John Muir founded the Sierra Club in 1892, igniting a national passion for nature through his vivid storytelling that made plants and animals come alive. His enthusiasm helped spark the American conservation movement, inspiring generations to protect the wilderness.
Born in Dunbar, Scotland, in 1838, Muir moved with his family to a Wisconsin farm at age 11. After years of farm work, he attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison for three years before dropping out. He then spent several years in Canada as a sawmill operator before returning to the United States. At 31, while working as a shepherd in the Sierra Nevada foothills, Muir discovered his true calling—the great outdoors.
For the next 45 years, he explored and wrote passionately about the landscapes and wildlife of the California mountains, the Cascades of Washington and Oregon, the Arizona desert, and the glaciers of Alaska. Thanks to Muir’s tireless advocacy, Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon national parks exist today, and he played a key role in establishing Mount Rainier and Crater Lake national parks as well.
Fred Bercovitch, a comparative wildlife zoologist specializing in conservation science and evolutionary biology, traces Muir’s life and enduring legacy. Along the way, meet notable figures—including two U.S. presidents—who shared adventures with Muir in the wilderness. Discover Muir’s surprising connection to the Smithsonian and why he famously said, “Going to the mountains is going home.”
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