This collection of essays and photographs, originally published as a special issue of California History, the journal of the California Historical Society, documents the creation and management of California's first three national parks, focusing on the debate over preservation versus development. As the authors of these essays remind us, tourists visited Yosemite long before its establishment as a national park; and the issues of park development so hotly debated today were raised and debated first in Yosemite, nearly a hundred years ago.

On January 1 of 2016, Stefanie Payne, a creative professional working at NASA Headquarters, and Jonathan Irish, a photographer with National Geographic, left their lives in Washington, D.C. and hit the open road on an expedition to explore and document all 59 of America's national parks during the centennial celebration of the U.S. National Park Service - 59 parks in 52 weeks - the Greatest American Road Trip. Captured in more than 300,000 digital photographs, written stories, and videos shared by the national and international media, their project resulted in an incredible view of America's National Park System seen in its 100th year. 'A Year in the National Parks, The Greatest American Road Trip' is a gorgeous visual journey through our cherished public lands, detailing a rich tapestry of what makes each park special, as seen along an epic journey to visit them all within one special celebratory year.