Walter Starr, Jr., was a life member of the Sierra Club who ardently loved the High Sierra. He could not rest until he had seen it all - and then he wanted others to see it, to enjoy it, and to be inspired by it as he had been. So he made notes of practical directions to the John Muir Trail, a high-country trail that runs from Mount Whitney to Yosemite National Park. Although Starr did not live to take part in the final preparation of his guidebook, so thoroughly was his work done that it was possible to publish it very nearly in the form that he had planned. The preparation was done by his father, Walter Starr, who also was well acquainted with High Sierra trails. In the introduction to his book, Walter Starr, Jr., wrote: "By joining the United States Geological Survey maps of the region from Yosemite National Park to the headwaters of the Kern - a distance of more than one hundred and fifty miles - one will observe a continuous strip of blue lakes running down the map immediately west of the Sierra Crest. Through the heart of this blue strip winds the famous John Muir trail with laterals leading to it from the east and west, some of them vying with the Muir Trail itself in scenic grandeur." Acting on the suggestion contained in these lines of his son, Walter Starr had a map made for the book showing the trails and approaches the author so well describes. This classic guide covers: Keys to trail descriptions and map references How to obtain a wilderness permit Yosemite National Park Region Middle Fork of San Joaquin River Region South Fork of San Joaquin River Region North, Middle, and South Fork of Kings River Region Sequoia National Park Region

The new edition of this Sierra classic has been completely updated, and meticulously describes the entire trail. The book includes GPS coordinates for every junction, has separate descriptions for northbound and southbound hikers, and shows elevations and distance.

Famed naturalist John Muir (1838-1914) came to Wisconsin as a boy and studied at the University of Wisconsin. He first came to California in 1868 and devoted six years to the study of the Yosemite Valley. After work in Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, he returned to California in 1880 and made the state his home. One of the heroes of America's conservation movement, Muir deserves much of the credit for making the Yosemite Valley a protected national park and for alerting Americans to the need to protect this and other natural wonders. The mountains of California (1894) is his book length tribute to the beauties of the Sierras. He recounts not only his own journeys by foot through the mountains, glaciers, forests, and valleys, but also the geological and natural history of the region, ranging from the history of glaciers, the patterns of tree growth, and the daily life of animals and insects. While Yosemite naturally receives great attention, Muir also expounds on less well known beauty spots.

On the legendary John Muir Trail you pass through a land of 14,000-foot peaks, deep canyons, massive granite walls, and sparking lakes. Here's the best guide to this 211-mile hiking wonderland, written by two of WP's most venerable authors.