Leave Only Footprints

My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park

By: Conor Knighton

Narrated by: Conor Knighton

Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times Best Seller

"A delightful sampler plate of our national parks, written with charisma and erudition." (Nick Offerman, author of Paddle Your Own Canoe)

From CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Conor Knighton, a behind-the-scenery look at his year traveling to each of America's National Parks, discovering the most beautiful places and most interesting people our country has to offer.

Named One of the Best Books of the Year by Outside

When Conor Knighton set off to explore America's "best idea", he worried the whole thing could end up being his worst idea. A broken engagement and a broken heart had left him longing for a change of scenery, but the plan he'd cooked up in response had gone a bit overboard in that department: Over the course of a single year, Knighton would visit every national park in the country, from Acadia to Zion.

In Leave Only Footprints, Knighton shares informative and entertaining dispatches from what turned out to be the road trip of a lifetime. Whether he's waking up early for a naked scrub in a historic bathhouse in Arkansas or staying up late to stargaze along our loneliest highway in Nevada, Knighton weaves together the type of stories you're not likely to find in any guidebook. Through his unique lens, America the Beautiful becomes America the Captivating, the Hilarious, and the Inspiring. Along the way, he identifies the threads that tie these wildly different places together - and that tie us to nature - and reveals how his trip ended up changing his views on everything from God and love to politics and technology.

Filled with fascinating tidbits about our parks' past and reflections on their fragile future, this audiobook is both a celebration of and a passionate case for the natural wonders that all Americans share.

©2020 Conor Knighton (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Conor Knighton is not only blessed with Charles Kuralt's peripatetic curiosity and John Muir's reverence for nature, he shares their all-too-rare gift - his writing makes you want to hit the road and see for yourself what truly makes America great." (Mark Adams, New York Times best-selling author of Turn Right at Machu Picchu)

"A touching, funny tour of the weird and wonderful in the American wild. If you love our national parks, you'll love visiting them all with the thoughtful, always entertaining Conor Knighton as your witty, energetic guide. His enthusiasm is contagious and shines on every page." (Steve Hely, author of The Wonder Trail)

"I am crazy about this book. It's a delightful sampler plate of our national parks, written with charisma and erudition and leavened by a healthy dollop of humor. When Conor Knighton tells you to take a hike, you'd do well to pay attention." (Nick Offerman, author of Paddle Your Own Canoe)

wish it were a longer book

I wanted more information about each park! I now have a top-ten list.
the personal story was ok but not really needed.

great story

nice read! this was a great journey, I might have to go be a drifter!

Remembering my childhood

Conor Knighton’s descriptions of places I visited as a child in 1963 stirred so many memories. My father took six weeks off in the summer of 63 for vacation. My family and my cousins family plus my grandmother camped to California and back from Atlanta. We visited many parks there and back. Thanks Conor.

Very worthwhile read!

Having read the other reader reviews prior to listening, I was not expecting a travelogue with specifics on every park and instead, I found Leave only Footprints to be much more thought provoking both because of his topical groupings, but also because of the historical notes he provides from his readings of other sources regarding the parks.

Well written and read, I feel like I finished reading a letter from a friend and can’t wait to hear from him again!

Loved it!

I don't always love other people's travel logs (sometimes too much personal commentary overwhelms all I really want, which is a sense of and details on the place). I also don't always love authors who do their own audible narration (I'm puzzled how some people can write so well yet read their own writing so poorly?). And full disclosure, Knighton starts off giving some really personal background, which was his motivation for this year-long odyssey, and relates experiences along the way back to that and whether he is achieving his goal.
So, if you are looking for a reference book of National Parks with dry list of the highlights, camping and hiking opportunities of each, this is not it. But as a National Park enthusiast (my husband and I are attempting to visit as many as we can in our lives), I was intrigued by the write-up and reviews - and I was not disappointed.
Yes, the author does the narration, but he has experience in broadcasting and I found him easy to listen to - telling his own, very personal story I don't think anyone could have done it better. He writes in a very easy style to read or listen to - giving captivating descriptions of each place, the sights and sounds (or significantly, the silence), the people he met along the way, background and history of each place and park, the vastly varied experiences he had from Maine to California to Alaska to islands off Florida and in the Caribbean and Pacific oceans (yes - we have National Parks in the U.S. Virgin Islands and on American Samoa).
Knighton really experiences each park fully. His experience is relatable to everyone, whether you are a day visitor or back country enthusiast. He does not just pick up a park brochure at the entrance, hit a few overlooks and the gift shop - he spends real time in each park - staying in lodges, cabins, tent camping. He experiences them at night, witnesses sunrises and sunsets, does some solo remote trekking with no cell service, and also walks trails with guides and a cameraman and goes places where there are people.
I did not want this book to end! It made me anxious to get on the road for the 5 parks we have on our list for a next trip in a few months (all new to us and for which Knighton gave intriguing background and points not to miss) and for the 2 parks we hope to travel to on another trip later this year - for which he also provided some tantalizing information. I highly recommend this book!

History Lessons of National Parks

The book was honestly less about his year adventure and more about the history of each national park. I enjoyed the book and will refer back to it whenever I head off to one of the Parks. He adds humor and some pretty interesting facts about each location.

enjoyable

Enyoyable experience, both the travelogue and the personal observations, though perhaps a little too much of the personal story.

Loved it!

Recommended for all nature lovers! A reminder of what inspires me in this great world God created! Fun to hear of adventures of others! Enjoyable personal story and park history too!

Perfect for Parks Fans!

As an NPS Nerd, I loved this trip through the parks. I learned new interesting stories and enjoyed the travelogue aspects too. This is a new favorite in my library!

You’re gonna want to pack your bags

I’ve been to many of the NPs. But Conor’s observations are fresh and accurate. I highly recommend this book