Protected areas have increased in recent years to cover more than 10% of the earth’s land surface. The extent of this coverage alone suggests that protected areas must have social impacts of global significance. It is surprising, therefore, that this increase has passed largely unnoticed in Anthropology. This article highlights the need for a more systematic understanding of protected areas. It explores the ways in which protected areas have alienated natural resources from local users, and addresses the implications of these alienations. We conclude with an assessment of the current gaps in our knowledge of protected areas, and the implications of these gaps for anthropological theory and future of conservation and protected areas.