The most recommended books on Yellowstone

Who picked these books? Meet our 15 experts.

15 authors created a book list connected to Yellowstone, and here are their favorite Yellowstone books.
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Book cover of The Carry Home: Lessons from the American Wilderness

Amber J. Keyser Author Of The Way Back from Broken

From my list on when youā€™re grieving and need more than platitudes.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I sold the manuscript that became The Way Back from Broken, my editor asked why I wrote it. I said, ā€œI wrote a book about the two things Iā€™m an expert in: grief and canoeing.ā€ It took me ten years to find my own way back from being broken after the death of my daughter. Along that difficult and heartbreaking trail, I came to loathe people who said things like ā€œTime heals all woundsā€ or ā€œIt was meant to be.ā€ I craved those brave few who spoke and wrote with deep authenticity about how grief and loss force us to reconsider everything weā€™ve ever known about the world. 

Amber's book list on when youā€™re grieving and need more than platitudes

Amber J. Keyser Why did Amber love this book?

This memoir spoke to my heart. When Gary Fergusonā€™s wife dies in a canoeing accident in northern Ontario, he turns to the wilderness they both loved for comfort. As he journeys to the remote places where he and his wife had shared many adventures, he leans into the natural world to learn from its cycles how to move through the landscape of loss. There are many paths through grief, but like Ferguson, I turned to the wilderness to find my way again.

By Gary Ferguson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Carry Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The nature writing of Gary Ferguson arises out of intimate experience. He trekked 500 miles through Yellowstone to write Walking Down the Wild and spent a season in the field at a wilderness therapy program for Shouting at the Sky. He journeyed 250 miles on foot for Hawks Rest and followed through the seasons the first fourteen wolves released into Yellowstone National Park for The Yellowstone Wolves. But nothing could prepare him for the experience he details in his new book.

The Carry Home is both a moving celebration of the outdoor life shared between Ferguson and his wife Jane,ā€¦


Book cover of Yellowstone: A Journey Through America's Wild Heart

Becky Lomax Author Of Moon USA National Parks: The Complete Guide to All 63 Parks

From my list on US national parks from science to thrillers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up hiking and camping with my family in the national parks of Washington. Isnā€™t that what everyone did in summer? Later, I learned how wrong I was. That most people had never seen a glacier, stood on a mountaintop, walked through a rainforest, gazed at the size of a grizzly, skied past erupting geysers, or rafted a rushing river. These experiences have shaped who I am. I return to the haunts of national parks, from deserts to mountains and remote islands, because they wow me and feed my soul. 

Becky's book list on US national parks from science to thrillers

Becky Lomax Why did Becky love this book?

Since Yellowstone is within a dayā€™s drive, Iā€™ve visited it many times in all seasons. While itā€™s a fave for volcanic activity and abundant wildlife, its unnaturally straight boundaries are at odds with topography and animal needs. With stunning photography, David Quammen dives into the complexities of how everything in the national park expands into a greater interconnected ecosystem. Nothing shows it better for Yellowstone than his stories of the annual elk migrations, the return of wolves, and the intricacies of food webs. In short, no parks, including Yellowstone, are islands unto themselves, and their preservation means looking at the bigger picture. Quammen addresses the issues with skill from his decades as a science writer for National Geographic and his personal witness of living in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

By David Quammen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Yellowstone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Best-selling author David Quammen takes readers on a breathtaking journey through America's most inspiring and imperilled ecosystem - Yellowstone National Park. Filled with amazing images captured by eight National Geographic photographers over an extensive two year deployment in the park, it is unlike any Yellowstone book before it. Yellowstone's storied past, rich ecosystem and dynamic landscape are brilliantly portrayed in a captivating mosaic of photographs and eloquently written text that blend history, science and research from the field.


Book cover of One of Us: A Biologist's Walk Among Bears

Rick Bass Author Of Fortunate Son: Selected Essays from the Lone Star State

From my list on resistance.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a writer of fiction and creative nonfiction living in northwest Montanaā€™s Yaak Valley. I moved here from Mississippi 35 years ago to live in the mountains and write short stories, novellas, novels, but have gotten sucked into decades of battling a recalcitrant U.S. Forest Service intent on building roads and clearcutting in this incredibly unique ecosystemā€”the Yaak Valley, is the lowest elevation in Montana, the wettest valley, and an ancient inland rainforest that contains 25% of the entire state of Montanaā€™s ā€œspecies of concern.ā€ Chief among these are the valleyā€™s last 25 grizzlies: one of the rarest subpopulations in North America. Loving a thing deeply is almost always revolutionary. Revolution: to turn. To change. To revolve, evolve, return. To turn around.

Rick's book list on resistance

Rick Bass Why did Rick love this book?

Dr. Barrie Gilbertā€™s memoir, One of Us: A Biologistā€™s Walk Among Bears, is nothing if not a magnificent portrait and case study of humility. A half-century of incisive study and research into the baits, and needs and, perhaps most importantly, social complexity and intense attachments and intelligence of grizzly bears should be the lede hereā€”not a single incident from Gilbertā€™s youth, when he surprised a mother grizzly with cubs while coming over a ridge into the wind. But so goes storytelling. Imbued with the compassion and generosity of the forgiven, Gilbertā€™s acute and intimate knowledge of the animal Indigenous cultures referred to as ā€œthe Real Bearā€ is unprecedented and unequaled in the tattered and impoverished remains of contemporary society in which so many have lostā€”are bereft ofā€”any attachment to the wilderness from which we were birthed.

By Barrie Gilbert,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked One of Us as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Barrie Gilbert's fascination with grizzly bears almost got him killed in Yellowstone National Park. He recovered, returned to fieldwork and devoted the next several decades to understanding and protecting these often-maligned giants. He has spent thousands of hours among wild grizzlies in Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks, Alberta, coastal British Columbia, and along Brooks River in Alaska's Katmai National Park, where hundreds of people gather to watch dozens of grizzlies feast on salmon. His research has centered on how bears respond to people and each other, with a focus on how to keep humans and bears safe.

Drawn from hisā€¦


Book cover of Decade of the Wolf

Jim and Jamie Dutcher Author Of The Wisdom of Wolves: Lessons from the Sawtooth Pack

From my list on that paint a multi-dimensional portrait of the wolf.

Why are we passionate about this?

We were fascinated with animals and the natural world from an early age. As documentary filmmakers, our intent was to capture the social lives of wolves on film. We hoped to dispel long-perpetuated myths by showing a side of these animals that was too often overlooked. What began as a two-year film project turned into six years of close observation and interaction with a pack of wolves. The things we learned and experienced exceeded our wildest expectations and changed our lives forever. We were captivated by these incredible and inspiring animals and have continued to advocate for wolves for over 30 years.

Jim's book list on that paint a multi-dimensional portrait of the wolf

Jim and Jamie Dutcher Why did Jim love this book?

Reflecting on the first decade with wolves back in Yellowstone National Park, this book highlights milestones in the reintroduction effort, takes you out in the field with a wildlife biologist, and shares compelling stories of individual Yellowstone wolves and their packs. With more than 25 years spent overseeing wolves and elk in the park, Doug Smith is a unique authority on wolves and wolf behavior. Around the time our wolf project was coming to an end in the mid-ā€™90s, those first wolves were released into central Idaho and Yellowstone. When we read this book some ten years later, we heard the echoes of our own experience in the behavior and characteristics of the wolves in Yellowstone.

By Douglas W. Smith, Gary Ferguson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Decade of the Wolf as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Written by an award-winning writer and the leader of the Yellowstone Wolf Project, this definitive book recounts the years since the wolves' return to Yellowstone.


Book cover of Rewilding: Bringing Wildlife Back Where It Belongs

Patricia Newman Author Of A River's Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn

From my list on conservation that give readers hope.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write nonfiction books for children and teens that focus on current environmental stories. But environmental headlines are usually gloomy and filled with foreboding, so, I prefer to focus on stories that involve individuals identifying an environmental problem and working to develop a solution ā€“ hence this list of happy conservation stories. The stories in this list ā€“ and many others ā€“ are the antidote to the headlines. They are the hope. They show human ingenuity at its most creative, most flexible, and most caring. Happy conservation stories empower kids, teens, and adults to care about the role they play in nature and unite them in action. 

Patricia's book list on conservation that give readers hope

Patricia Newman Why did Patricia love this book?

Rewilding is a book for older readers (ages 8+) organized in a browseable format.

The authors give a brief two-page overview of several conservation success stories. Youā€™ll find some overlap between Rewildingā€™s stories and books Iā€™ve written, like freeing the Elwha River (A Riverā€™s Gifts) and re-introducing black-footed ferrets into the wild (Zoo Scientists to the Rescue), but youā€™ll also find new stories about rattlesnakes, snot otters, Arabian oryx, tigers, meat-eating plants, and more. 

By David A Steen, Chiara Fedele (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rewilding as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

ā­ Selected as one of the Best Nature Books of 2022 by Kirkus Reviews ā­
ā­ Selected as one of the Best Informational Books of 2022 for Older Readers by Chicago Public Library ā­

"A book worth returning to multiple times. A fascinating primer on the intricacies of ecosystems." -- Kirkus, starred review

Discover inspiring stories of wildlife brought back from the brink of extinction ā€“ a perfect gift for kids who care about the environment!

Rewilding means returning animals or plants to places where they used to live. In this book, acclaimed conservation biologist and science communicator David A.ā€¦


Book cover of American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West

Keith Heyer Meldahl Author Of Rough-Hewn Land: A Geologic Journey from California to the Rocky Mountains

From Keith's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Geologist Professor Outdoors-person Musician Nature-lover

Keith's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Keith Heyer Meldahl Why did Keith love this book?

As an avid outdoors person and nature-lover, I found this gripping tale of Yellowstone wolves to be informative, inspiring, and sad all at the same time. 

The book combines fascinating biology about wolves and ecosystems with stories about the scientists and volunteers who work to protect them. I found myself empathizing with individual wolves almost like people; each has such a distinct personality. 

Thereā€™s a palpable tension throughout the book due to huntersā€™ guns bristling outside of Yellowstoneā€™s protective borders. Ultimately, that begets tragedy.  

By Nate Blakeslee,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked American Wolf as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New Statesman Book of the Year

The wolf stands at the forefront of the debate about our impact on the natural world. In one of the most celebrated successes of modern conservation, it has been reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park.

What unfolds is a riveting multi-generational saga, at the centre of which is O-Six, a charismatic alpha female beloved by park rangers and amateur spotters alike. As elk numbers decline and the wolf population rises, those committed to restoring an iconic landscape clash with those fighting for a vanishing way of life; hunters stalk the park fringes and O-Six'sā€¦


Book cover of Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators

Jim and Jamie Dutcher Author Of The Wisdom of Wolves: Lessons from the Sawtooth Pack

From my list on that paint a multi-dimensional portrait of the wolf.

Why are we passionate about this?

We were fascinated with animals and the natural world from an early age. As documentary filmmakers, our intent was to capture the social lives of wolves on film. We hoped to dispel long-perpetuated myths by showing a side of these animals that was too often overlooked. What began as a two-year film project turned into six years of close observation and interaction with a pack of wolves. The things we learned and experienced exceeded our wildest expectations and changed our lives forever. We were captivated by these incredible and inspiring animals and have continued to advocate for wolves for over 30 years.

Jim's book list on that paint a multi-dimensional portrait of the wolf

Jim and Jamie Dutcher Why did Jim love this book?

We still have much to learn about the complex interconnectedness of ecosystems. However, it has become abundantly clear that the absence of apex predators has far-reaching consequences. William Stolzenburg has pulled together a compelling set of examples of vanishing predators and the problems that arise in their absence. In contrast, and of particular interest to us, is the role that reintroduced wolves have played in revitalizing Yellowstone National Park. There is a cautionary tale here that extends far beyond wolves, because the fate of many is inextricably bound with the fate of a few if we are to sustain biodiversity.    

By William Stolzenburg,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Where the Wild Things Were as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A provocative look at how the disappearance of the world's great predators has upset the delicate balance of the environment, and what their disappearance portends for the future, by an acclaimed science journalist.

It wasn't so long ago that wolves and great cats, monstrous fish and flying raptors ruled the peak of nature's food pyramid. Not so anymore. All but exterminated, these predators of the not-too-distant past have been reduced to minor players of the modern era. And what of it? Wildlife journalist William Stolzenburg follows in the wake of nature's topmost carnivores, and finds chaos in their absence. Fromā€¦


Book cover of Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America

Drew A. Swanson Author Of Remaking Wormsloe Plantation: The Environmental History of a Lowcountry Landscape

From my list on why American parks look the way they do.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up a farm kid and then worked as a park ranger fresh out of college. This background draws me to the history of American preservation, where so much that seems natural also has deep cultural roots. I find the American Southā€”with its combination of irony and tragedy, beauty, and flawsā€”the most fascinating place on earth to study. Or maybe Iā€™m just pulling for the home team.

Drew's book list on why American parks look the way they do

Drew A. Swanson Why did Drew love this book?

An acclaimed historian of the Civil War, Nelsonā€™s newest book connects the nationā€™s Reconstruction struggles with its impulse to set aside dramatic western landscapes as national parks. The compelling narrative follows not only western scientist-adventurers like Ferdinand Hayden, but also weaves the preservation of Yellowstone into the Indian Wars and the violence against freedpeople in the American South. At a time when Americans sought healing in the aftermath of a divisive war, they turned to magnificent western landscapes like Yellowstone, only to find they were also contested ground.

By Megan Kate Nelson,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Saving Yellowstone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From historian and critically acclaimed author of The Three-Cornered War comes the captivating story of how Yellowstone became the worldā€™s first national park in the years after the Civil War, offering ā€œa fresh, provocative studyā€¦departing from well-trodden narratives about conservation and public recreationā€ (Booklist, starred review).

Each year nearly four million people visit Yellowstone National Parkā€”one of the most popular of all national parksā€”but few know the fascinating and complex historical context in which it was established. In late July 1871, the geologist-explorer Ferdinand Hayden led a team of scientists through a narrow canyon into Yellowstone Basin, entering one ofā€¦


Book cover of Wilderness Essays

Michael W. Shurgot Author Of Green River Saga

From my list on passion for the American wilderness.

Why am I passionate about this?

Since my late teens, I have traveled extensively in wilderness areas across the United States and Alaska, as well as in Canada, Switzerland, and Patagonia. Backpacking, technical mountain climbing, and canoeing have led me to appreciate wilderness for its own sake and to become a fierce advocate for its protection. Since moving to Seattle in 1982, I have hiked extensively in the western mountains and experienced a profound sense of peace and wonder in the wild. The listed books have deepened my appreciation of the wild's intrinsic value. I have tried to convey this appreciation to my readers in my three novels set in the American West.

Michael's book list on passion for the American wilderness

Michael W. Shurgot Why did Michael love this book?

I strongly believe that anyone who wishes to appreciate wilderness for its own sakeā€”for the sheer beauty of what the natural world has createdā€”should begin with this collection of Muirā€™s essays.

Written during his travels in the High Sierra, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite, Utahā€™s red-rock wilderness, the old-growth forests of Oregon, and Alaskaā€™s Glacier Bay, Muir revels in the awesome forces of nature that have created the astonishing landscapes that he has visited. 

By John Muir,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wilderness Essays as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Part of John Muir's appeal to modern readers is that he not only explored the American West and wrote about its beauties but also fought for their preservation. His successes dot the landscape and are evident in all the natural features that bear his name: forests, lakes, trails, and glaciers. Here collected are some of Muir's finest wilderness essays, ranging in subject matter from Alaska to Yellowstone, from Oregon to the High Sierra.

This book is part of a series that celebrates the tradition of literary naturalistsā€•writers who embrace the natural world as the setting for some of our mostā€¦


Book cover of Bring Jade Home: The True Story of a Dog Lost in Yellowstone

Kat Albrecht Author Of Pet Tracker: The Amazing Story of Rachel the K-9 Pet Detective

From my list on lost dog recovery.

Why am I passionate about this?

Kat Albrecht-Thiessen is a police detective-turned-pet detective and is the founder / director of the Missing Animal Response Network (MARN). Since 1997, Kat has worked search dogs trained to find lost pets. She is widely known as the leading authority on lost pet recovery training. Kat is a regular speaker at animal welfare conferences. She and her search dogs have appeared on Animal Planet and articles about her work have appeared in People, Readerā€™s Digest, Parade and many other publications. In 2005, Kat launched the first-ever pet detective academy and since that time has trained over 800 volunteer and professional pet detectives from across the world.

Kat's book list on lost dog recovery

Kat Albrecht Why did Kat love this book?

This is a great book about a dog named Jade who was involved in a roll-over car crash in the wilderness near Yellowstone Park. Itā€™s an emotional and very interesting read as you learn what this desperate family had to go through to recover their lost dog, a task made all the more difficult because they (husband and wife) were injured in the car crash and because Jade was skittish and ran from anyone who tried to help her. In spite of grizzly bears, other predators, frigid nights, and potential starvation, the family managed to recruit local volunteers who ultimately helped them capture their dog.

By Michelle Caffrey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bring Jade Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Imagine your dog, suddenly lost in the wilds of Yellowstone National Park. Alone. At night. Surrounded by wolves and grizzly bears. Day after day, week after week. How far would you go to find your dog? Time is running out. Predators. Frigid nights. A dangerous landscape. Starvation.

Bring Jade Home is the gripping true story of Jade, a young Australian shepherd, who disappears into Yellowstone's wilderness after a horrific car wreck. Despite their injuries and against doctor's orders, her owners David and Laura leave the Trauma Center to begin a desperate search - can they find Jade before it's tooā€¦


Book cover of The Carry Home: Lessons from the American Wilderness
Book cover of Yellowstone: A Journey Through America's Wild Heart
Book cover of One of Us: A Biologist's Walk Among Bears

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