‘Rock the Park’ Elevates the Image of ‘Bro Culture’

Outdoor adventure hosts Jack Steward and Colton Smith bring together natural beauty and congenial brotherhood

Let me just start out by saying that I’m not a big fan of being outdoors or in the wilderness. I’ve never been camping, and I used to hate our school field trips to forests or state parks. It’s for this reason that I was surprised to find myself entranced by Rock the Park, a syndicated outdoor adventure show that ran from 2014 to 2020.

I first began watching Rock the Park around Christmas of last year. It was a show I’d randomly checked out after having browsed ahead through my next-day DVR grid. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but the featured location (I forgot where specifically it was) sounded fascinating.

After one episode, I was hooked.

The show, which can be streamed through various services, airs double-episodes Sunday mornings on one of my local CBS affiliate substations. You can check out more about the making of Rock the Park’s six seasons (154 episodes) at its official website. But for those of you who want an abridged summary…

Rock the Park was hosted by Colton Smith (not to be confused with the MMA fighter of the same name) and Jack Steward — two childhood friends who have made their love of America’s natural beauty into a career as Millennial adults. Although I’ve never met either of them, I’m going to refer to them by their first names, throughout this article, for the sake of accord.

Jack is a professional adventure guide, and Colton does health care advocacy when he isn’t traveling the country as a speaker on conservation. Their “bromance” as close buddies provides an undeniable chemistry that entices the viewer to want to explore North American landscapes and waterways along with them.

In each episode, they visit a different U.S. national park. Local guides or rangers will show Jack and Colton the hidden gems within these nature preserves. They’ll learn about cultural customs, regional history, and tips for making the most out of one’s visit to each destination.

Much of the time, they’ll camp overnight or participate in water activities.

Along with the fact that Colton and Jack are both in my general age range, their environmental reverence and casual fraternity is extremely appealing to me. It makes me want to explore these places (well, SOME of them!) alongside of these two mellow dudes.

Here are a handful of my favorite episodes…

During a trip to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Colton and Jack watched majestic bison and feral horses amidst the Badlands of North Dakota. They eventually wandered across petrified fragments that were fossils of million-year-old cypress trees.

Exploring the National Mall, Jack and Colton took in the grandeur of the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, and the MLK Memorial. Then, they toured Ford’s Theatre along with the Petersen Boarding House where Lincoln died.

The guys enjoyed breathtaking waterfalls and rainforests within Maui’s Haleakala National Park. They went whale-watching and hiking at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Their eyes widened while in Florida’s Everglades National Park — checking out a mama alligator protecting her babies and the exotic Burmese pythons amidst its sawgrass prairie.

But even while surveying these beauteous natural wonders, Jack and Colton playfully rib one another while helping each other through heart-pounding experiences.

For example, Colton has an intense fear of heights. Nevertheless, during a trek through North Cascades National Park, he braved the daunting altitude of Sahale Peak. On another park tour of Western Colorado’s Black Canyon, Colton had a rough time due to his bad knee and a heightened sensitivity to poison ivy. But he pushed through, and was rewarded with a firsthand view of the amazing scenery.

At White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, Colton and Jack congenially trash-talked each other before their sledding competition down a gypsum sand dune. Jack lost their bet when his technique went awry; he sportively carried Colton’s water pack up the mountain. While in Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, Jack stripped down to his boxers and did the “polar plunge” in an icy lake (Colton, understandably, declined to take a dip into the freezing water).

Despite this extreme terrain that Jack and Colton proceed to confront, they always remind viewers about the importance of safety and risk management.

While spelunking in the spider-filled depths of Carlsbad Caverns, the interior flooded. Colton, Jack, and their crew had to literally ditch their camera equipment in order to squeeze through the crawl space.

Similarly, while enjoying Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, they played it safe and avoided walking directly on top of the glaciers so they wouldn’t fall through into a freezing abyss. They still got plenty of exposure to nearby sea lions, orca whales, mountain goats, and sea otters — and did some much safer kayaking.

Traveling to Japan to check out Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, Jack and Colton went scuba-diving to try to catch some glimpses of sea turtles. However, they swam right out of there as soon as they spotted venomous sea snakes in the vicinity.

And while traversing the terrain of Wyoming’s Grand Tetons National Park, they made sure to test the snowpack for avalanche risk. Then, while skiing, they used sustainable packaging for their edible refreshments as part of the Zero Landfill Initiative.

In fact, it’s very evident that Colton and Jack care greatly about sustainability. During their visit to Yellowstone National Park, they toured the West Yellowstone Compost Facility. Its manager, John Burns, showed them the mechanical conveyers and excavator that turns the park’s trash into rich fertilizer. This is accomplished through an innovative steaming and heating process.

I’ll admit that I’m still averse to the idea of hiking and camping out in the wild. But Jack and Colton have helped me to have an expanded appreciation for the beauty and tranquility of the natural world.

However, when they end an episode with their trademark motto of, “If we can do it, so can you…” — I think to myself…

I wish I *could* do many of these things. But my autism is such a barrier when it comes to risk-taking.

Even if I knew how to swim: would I be too consumed with fear over getting bit by a snake or contracting parasites? Would I have the same types of anxieties inhibiting me from doing a mud-walk?

Due to my thalassophobia, aichmophobia, and basophobia, it’s highly unlikely I’ll ever get to experience the joy of cliff-jumping alongside of Colton and Jack.

Still, it’s heartening to be able to live vicariously through them via their TV escapades.

Here are some of my favorite Rock the Park episodes:

When Rock the Park went into production, its hosts stated that their goal was to televise visits to all 400+ of America’s national parks. Since ABC canceled the show before they were able to achieve that feat, there are still plenty of North American destinations to which they could venture for a future TV project.

Someday, I’d like to see The Travel Channel or The Discovery Channel or The Learning Channel revive Rock the Park — Jack and Colton could revisit some of their favorite locations, while journeying to national parks where they’d never gotten the chance to film. They could also add various state parks to their itinerary.

These two humble, intrepid, mirthful studs represent the best traits of “bro culture” — tenets of “nutric masculinity” and placid male empowerment — without the shame or intimidation found amidst so many of masculinity’s toxic forms.

To anyone who desires adventure and brotherhood from the safety of your living room — Rock the Park is the show for you!

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