Dolly Sods is among the most visited wilderness areas in the mid-Atlantic — within a day's drive of two-thirds of America's population. That popularity may be slowing its recovery from one of the great ecological catastrophes in eastern American history: the timber boom of the 1880s to the 1920s, which stripped the plateau to bare rock and burned six feet of topsoil to ash. What nature has rebuilt over the past century is different from what we destroyed — yet it is stunningly beautiful in its own right, a boreal landscape stranded five hundred miles south of its normal ecological range. This essay traces Dolly Sods from ancient forest to logged wasteland to designated wilderness, and asks whether the place can remain a wilderness, loved as hard as it is now.

Fifteen-plus years ago, White Pockets was barely known except to local ranchers, BLM staff, photographers, and a few hardy explorers. Today, after a series of National Geographic photos and articles published in the 2010s, it is well known. The BLM is studying what is required to preserve it. This essay covers the stunning beauty of White Pockets, its history and geology, and the impacts of its increased popularity.

This essay will discuss some of the conflicting pressures on the Four Corners Region and what could be lost if we don’t act.