Kevin Costner Urges Americans to Embrace National Parks

Kevin Costner’s New Docuseries Explores the History and Importance of Yosemite National Park

Earlier this year, I received an unexpected email from a Fox News PR rep inviting me to review their upcoming docuseries about Yosemite National Park. Titled Yellowstone to Yosemite with Kevin Costner, the three-part series is the latest project from the Academy Award-winning actor, following his 2022 series Yellowstone: One Fifty. Initially, I wondered: What could Fox News possibly teach me about national parks? The answer turned out to be quite a lot—and with some surprises.

Yellowstone to Yosemite, premiering February 8 on Fox Nation, chronicles a pivotal 1903 camping trip between President Theodore Roosevelt and naturalist John Muir in Yosemite. Over four days and three nights, the two men bonded around campfires, marveled at Yosemite’s majestic landscapes, and forged a friendship that would change conservation history. Meanwhile, Costner, now 70, narrates the story while himself camping in Yosemite.

In the first episode, Costner lays out the urgency of the time: Yellowstone was the first national park, established over 30 years earlier, and five more had followed. But without strong protections, ecosystems were being ravaged—loggers were decimating Yosemite’s giant sequoias, and poachers were threatening Yellowstone’s bison herds. The federal government lacked real enforcement power. “Congress saw the national parks as a zero-cost initiative,” Costner explains. “Each park had an unpaid superintendent responsible for enforcement. It wasn’t working.”

Muir believed only presidential power could save the parks. He invited Roosevelt to Yosemite to witness its beauty firsthand and persuade him to protect these natural treasures.

The series weaves this story with rich history and ecology—featuring Roosevelt’s heroics, the lifecycle of sequoias, geological wonders, and the tragic displacement of the Miwok tribes in 1851. Costner also references modern conservation milestones, like Lynn Hill’s first free climb of El Capitan.

Notably, the docuseries navigates political divides by framing conservation as patriotic and tied to American heritage. Corporate exploitation is cast as destructive, Indigenous peoples’ suffering is acknowledged, and controversial topics like wolf reintroduction are presented through Roosevelt’s progressive legacy—offering a fresh, sincere perspective without cynicism.

Costner’s heartfelt narration captures his love for the country, even braving Yosemite’s cold to deliver an authentic message: national parks deserve our protection and investment.

Though some may find the earnest retelling a bit idealistic, Yellowstone to Yosemite offers a hopeful blueprint for bridging today’s debates about public lands, endangered species, and conservation funding. Even skeptics, including those who don’t usually watch Fox News, might find themselves engaged.

The story concludes with Roosevelt signing the Antiquities Act of 1906, granting presidents authority to protect federal lands and establishing national monuments honoring Indigenous legacies.

In a recent interview, Costner reflected on his motivations for the series and the challenge of balancing complex themes:

OUTSIDE: Why tell this story now?
Costner: I wasn’t waiting for a perfect moment. After Yellowstone: One Fifty, I realized people don’t really know their history or the landscapes they pass through. Yosemite’s story, especially Roosevelt and Muir’s 1903 trip, reveals the early struggles to protect parks. I wanted to honor the Native Americans too—they’re often forgotten, yet their history is inseparable from Yosemite. And I wanted to share this history without preaching, just educating.

How did you handle politically charged topics?
Costner: Honestly, I don’t care about politics here. I’m telling what actually happened. I didn’t cater to any audience or shy away from the truth, even with its complexities. The story had to meet my standards for honesty.

What draws you to national parks?
Costner: National parks are uniquely American ideas. We pioneered preserving land not just for profit, but for people to experience nature and history. It’s about connection—to past generations and to a place that endures. Protecting parks takes real determination, especially when money is involved.

What fascinates you about the American West?
Costner: I stumble onto stories worth telling, but I have limited time to tell them all. We think we know our history, but we really don’t—especially the Native American stories. Yosemite’s beauty came at a terrible cost to its original people, who aren’t even acknowledged enough. Yet Yosemite also reveals what’s human about Roosevelt and Muir. People respond to truth—it touches them in a way lies never can.