Leave Only Footprints

My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park

De: Conor Knighton

Narrado por: Conor Knighton

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “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 book is both a celebration of and a passionate case for the natural wonders that all Americans share.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“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 bestselling 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

“You don’t have to be a national parks geek like me to love this book. However, in Conor Knighton’s capable hands, you will be a national parks geek as soon as you dip into this great narrative.”—Rinker Buck, author of The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey

“In Leave Only Footprints, Conor Knighton does what would require a lifetime for the rest of us. Over the course of a year, he goes on a mission of discovery, sharing something new and fresh about each of our national parks and encouraging us to also visit—and preserve—the places that reflect Americans at our best.”—Jonathan Jarvis, eighteenth director of the National Park Service

“Knighton is a companionable guide, light on his feet, with a steady store of . . . excellent descriptive passages, good background material, and a few sweeping insights into why national parks are so essential. . . . A fine tour d’horizon of our national grandeur.”—Kirkus Reviews

Beautiful National Parks!

Enjoyable listen after returning from national park vacation :)
Descriptive story, informative, and good audio performance.

Great “escape!”

I loved traveling to the national parks with this author. Oh how I wish I could do the same. Thank you!

A must read for those with wanderlust

What a terrific read. With the author hitting so many parks you are able to enjoy listening to places you have already been, while planning to discover the new ones he suggests

A Travel Gem

Knighton hits this one out of the park! Experience “America’s Best Ideas” +delightful, insightful stories. Must read.

A bit too personal

I didn’t expect so much personal backstory and wanted more about our national parks. Okay.

Engaging, educational and humorous

Perfect companion while driving through multiple national parks. Loved how each chapter was a different theme, like Canyons, or Light (the darkness of caves, the brightness of stars) or Forgiveness (returning bits of Petrified Forest rocks), etc. It was such a creative way of weaving together common themes about nature, history, and the people he met along the way. My husband and I both loved it. We laughed, sighed, talked about it over dinner on our road-trip. It was very rich, wonderfully told, and now we have an even longer list of national parks to explore!

Fabulous

This was a great book in so many ways. I hope he has more books to be published.

Truly an enchanting journey!

Loved every second of this book. The journey is narrated so thoughtfully . If you enjoy the national parks this is a must read.

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.

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!