Crystal Chen grew up adventuring around Utah, where she felt a deep connection to the great outdoors and a sense of home in the mountains. 

She spent her formative years in Indiana, graduating with her B.A. in Psychology from Indiana University. Afterwards, she worked as a GIS Analyst in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. She learned about the importance of protecting the outdoors and public lands as she worked with national parks spanning from the Dakotas to Washington DC, doing geospatial analysis and science communication about natural resources. 

Crystal moved to Salt Lake City in 2021 and loves being surrounded by the beauty and wildness of the Wasatch Mountains.

When Crystal is not advocating for the conservation initiatives of Save Our Canyons, she enjoys going on long hikes, camping, woodburning, volunteering with local organizations like the Gear Fund Collective, and capturing the marvels of the mountains through photography.