It’s the hottest place on Earth, but Death Valley is remarkably full of life. Baratunde Thurston seeks out the extremes of this national park and finds an outdoor mecca for those who embrace its heat, isolation, and natural beauty. Meet an ultra-marathoner who runs in the brutal heat of summer and an elder of the Timbisha Shoshone tribe, who helps us see that this is a place where life blooms.
Life on the American frontier is evolving. To find out how, and what it means, Baratunde Thurston ventures into the wilds of Idaho in search of its outdoor culture. He finds ranchers and backcountry pilots sharing the wilderness with newly resettled refugees, and sees how climate change is playing havoc with the age-old salmon fishery.
Baratunde explores his adopted hometown of Los Angeles to learn how Angelinos connect with the outdoors in their sprawling city. From kayakers saving a polluted river to urban gardens nourishing a community, and Black surfers claiming their place on the waves - even as climate change brings on the sharks - preserving access to outdoor LA is something worth fighting for.
Appalachia may seem like a place locked in time, but its people know a thing or two about change, especially when it comes to the outdoors. Baratunde meets the people driving a revolution in how we see and interact with nature, from a record-breaking hiker, to a 21st century forager to former coal miners working with bees and advocates working to make the outdoors accessible to everyone.
On the Carolina coast, there’s more than sand and surf. Baratunde discovers how our outdoor environments were shaped by a surprising force: history.
What does the wild mean to Americans today? To find out, Baratunde journeys into Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region, one of the last places where you can hike or paddle your way into the remote wilderness. From passionate birders to harvesters of wild rice, he encounters a fascinating cast of characters—and hears from them why wilderness means so much.
The Suwannee is one of the last wild rivers in America, and its watershed creates woods and wetlands, marshes, and cave systems. From its headwaters in the Okefenokee Swamp, Baratunde journeys downstream, meeting colorful denizens of the Suwannee. From jet skiers to herpetologists, manatees to snapping turtles, he learns how this unique environment inspires a whole range of passions.
In Arkansas, just about everyone you meet is into the outdoors, yet to many outside the state it barely registers as an outdoor destination. Now, it’s on a mission to earn recognition as a wild mecca. Baratunde heads south to find out why this hidden gem has stayed hidden for so long, and how its outdoor culture is changing.
New Mexico was first inhabited by Ancient Puebloans millennia ago, and some of the most stunning ruins on the continent can be found here. From turkey hunting to river rafting on the Rio Grande and ancient pueblos built in alignment with the stars, Baratunde explores how the area’s deep history still shapes the outdoor culture, even as people there are reimagining their outdoor lives.
From scaling ancient trees to spearfishing in underwater kelp forests to rollerblading through Portland with an Indigenous roller derby team, Baratunde dives into the variety that defines the outdoors in Oregon.
From paragliding over the Great Salt Lake to canyon climbing to discovering the science behind nature’s healing powers, Baratunde journeys west to find out what modern day pilgrims are seeking in Utah’s outdoor spaces.
With its magnificent coastline and densely wooded interior, Maine is a place where outdoor adventure has a long history, and a love of wilderness starts in childhood. Baratunde meets a Mainer reviving the timeless craft of harvesting ice, straps on snowshoes to understand how being outside can help folks recovering from addiction and takes an icy plunge in the winter ocean to embrace the cold.
Learn 5 things about Baratunde Thurston, host of America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston. America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston follows the bestselling author and podcaster as he explores the country’s diverse landscapes to see how they shape the way we work, play and interact with the outdoors.
Host Baratunde Thurston explains why he is excited to tell the story of our passionate, complex, and sometimes quirky relationship with the great outdoors.
Baratunde shares five things you'll learn while watching America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston, a travel show that follows the bestselling author and podcaster as he explores the country’s diverse landscapes to see how they shape the way we work, play and interact with the outdoors.
