands to do so. My family is starting a journey to visit all the (stateside) National Parks by the time our kids graduate. Reading this book added National Forests and other wild lands to our list! 🗒🌲🏕
July 9, 2020
A must read for anyone who uses public lands (BLM, National forests, national parks, etc) This was the perfect mix of adventure stories and history of our public lands and the fight for them; anyone who has benefited from these lands will have a whole new appreciation after reading this.
It was eye opening to read how long this battle for public lands has been going on and was really interesting to see all the work that those in the past have done for us to be able to enjoy it.
It was eye opening to read how long this battle for public lands has been going on and was really interesting to see all the work that those in the past have done for us to be able to enjoy it.
April 13, 2021
I definitely approve of Kenyon's message about the importance of protecting America's wild places, and I like that he focuses towards the end on the things environmentalists and hunters have in common and highlights the ways they can work together to accomplish this.
But...I just sort of found him...tedious? I did not find most of his personal anecdotes interesting, and I did not like the way he describes his wife--it often came across as extremely patronizing to me. And also, I have seen some arguments about which wild spaces we protect that seem perfectly valid and worth considering that he just ignores entirely, so it doesn't really feel like a completely balanced view of the situation.
It seems that many people have found this book inspiring, and that's definitely what I hoped for, but for me, the author himself gets in the way of his message and blocks my view of any of the majestic vistas he tries to describe.
But...I just sort of found him...tedious? I did not find most of his personal anecdotes interesting, and I did not like the way he describes his wife--it often came across as extremely patronizing to me. And also, I have seen some arguments about which wild spaces we protect that seem perfectly valid and worth considering that he just ignores entirely, so it doesn't really feel like a completely balanced view of the situation.
It seems that many people have found this book inspiring, and that's definitely what I hoped for, but for me, the author himself gets in the way of his message and blocks my view of any of the majestic vistas he tries to describe.
November 16, 2019
An informative and soul-grabbing account of our public land
I love the outdoors; but wouldn’t have called myself a conservationist before, but I am now. The author has grabbed and pulled me into his cause. The history of the fight is interesting, and the on-going battle is so important. I am in!
I love the outdoors; but wouldn’t have called myself a conservationist before, but I am now. The author has grabbed and pulled me into his cause. The history of the fight is interesting, and the on-going battle is so important. I am in!
November 17, 2019
I’m a kindred soul when it comes to protecting and enjoying our public lands. Mark Kenyon - a fellow Michigander - alternated between visiting wild places and telling the story of how these lands were protected in the first place, as well as what we need to do to keep them safe and unspoiled. Wonderful book, I highly recommend it.
November 23, 2021
If I had seen the author's Instagram profile before reading this book, I wouldn’t have read this book. He’s an avid hunter, and all his pictures show him decked out in camouflage with dead deer and an industrial looking bow and arrow. It’s really not my vibe.
But I didn’t look him up, and I read the book. I’m glad I did. That Wild Country: An Epic Journey through the Past, Present, and Future of America's Public Lands, while not the most eloquent or well researched book, has given me the vital reminder that public lands are owned by ALL Americans, not just the REI crew. Kenyon, along with other hunters, fishermen and trappers, have the right to enjoy and use our national resources along with everybody else. Nobody is entitled to public lands more than others, even if we want to use them in different ways. The continued collaboration between all nature-loving Americans may be vital for the continued protection of our public lands.
Separated into sections (each one named after a public land) that include a personal memoir/travelogue chapter followed by a chapter on historical analysis, Kenyon moves chronologically through the historical events, legislation and conflicts in our public land history. The travelogue sections are pretty descriptive (although I wasn’t very interested in the hunting scenes), but the analysis chapters read a bit like a history textbook - TBH nothing felt super alive, and there’s a ton of date dropping. For national park history, nothing really compares to watching Ken Burns’ 12-hour The National Parks: America’s Greatest Idea PBS documentary, but Kenyon really focuses here on the legislation and public sentiment trends in non-national park public lands - including BLM lands, Wildernesses Areas, National Wildlife Areas, National Forests, etc. It gave me a new understanding and appreciation for our non-national park spaces, and I’m inspired to visit a few of them - Pictured Rocks National Seashore, Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, and Fisher Towers.
4/5 stars, including a changed perspective. Also, did you know public lands account for 28% of America's land mass? That's way more than I would have thought.
But I didn’t look him up, and I read the book. I’m glad I did. That Wild Country: An Epic Journey through the Past, Present, and Future of America's Public Lands, while not the most eloquent or well researched book, has given me the vital reminder that public lands are owned by ALL Americans, not just the REI crew. Kenyon, along with other hunters, fishermen and trappers, have the right to enjoy and use our national resources along with everybody else. Nobody is entitled to public lands more than others, even if we want to use them in different ways. The continued collaboration between all nature-loving Americans may be vital for the continued protection of our public lands.
Separated into sections (each one named after a public land) that include a personal memoir/travelogue chapter followed by a chapter on historical analysis, Kenyon moves chronologically through the historical events, legislation and conflicts in our public land history. The travelogue sections are pretty descriptive (although I wasn’t very interested in the hunting scenes), but the analysis chapters read a bit like a history textbook - TBH nothing felt super alive, and there’s a ton of date dropping. For national park history, nothing really compares to watching Ken Burns’ 12-hour The National Parks: America’s Greatest Idea PBS documentary, but Kenyon really focuses here on the legislation and public sentiment trends in non-national park public lands - including BLM lands, Wildernesses Areas, National Wildlife Areas, National Forests, etc. It gave me a new understanding and appreciation for our non-national park spaces, and I’m inspired to visit a few of them - Pictured Rocks National Seashore, Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, and Fisher Towers.
4/5 stars, including a changed perspective. Also, did you know public lands account for 28% of America's land mass? That's way more than I would have thought.
June 9, 2021
Personal pilgrimages combined with historical perspective on public lands up to present day to include Trump are all here in this impassioned public lands advocate’s first book.
The attempts by the GOP to sell or relinquish federal control of public lands to states and other parties is downright un-American. It’s undoing a century worth of progress in conservation. Kenyon describes the never ending battle for control between private interest and the common good of multiple use. Conservation has been embraced by both political parties until recently when the GOP embarked on its time traveling backward approach to the ages of the robber barons. It’s downright baffling as many hunters and ranchers identify as conservative and loss of federal control of public lands is not in their interests.
Kenyon brings up the Bundy family’s seizure of the Oregon wildlife refuge. Essentially a bunch of guys who want to own the public’s land and who refuse to pay grazing fees citing disproved legal interpretations got away with it. Only through working together can conservation prevail. That means users who don’t hunt (like hikers) and hunters must loudly protest together to protect our public lands. Kenyon remains optimistic but vigilance must never be relaxed. As a new father Kenyon is even more concerned about the legacy we leave for the next generation.
The attempts by the GOP to sell or relinquish federal control of public lands to states and other parties is downright un-American. It’s undoing a century worth of progress in conservation. Kenyon describes the never ending battle for control between private interest and the common good of multiple use. Conservation has been embraced by both political parties until recently when the GOP embarked on its time traveling backward approach to the ages of the robber barons. It’s downright baffling as many hunters and ranchers identify as conservative and loss of federal control of public lands is not in their interests.
Kenyon brings up the Bundy family’s seizure of the Oregon wildlife refuge. Essentially a bunch of guys who want to own the public’s land and who refuse to pay grazing fees citing disproved legal interpretations got away with it. Only through working together can conservation prevail. That means users who don’t hunt (like hikers) and hunters must loudly protest together to protect our public lands. Kenyon remains optimistic but vigilance must never be relaxed. As a new father Kenyon is even more concerned about the legacy we leave for the next generation.
January 29, 2020
I found the book very engaging, already being an outdoors person and having an interest in issues of how our public lands are used.
The title says it all: Kenyon alternates chapters of engaging personal experience exploring American public lands -- national parks, wilderness, grassland, lakeshore, etc. with chapters exploring the history of the US Public Lands movement up to the present day and the dangers it faces. The government started giving away land in the 1800s to private individuals and businesses to promote westward expansion, simply put. Over the decades through an uneven evolved process, the government figured out how to manage the land it has -- seven times the area of Germany -- and in different ways. This, of course, has been met with opposition from privatization groups waxing and waning, often with the parties in office, often masked as local government control. Kenyon discusses the "Sagebrush Rebellion" a thread of western ranchers, farmers, seeking less government control or taxation on BLM lands, etc., most recently in the popular news with the taxes for use of the Malheur WLR by Ammon Bundy. Also known as the "land transfer movement".
The author, who is also a hunter and fisher, is cautiously optimistic that the "Cabela's crowd" and the "REI crowd" are coming together to confront the corporate and political interests that would diminish our national public lands by delegating control to weaker, more easily influenced local authorities or by sale or lease to large corporations.
The title says it all: Kenyon alternates chapters of engaging personal experience exploring American public lands -- national parks, wilderness, grassland, lakeshore, etc. with chapters exploring the history of the US Public Lands movement up to the present day and the dangers it faces. The government started giving away land in the 1800s to private individuals and businesses to promote westward expansion, simply put. Over the decades through an uneven evolved process, the government figured out how to manage the land it has -- seven times the area of Germany -- and in different ways. This, of course, has been met with opposition from privatization groups waxing and waning, often with the parties in office, often masked as local government control. Kenyon discusses the "Sagebrush Rebellion" a thread of western ranchers, farmers, seeking less government control or taxation on BLM lands, etc., most recently in the popular news with the taxes for use of the Malheur WLR by Ammon Bundy. Also known as the "land transfer movement".
The author, who is also a hunter and fisher, is cautiously optimistic that the "Cabela's crowd" and the "REI crowd" are coming together to confront the corporate and political interests that would diminish our national public lands by delegating control to weaker, more easily influenced local authorities or by sale or lease to large corporations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2021
This was an excellent read for my road trip to a bunch of National Parks. It tells the story of how the national park land systems were created intertwined with his own travel narrative. I knew about the Antiquities Act, but I didn't know anything about how some of the other federal designations happened, like wildlife refuges and national forests. All of them were political battles, fighting to keep public lands public and multi-use rather than being razed for their resources. The battle continues today.
"By keeping public forests in public hands our forest policy substitutes the good of the whole people for the profits of the privileged few. With that result none will quarrel except the men who are losing the chance of personal profit at the public expense."
- Theodore Roosevelt
"By keeping public forests in public hands our forest policy substitutes the good of the whole people for the profits of the privileged few. With that result none will quarrel except the men who are losing the chance of personal profit at the public expense."
- Theodore Roosevelt
March 8, 2020
I love reading about our National Parks and public lands and this one gives us a birds-eye view, plus I discovered several new places to add to my bucket-list.
July 24, 2020
Author Mark Kenyon writes about his journeys to several special areas in the United States that have been protected as public lands for all citizens to enjoy, appreciate, and benefit from—in many varieties of ways.
I was very familiar with, and have visited extensively, some of the areas described—Yellowstone National Park, Arches National Park, and Grand Teton National Park. Others I only knew about from things I had read or heard—Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and the Ruby Mountains Wilderness. Other areas were new to me—Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the Little Missouri National Grassland, Lewis & Clark National Forest, and the Yukon–Charley Rivers Preserve.
Each chapter describing his adventures (and sometimes misadventures) in these places is followed by an accompanying chapter which describes the events and the political fights and maneuvers that led to the preservation of that particular tract of land and the many challenges and threats to the land that persist today.
I was very familiar with, and have visited extensively, some of the areas described—Yellowstone National Park, Arches National Park, and Grand Teton National Park. Others I only knew about from things I had read or heard—Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and the Ruby Mountains Wilderness. Other areas were new to me—Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the Little Missouri National Grassland, Lewis & Clark National Forest, and the Yukon–Charley Rivers Preserve.
Each chapter describing his adventures (and sometimes misadventures) in these places is followed by an accompanying chapter which describes the events and the political fights and maneuvers that led to the preservation of that particular tract of land and the many challenges and threats to the land that persist today.
There was a healing quality to this time spent in the wilderness, the sun-and-moon-driven cycle of work, relaxation, and sleep, interrupted by nothing but the raw demands of nature. The hard labor and overcoming of obstacles, followed by landscape-inspired wonder, were quickly eroding the worries of my modern life—like wind and water smoothing the rough edges of rock.
"The enjoyment of solitude, complete independence, and the beauty of undefiled panoramas is absolutely essential to happiness. In the wilderness [we] enjoy the most worthwhile or perhaps the only worthwhile part of life."
-- Bob Marshall
February 8, 2021
I really, really wanted to give this 5 stars because I enjoyed the descriptions of the land and the authors trips, learned a lot about the history of public lands, and support conservation and the idea of public lands. The lack of nuance and balance in the policy discussion was extremely disappointing, and ultimately damaging to the author’s cause. The question for most of us is not whether there should be public lands, but much more complicated questions that this book completely ignores: what lands should we preserve versus develop, given potential economic benefits? Why are so many politicians and citizens from the affected states often at odds with expanding land protections? The good (conservation, public lands) versus evil (industry, extraction, development) dichotomy is thoroughly unhelpful, and did not help me form a more informed policy opinion on this issue at all or convince me of anything that I didn’t already believe before reading this book. Also, the selective history was problematic because it completely ignored Nixon’s role in the conservation movement.
Overall, great travel story, mediocre-to-terrible policy discussion.
Overall, great travel story, mediocre-to-terrible policy discussion.
June 14, 2020
This book is pretty similar in style to All The Wild That Remains by David Gessner. Each book is part travel memoir and part introductory history lesson on land issues in the west. For whatever reason, I devoured Gessner's book but struggled in reading Kenyon's as quickly. I appreciated Kenyon's take on public land issues from a hunter's perspective. Growing up in the east, most of my friends and family that hunt and fish do so on private land. I had little knowledge on the value of public land for hunters and anglers in the west. I like how the book ends summarizing the importance of the "REI and Cabella crowd" uniting in the fight for public lands. In a time of polarizing ideologies and opinions, it's refreshing to read Kenyon's account that wanting to preserve and maintain fresh air, clean water, wild places, and wildlife should not be a political issue. I would have enjoyed this book more if it had more history and information on the history of public land issues and less of his adventures.
May 15, 2022
I didn’t want this book to end! I often find myself feeling like an “outcast” of the bi-partisan schools of thought around public land and conservation, but this book was such an encouragement that I’m not alone as someone who can simultaneously love our public lands and see the immense value they provide us as a source of sustenance, food, and resources, both tangible and intangible. This book creates a compelling bridge between the various stakeholders in our public lands and makes the case that in spite of the different ways we use, enjoy, and value public lands, we are all truly fighting for the same thing.
“That Wild Country” was engaging, compelling, well-researched, and hard to put down. I would argue that this is a must read for anyone that loves the outdoors and public lands in any capacity. As times change and tensions around land management increase, this is exactly the kind of catalyst we need to inspire everyone who loves our public land to shamelessly care for and defend it.
“That Wild Country” was engaging, compelling, well-researched, and hard to put down. I would argue that this is a must read for anyone that loves the outdoors and public lands in any capacity. As times change and tensions around land management increase, this is exactly the kind of catalyst we need to inspire everyone who loves our public land to shamelessly care for and defend it.
January 6, 2023
This was an absolutely spectacular read. I immediately felt a connection to Kenyon in the way he writes about his self, his relationship to land, and his existence within political agendas.
The blending of personal stories and public land history was spectacular. One moment I was learning great details of how our nation’s public lands came to be and the next I was sitting behind him in a kayak hoping we make it across the river passing.
This is an absolute must read for all public land owners.
EDIT: I understand why folks are upset that Kenyon didn't go into detail regarding the history of public land ownership in respect to the people who lived these lands before us and that horrible atrocities happened in the wake. But that topic has been widely written about in hundreds of books and would likely have deviated far from the author's intention of protecting land as it exists today. Maybe not a popular opinion, but I can understand his intention and reason for not pursuing that path.
The blending of personal stories and public land history was spectacular. One moment I was learning great details of how our nation’s public lands came to be and the next I was sitting behind him in a kayak hoping we make it across the river passing.
This is an absolute must read for all public land owners.
EDIT: I understand why folks are upset that Kenyon didn't go into detail regarding the history of public land ownership in respect to the people who lived these lands before us and that horrible atrocities happened in the wake. But that topic has been widely written about in hundreds of books and would likely have deviated far from the author's intention of protecting land as it exists today. Maybe not a popular opinion, but I can understand his intention and reason for not pursuing that path.
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