Dayton Duncan: The Story Behind America’s National Parks

In this episode, Grant sits down with award-winning writer and filmmaker Dayton Duncan, longtime collaborator of acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and co-creator of The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.

Drawing on decades of research and storytelling, Dayton explains how America became the first nation to preserve its most extraordinary landscapes for everyone rather than reserving them for the wealthy or politically connected. He shares the remarkable stories behind Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, John Muir, Theodore Roosevelt, and the birth of the National Park System.

Along the way, the conversation explores why the national parks are more than beautiful destinations—they are a uniquely American idea rooted in the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the responsibilities of self-government, and the obligation every generation has to preserve something greater than itself.

Whether you’ve visited one national park or fifty, this conversation offers a deeper appreciation for one of America’s greatest achievements and what it reveals about the American experiment.