The Critical Lens of National Parks

Sam Nystrom-Costales ‘24

“I spent the majority of Fall 2020 in various national parks across the west. I felt a happy solitude in traveling alone through some of the most beautiful landscapes this country has to offer. Nothing could have contrasted my previous months spent in isolation more than the absolute freedom my parks pass had to offer. I will never forget waking up in South Dakota to fresh snow covering the Badlands, or the deep slot canyons of Zion. It's an experience that I believe everybody should be able to share. That feeling of solitude is paradoxical though; I was spending my time in public lands designed specifically for people like me to see. Class and race still act as inhibitors to both access and dialogue revolving around public lands. John Muir’s quotes can still be found in Olympic National Park, despite his open disdain for indigenous groups and their exclusion from his concept of preservation. I hope you enjoy my photos, but I encourage you to continue to engage with our public lands through a critical lens.”