Original subtitles

both in idaho and hundreds of miles away,

for wide-ranging animals like mountain goats.

they must travel long distances to forage for vegetation.

here, they have the habitat they need

to move between peaks and valleys.

the frank has been vital

for protecting and reintroducing species,

like wolves, which were brought back in the 1990s.

wilderness has given animals a second chance,

the frank's size is vital

on the california coast.

wilderness leaders were motivated, in part,

by residents of cities like san francisco.

conservationists believed people needed respites

from urban areas.

30 miles north of the city

is point reyes national seashore,

a third of which is wilderness.

most remote places, it's one of the country's

church led the campaign to stop the dams.

he also took the first steps towards wilderness designation.

over the next 30 years,

church continued to fight for idaho's backcountry.

he was instrumental in the protection

of an area 80 miles away, known simply as "the frank."

the frank church river of no return wilderness

biggest protected area. is the state's

before federal protection,

2.3 million acres of unmatched white water and wildlife.

the frank is so big, most people access it by bush plane.

from the air, visitors fly over the bighorn crags,

jagged summits that rise 10,000 feet.

of the salmon river mountains, they're part

which make up the central part of the rockies.

more than half of this area is so wild,

there aren't even hiking trails.

brought a wagon train here.

biggest wilderness-- is the lower 48's

death valley.

this is the hottest, driest, lowest place in the country...

to 1,000 species of plants yet it's home

and more than 400 kinds of animals.

the area may be best known for the story of the lost 49ers.

in december of 1849,

a prospector named william manley

nearly 400 miles southeast of point reyes

he was leading 25 people, including women and children,

to gold country.

manley was looking for a shortcut.

instead, he faced one of the world's

most foreboding landscapes.

water was nowhere in sight.

there were no signs of life.

he managed to get the wagons across the desolate valley,

to the last herd.

the area was used for ranching and dairy farming.

some of that land use encroached on habitats for animals,

including the tule elk.

nearly 500,000 once roamed central california.

in the mid-1800s, most were killed

by market hunters and gold prospectors.

by 1860, the elk were thought to be extinct.

but a cattle rancher had secretly given refuge

in central idaho.

in 1978, the animals were reintroduced to point reyes.

more than 3,000 now roam the seashore.

point reyes beaches are vital to elephant seals.

thousand-pound females come here each year to rear their pups.

they nurse and nap for a month.

then they return to their feeding grounds,

5,000 miles away.

they constructed buildings with bricks of soft volcanic rock.

preserves remnants of an ancient civilization.

bandelier national monument covers more than 33,000 acres

in the northern part of the state.

congress designated 90% of it as wilderness.

people enter the wilderness through frijoles canyon,

which contains some of the country's

best-preserved cliff dwellings.

ancestral pueblo people came here in the 12th century.

a far different wilderness

behind the structures, they carved rooms into the cliffs.

the pueblo survived here for 400 years.

overpopulation and drought forced them to move.

at bandelier, their legacy remains,

protected for generations to come.

more than 600 miles northwest of bandelier,

wilderness status protects a unique volcanic area.

craters of the moon in southern idaho

olson led hundreds of fishing and camping expeditions

home to a land of a thousand lakes.

boundary waters canoe area wilderness

sits in northern minnesota, on the canadian border.

it was a sacred place for conservationist sigurd olson.

in 1923, olson and his pregnant wife

settled in the nearby town of ely

so he could teach high school.

he took summer work as a canoe guide.

contains the largest lava field in the continental u.s.

and taught others about the area.

he became a leading nature writer,

coming up with ideas at his cabin in the woods.

a generation of young people olson's work influenced

to enjoy the outdoors and protect it.

he was a leading spokesman for the wilderness act,

and his advocacy was key in protecting the boundary waters.

1,400 miles away, in new mexico,

lawmakers wanted to use the river as they had elsewhere,

most important wildernesses. is one of the state's

in western idaho,

the snake river is the driving force

of a wilderness called hells canyon.

it gained protection

through conservation leader frank church.

he became a u.s. senator in 1957

and walked into a heated debate about whether to dam the region.

200 miles northwest of this area

for hydroelectric power and irrigation.

senator church was behind it.

dams meant development.

but as companies fought over construction,

he learned more about the canyon.

deepest gorge it's north america's

and a vital route inland for salmon.

the fish are a cornerstone of plant and animal life

he pushed for federal protection.

the flows came from fissures, or cracks,

in the earth's surface.

researchers believe eight volcanic events occurred here

in the last 15,000 years.

the eruptions created 25 cinder cones,

each of which is a small volcano.

a local explorer recognized the region's scientific value

in the early 1900s.

the mountains. but they couldn't cross

today the wilderness allows researchers

to study how nature heals.

this area is home to thousands of plant and animal species.

[squeaking]

among them is the pika, a relative of the rabbit,

which makes its home in broken lava.

[squeaking]

many proposed wilderness areas...

deer, coyotes, and even humans rely on the moist green fruit.

some birds even nest in the plants,

to stay safe from predators.

has downsides-- the cacti's iconic status

cactus rustlers sell them for up to $500.

now, the park service implants microchip i.d. tags,

like those used in pets, to deter plant poaching.

arizona is also home to one of the country's

the plants also play a key role in the area's ecosystem.

the grand canyon.

it was established as a national park in 1915,

but wilderness advocates believe

it needs an extra layer of protection.

development around the park. they're concerned about

they also object to noise pollution

from motorized tours.

some local businesses oppose wilderness designation.

arizona is home to a park and wilderness

as tall as a 60-story building.

they were formed over thousands of years,

as windswept sediment became trapped

between the mountains and plains.

the dune field is one of the most complex in the world,

but wilderness designation allows people to explore it.

protected areas in the rockies it's just one of dozens of

preserved by everyday people.

they argue limitations

set aside to protect a species of plants.

saguaro national park sits in southern arizona

and is split in two by tucson.

81% of it became wilderness in 1976.

these bikers are pedaling on the edge of the wilderness.

they are surrounded by the cactus

everyone associates with the old west,

with their distinctive arms and towering height.

and provides resources for a sustainable future.

since prehistoric times.

for now, environmentalists continue to push

for wilderness designation

in yellowstone and across the country.

their work continues the efforts

efforts that now protect

more than 100 million acres of land.

wilderness preserves the country's ancient history...

the animals have inhabited this land

the nation's wildest places

pioneering spirit remind us of america's

and its extraordinary leaders.

they tell stories of men who conquered mountains...

and women who broke the mold.

most of all,

america's wilderness is the people's wilderness...

protected and preserved for generations to come.

but environmentalists believe

will effect tourism and the region's economy.

for now, heated debates continue

most iconic parks. about one of the nation's

first national park the country's

is also proposed wilderness.

three million people visit yellowstone each year

to see its geysers and other geothermic displays.

companies are vying to drill for oil and gas nearby.

the dunes are the highest in north america,

drilling would damage key wildlife habitats.

yellowstone is one of the only places in the continental u.s.

where all the major predators are still present.

of elk and bison, it's also home to thousands

which were nearly extinct in the late 1800s.

today, yellowstone contains

the largest bison population in the country.

68 species of mammals live here, including the bighorn sheep.

until they reached depths of 2,000 feet.

today, people flock to angels landing,

a 2.4-mile hike that ascends 5,800 feet.

the reward is one of the best views in zion.

amid the rocks is a green valley,

home to the virgin river.

it feeds the sparse desert vegetation

and nourishes area wildlife.

when winds blew sand dunes on top of each other

the animals were vital to native americans,

who used them for food, clothing, and tools.

pioneers nearly hunted the sheep to extinction,

but in 1973, eight animals were reintroduced to zion.

today, more than 500 roam this part of the country.

wilderness is widespread in the west,

rocky mountains. particularly in colorado's

to rocky mountain national park, it's home

in the nearby state of utah,

the families were trapped and starving.

finally, manley and another man went for help.

in a few weeks. they thought they'd return

but the journey took a month.

amazingly, the families had survived.

for drinking water they'd found a spring

and hunted small game.

afterwards, they named the area "death valley."

95% of which is wilderness.

desert wilderness looks far different

in zion national park.

most popular park, it's the state's

drawing 2.5 million visitors each year.

congress designated 86% of it wilderness in 2009.

the area was protected

for its stunning rock monoliths and deep sandstone canyons.

they were formed millions of years ago

of more than 400,000 acres around aspen,

one of the nation's

first community-led wilderness campaigns.

the women met in each other's kitchens

and pored over maps of the surrounding mountains.

they hiked into potential wilderness areas

to gather data.

and they rallied community support.

their efforts led to the protection

in the 1960s, three aspen mothers organized

including maroon bells-snowmass wilderness.

today, their innovative work serves as a model

for community organizing nationwide.

in southern colorado, grassroots efforts led to the protection

of great sand dunes national park and wilderness.

300,000 people come here each year

to see the strange contrast of sand and mountains.

at nearly 750 feet,

the mountain became his passion and his livelihood.

the area exists largely because of a kid

who liked to climb mountains.

in 1884, a sickly 14-year-old named enos mills

left kansas for colorado.

his family hoped the mountain air

would improve his health.

at 15, mills climbed longs peak,

which is at the center of today's wilderness.

both in the northwest and the midwest,

mills built an inn and later worked as a nature guide.

he was the leading advocate for the park,

which was established in 1915.

protection possible in 2009. mills' foresight made wilderness

since mills' time,

colorado citizens have played a pivotal role

in preserving their state's wild places.

wilderness status keeps the area pristine

for 60 hours, it spewed magma and ash,

decimating the once green valley.

birds fell from the sky.

all the mosquitoes were wiped out.

the eruption was so powerful,

the peak of a nearby volcano collapsed, forming a caldera.

fully understand scientists still don't

the mechanics of the eruption.

on june 6, 1912, a volcanic vent named novarupta rumbled to life.

so research can continue more than a century later.

vast wilderness areas, but of all alaska's

one is the granddaddy of them all--

wrangell-st. elias.

this remote spot was put on the map

because of a mining camp.

the old mining town of kennecott

serves as one of two main entry points to the wilderness,

hunting and habitat loss

congress gave wilderness status to denali

and another 55 million acres of land.

all of it was in alaska.

[eagle chirping]

best known wilderness areas one of the state's

is in southern alaska on the rugged pacific coast.

katmai park and wilderness

concentration of brown bears. is home to the world's largest

which is bigger than switzerland.

nearly wiped these animals out in the lower 48,

but in katmai, there's room to roam.

they dig for clams on the coast,

then wander miles inland to fish.

wilderness helps sustain 3,000 bears.

it also preserves a key research area for scientists.

the valley of 10,000 smokes is home

to the biggest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.

up to ten million birds stop here to rest and eat

which makes up the southern border

of wrangell-st. elias.

the river creates streams

which deposit nutrients into the copper river delta,

and in these lush wetlands, wildlife thrives.

each spring, the delta hosts

the largest gathering of shorebirds

in the western hemisphere.

six feed the copper river,

before migrating north.

the rich waters are vital to hundreds of species,

like sea otters,

who gather to dive for crabs and fish.

but remote. alaska's wilderness is rich,

in the lower 48, wilderness is widespread,

and often within reach.

in florida, half an hour from miami,

25 times bigger than the island of manhattan.

it stretches over four mountain ranges,

including the wrangell and the st. elias.

in the midst of the mountain kingdom

most precious resources-- is one of the world's

ice.

the bagley icefield lies

in the southern part of the wilderness.

in north america, it's the largest icefield

in 1980, their work paid off.

on the surface,

spots of melting snow create ponds and channels

that refreeze into blue ice.

only single cell organisms can survive here.

but the bagley is a lifeline.

it produces glaciers,

rivers of ice that stretch in all directions.

mountains, he admired them. and though he didn't climb

in the summer of 1956,

a writer and conservationist named howard zahniser

packed up his family and drove west

to wyoming's grand tetons.

draft of the wilderness act, he'd just written the first

which he hoped would protect places like this forever.

that summer, zahniser was taking a break

to write about family camping,

and his devotion to the outdoors.

he hiked with his wife and four children

and relaxed by the region's many lakes.

then they drove north to yellowstone and beyond.

zahniser was among a small but growing group

of conservationists in the 1950s.

affect national parks. they'd seen dams and roads

and they were concerned

about mining and logging on other protected land.

to grassroots conservation.

and man is merely a visitor.

wildest places, these are the country's

protected by a groundbreaking law called the wilderness act.

for 50 years, it's preserved land

and sustained it. that's both inspired a nation

these areas tell america's story,

from native american history,

to westward expansion,

zahniser and his fellow advocates

this is the american wilderness.

there are many things about america that are unique,

in particular but there's one thing

that sets it apart.

this was the first nation to protect wilderness by law,

with the wilderness act of 1964.

places americans love, for 50 years, it's preserved

because of one man and that's largely

among them was a wilderness advocate named mardy murie.

and covers more than two million acres.

within the wilderness,

strict rules keep the area in its natural state,

and visitors must leave no trace.

the plane is delivering climbers hoping to summit mount mckinley.

today's mountaineers arrive

thanks to specially equipped landing gear.

but early explorers navigated this area by dogsled.

it sits in the middle third of denali national park

she went to mckinley in 1922,

where a biologist named olaus proposed.

they became an inseparable scientific team.

the muries spent months in the field,

doing pioneering studies on alaskan wildlife.

later, they became grassroots leaders

of the conservation movement.

for decades, they pushed for wilderness protection of denali.

it will have protected more than 750 regions

believed americans needed a new law,

one that would keep some places completely wild.

he spent the next eight years working towards that goal.

zahniser repeatedly lobbied congress

and wrote 66 drafts of the wilderness bill.

on september 3, 1964,

it became law and designated 54 wilderness areas.

in 2014, the law's 50th anniversary,

is everglades national park.

in the u.s. and puerto rico.

these places have the government's

highest level of protection.

some are within easy reach of the nation's biggest cities.

others are best accessed by bush plane.

this pilot is flying to denali wilderness,

in south central alaska.

the next day, they reached the summit.

congress has designated nearly all of it wilderness.

the area was important to naturalist john muir,

a forefather of the environmental movement.

he came here in 1888,

to climb rainier and write about his journey.

muir and four other men

navigated treacherous crevasses and ice cliffs.

at 10,000 feet, they stopped at what's now camp muir.

which was established in 1899.

he later wrote that the lights that shine from mountains

"illumine all that lies below."

muir went on to help found the sierra club

and advise presidents.

he spearheaded three national parks,

including rainier.

100 miles northwest of the park

most important coastal areas. is one of the country's

conservation became increasingly important

his mother had passed away hours earlier.

the badlands became roosevelt's refuge.

he went on weeks-long hunting trips

and threw himself into ranch work.

in the coming years,

he witnessed overgrazing on grasslands

as cattle ranching grew.

he called the mass hunting of buffalo "a veritable tragedy."

olympic national park and wilderness

to the young republican.

as president, roosevelt protected

230 million acres of land.

his foresight saved many of america's most beautiful places.

across the country,

washington state is home to a well-recognized landmark--

mount rainier.

of mount rainier national park, it's at the center

they once stretched from oregon to alaska,

today, some of the long absent fish are back,

returning a key part of the food chain to the area.

further inland, the wilderness is bigger than rhode island.

at its center is mount olympus, part of the olympic range.

within these jagged peaks are 60 glaciers,

including the blue glacier.

it feeds area rivers, which flow into the hoh rainforest.

remaining temperate rainforests. this is among the country's few

the government began tearing them down in 2011.

but many were used for logging.

the forests are protected from harsh weather

by the surrounding mountains.

the mountains trap ocean moisture

and lead to 12 feet of rain each year.

the rich vegetation feeds animals like the roosevelt elk,

which roam the area in large herds.

wilderness gives animals sanctuaries,

the elwha snakes from the coast to the wilderness boundary.

northwest corner. sits in washington's

its 900,000 acres includes

best preserved shoreline. some of the nation's

the coastal area is speckled with sea stacks,

which serve as habitats for 300 species of birds.

life in and around the wilderness depends on water.

but for nearly a century,

a river that fed the area was blocked.

but five months later, she died after childbirth.

two dams were built here in the 1900s to generate power.

they had an unintended result--

ten species of fish couldn't swim inland,

to today's wilderness.

millions died, and an important food source was lost.

in the 1980s,

local citizens lobbied congress to remove the dams.

their babies alive. the adults couldn't keep

the government built it to stop flooding on farmland,

but the canal cut off water flow.

huge pieces of the everglades dried up.

many animals, including the wood stork,

lost their nesting grounds.

the birds moved north,

but the nesting season there was too short,

and the food too sparse.

with the construction of the tamiami canal and trail.

the animals dwindled from thousands to hundreds.

a comeback, today they're making

thanks to wildlife and wilderness protection.

one of the biggest environmental efforts

is the everglades restoration project.

the multi-million-dollar undertaking

will try to restore some of the river's original route.

the wilderness is one of the few

which many considered a useless swamp.

the park covers 1.5 million acres

on the state's southern tip.

84% of it is marjory stoneman douglas wilderness.

it was named for a woman

who learned about the everglades by chance.

in 1942, douglas was asked to write a book

about the miami river.

she suggested the everglades instead,

that extends onto the ocean floor.

douglas discovered it was an ecosystem

that revolved around a river as wide as the state.

the water flows from lake okeechobee.

it feeds what douglas called a "river of grass."

today, the everglades provides drinking water to millions...

and protects 24 threatened and endangered species.

the ecosystem suffered a devastating blow in the 1950s

he was 24, newly married, and eager to hunt bison.

in a decade, it will become their nesting ground.

the wilderness act is designed to protect areas

like these forever.

the law might not have been possible without one president

and his time in the north dakota badlands.

teddy roosevelt national park is home to three wilderness areas

in the western reaches of the state.

in 1883, roosevelt boarded a train headed west.

instinctively, they'll remember this beach.

it was his first extended trip out west,

and it changed his life.

roosevelt spent 15 days in the badlands

with a cattle rancher as his guide.

afterwards, he bought a ranch

on the banks of the little missouri river

and built a small cabin.

he intended to return here with his new wife,

the area contains strictly protected nesting grounds

this area is protected for animals like sea turtles,

which have been on the endangered species list

for decades.

oil spills and poaching threaten them

throughout the gulf of mexico.

but they have a refuge eight miles off the mississippi coast

in gulf islands wilderness.

national seashore. it's part of gulf islands

throughout america are pockets of land where nature rules...

for the most endangered sea turtle, the kemp's ridley.

people hunted the animals to near extinction in the 1950s.

in the seventies,

they gained federal protection, as did the gulf islands.

now, each summer when the hatchlings emerge,

the coast is clear.

for the ocean, 30 feet away. they're hardwired to head