John Muir was a 19th century environmental advocate and author. He is considered one of the driving forces behind the development of the National Park System in the United States.
In The Sierra
John Muir is most known for his wanderings and writings in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. He came to the Yosemite Valley as a young man and would spend many years there connecting with the land. His wilderness gained national recognition and were responsible for a large influx of people to the Valley. Eventually he would go on to help in the crafting of legislation to preserve the area and prevent further development. One of Muir's great sorrows would be the failure to prevent the damming of the Hetch Hetchy, a valley near Yosemite which would be blocked off to create a reservoir and crucial source of water for the San Francisco Bay Area.
Notable Works
John Muir has many authored works which are still considered great reading for anyone who enjoys hiking. The Wilderness World of John Muir, Wilderness Essays, My First Summer in the Sierra, Travels in Alaska, The Mountains of California, A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf, Our National Parks, and America's Wilderness are just some of the works available.
