Stream the series now with KPBS Passport / Watch Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV
—Go Behind-the-Scenes of the Breathtaking Series—
“Ken Burns: The National Parks” is a new special for PBS that celebrates one of the filmmaker’s most beautiful and beloved series, THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA. Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature's most spectacular locales — from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska — the series is filled with incidents and characters as gripping and fascinating as American history has to offer.
Filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan vividly reveal behind-the-scenes stories about the making of the series, while engaging interviews with Park Ranger Shelton Johnson and cinematographer Buddy Squires provide additional background.
“Ken Burns: The National Parks” is also a story of the unforgettable Americans who made them possible. People from every conceivable background — rich and poor; famous and unknown; soldiers and scientists; natives and newcomers; idealists, artists and entrepreneurs — devoted themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in so doing reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy.
EPISODE GUIDE:
The Scripture of Nature (1851-1890): Examine the radical idea of creating national parks for the enjoyment of everyone.
The Last Refuge (1890-1915): Investigate the efforts of Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir and others to protect the land.
The Empire Of Grandeur (1915-1919): Learn about the federal agency created to protect the parks.
Going Home (1920-1933): Encounter the growing numbers of visitors to the parks.
Great Nature (1933-1945): Learn about the changes to the national parks during the Great Depression and WWII.
Morning of Creation (1946-1980): Examine the proliferation of protected lands and the protection of predatory animals.
Watch On Your Schedule: All episodes from Ken's 6-part series are available to stream with KPBS Passport, a benefit for members supporting KPBS at $60 or more yearly, using your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire or Chromecast. Learn how to activate your benefit now.
KPBS+ is a new free streaming video app designed for ease and enjoyment everywhere you watch including Roku, smart TVs and mobile devices. It’s locally curated for San Diego by the KPBS programming team. With a clean and intuitive design, discovering and enjoying KPBS and PBS content on-demand has never been easier.
You can also tune in live to watch our four TV channels in real time: KPBS, KPBS 2, Create, KPBS Kids 24/7. We also added a new channel - FNX (First Nation Experience).
Your KPBS Passport member benefit works on KPBS+ too! You’ll have access to even more great shows when you simply log in with your KPBS Passport account.
Join The Conversation: Ken Burns is on Facebook / Instagram
