The American Wilderness: Reflections on Nature Protection in the United States explores the division between how Americans embrace protected landscapes and how they consider nature itself. The book argues for the validity of landscape protection and the benefits of achieving strict preserves and mixed-commodity places in a democratic society.

A rare combination of celebration and criticism, Vale's argument is twofold: landscapes of protected nature in the United States represent a legitimate natural resource, and contrary to expressions in some recent literature, such landscapes bond people to nature. Providing extensive historical and modern data about the national park, national wilderness, and national wildlife refuge systems, Vale argues for the validity of landscape protection and the benefits of achieving both strict preserves and mixed-commodity places in a democratic society. His goal is to unite the often disparate threads of nature protection into a fabric that will enhance an appreciation for the extent and richness of nature protection sentiment and action in the United States.