John Muir

Author profile

born

in Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland, The United Kingdom

April 21, 1838

died

December 24, 1914

gender

male

genre

Outdoors & Nature

About this author

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John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to save the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is now one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States. One of the most well-known hiking trails in the U.S., the 211-mile John Muir Trail, was named in his honor. Other places named in his honor are Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, John Muir College, Camp Muir and Muir Glacier.

In his later life,...more John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to save the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is now one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States. One of the most well-known hiking trails in the U.S., the 211-mile John Muir Trail, was named in his honor. Other places named in his honor are Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, John Muir College, Camp Muir and Muir Glacier.

In his later life, Muir devoted most of his time to the preservation of the Western forests. He petitioned the U.S. Congress for the National Park Bill that was passed in 1899, establishing both Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. Because of the spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his writings, he was able to inspire readers, including presidents and congressmen, to take action to help preserve large nature areas. He is today referred to as the "Father of the National Parks," and the National Parks Service produced a short documentary on his life.

Muir's biographer, Steven Holmes, states that Muir has become "one of the patron saints of twentieth-century American environmental activity," both political and recreational. As a result, his writings are commonly discussed in books and journals, and he is often quoted in books by nature photographers such as Ansel Adams. Muir was noted for being an ecological thinker, political spokesman, and religious prophet, whose writings became a personal guide into nature for countless individuals, making his name "almost ubiquitous" in the modern environmental consciousness. According to author William Anderson, Muir exemplified "the archetype of our oneness with the earth."
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John Muir's Books

Average rating: 4.11 · 3,575 ratings · 360 reviews · 86 distinct works · Similar authors

	My First Summer in the Sierra 4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 avg rating — 1,181 ratings — published 1911 — 45 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Mountains of California by John Muir, Gretel Ehrlich (Foreword) 4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 avg rating — 322 ratings — published 1894 — 40 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nature Writings: The Story of My Boyhood and Youth / My First Summer in the Sierra / The Mountains of California / Stickeen / Essays (Library of America #92) by John Muir, William Cronon (Editor) 4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 avg rating — 257 ratings — published 1997	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Travels in Alaska 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 313 ratings — published 1915 — 55 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Wilderness World of John Muir by John Muir, Edwin Way Teale (Editor) 4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 avg rating — 217 ratings — published 1954	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir, Peter Jenkins (Introduction) 3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 avg rating — 226 ratings — published 1916 — 20 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Yosemite 4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 avg rating — 199 ratings — published 1912 — 31 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Stickeen: John Muir and the Brave Little Dog by John Muir, Donnell Rubay, Christopher Canyon (Illustrator) 4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 avg rating — 239 ratings — published 1909 — 32 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Story of My Boyhood and Youth by John Muir, Vernon Carstensen (Foreword) 4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 avg rating — 122 ratings — published 1913 — 25 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wilderness Essays 4.26 of 5 stars 4.26 avg rating — 50 ratings — published 1980 — 3 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by John Muir

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”
― John Muir

tags: animals, caring, earth, forests, nature, plants, trees, wilderness

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“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”
― John Muir, Our National Parks

286 people liked it

“The mountains are calling and I must go.”
― John Muir

tags: nature

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John Muir

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Quotes by John Muir

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John Muir's Books