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America’s white nationalists are once again embracing the great outdoors.
At first glance, it may seem out of character: Wholesome activities like hiking, foraging for berries, and camping seemingly stand in sharp contrast to lifestyles of the basement-dwelling, far-right livestreamers.
On one recent weekend, a number of young far-right extremists went camping in upstate New York. This “retreat” was the latest in a national event series that aims to foster real-world relationships within the very online, youth-oriented Christian nationalist movement—and with the land they vow to defend against anything they deem un-American and un-Christian, be it immigration, critical race theory, or transgender rights.
“We believe that Americanism has strayed far from its roots; primarily in connections to the land itself,” the event’s organizers write on their website. They promise to bring “America-first values to youth nationwide through an outdoor experience.”
While this may be a relatively new phenomenon within the modern far-right, white supremacy has deep roots in the U.S. wilderness and recreation movement, which long excluded people of color from its national...