John Muir's Grand Yosemite - (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The renowned naturalist John Muir spent several years in Yosemite and returned there often throughout his life. His early training as a botanist instilled in him a keen eye for detail and a talent for representing his surroundings in his sketchbooks. Part treasure hunt, part immersive experience, this slender volume shares 25 places that beckoned Muir to draw them-places he paused in his ramblings and wondered over. Thanks to detailed directions and coordinates, visitors to the park can find these spots and delight in the incredible scenery that Muir himself enjoyed, often from the same enduring spot. JOHN MUIR'S GRAND YOSEMITE also includes Muir's own voice in brief selections that accompany the locations; editor Michael Wurtz's engaging commentary enlivens the tour"--

Book Synopsis

See Yosemite through John Muir's eyes.

Review Quotes

National Parks Traveler, February 2021: "What I found really cool was how Mike Wurtz, who pulled the book together, paired Muir's words with sketches he made arond the park, and then added his own impressions. . . . The book, which measures roughly 5-and-a-quarter inches by 8-and-a-quarter inches and only a half-inch thick, tracks Muir's treks across the park, from the Yosemite Valley, to the west side of Yosemite, and up along the Tioga Road. It's a great resource to explore the park and see it as Muir did, and to draw your own inspiration."

"An inspirational, boots-on-the-ground guide to many of the sites that inspired Muir to take up his pen and produce his iconic drawings of and prose about of his beloved Yosemite." --Jim Hanna, great-grandson of John Muir

"John Muir's Grand Yosemite presents the perfect pairing of Muir's sketch hand and his on-site observations with the historical context provided by the archivist/historian who curates the original drawings and manuscripts. No better marriage could be made! Visitors will find this very useful and memorable. --W. R. Swagerty, director, John Muir Center, University of the Pacific

About the Author

Michael Wurtz is an assistant professor and head of the University of the Pacific Libraries' Holt-Atherton Special Collections and Archives, home of the largest collection of unpublished materials by John Muir. Each year he guides visitors to and through Muir's Yosemite and Sierra Nevada.