An internationally recognized expert on national parks and railroads, Alfred Runte is based in Seattle, Washington. He was among the principal advisers to Ken Burns's PBS documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009), and appeared in all six episodes of the Emmy Award-winning series. His other books include Trains of Discovery: Railroads and the Legacy of our National Parks; Yosemite: The Embattled Wilderness; and the fifth edition of his critically-acclaimed National Parks: The American Experience. He was the recipient, in 2021, of the Stewart L. Udall Award from the Western National Parks Association in honor of his lifetime commitment to parks and wilderness.