Our National ParksThis addition to the John Muir Library Series is a collection of ten essays in which Muir extols the beauty, grandeur, and importance of Yosemite, Sequoia, Yellowstone, and other National Parks of the American West and urges the preservation of these natural areas. First published in 1901, this book brought Muir to the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt. The naturalist's message is as critical today as when it first appeared in print. In characteristic elegiac style, Muir captures the vital essence of Yosemite, Yellowstone, and other areas, detailing their natural attractions: the breathtaking forests, lush alpine meadows, massive granite domes, towering sequoias, bursting geysers, thundering waterfalls, and crystalline glacial lakes. At the same time, he motivates readers to preserve "these Western woods - trees that are still standing in perfect strength and beauty, waving and singing in the mighty forests of the Sierra." Muir guides readers through the wild parks and forest reservations of the West, "venturing and roaming [and] getting in touch with the nerves of Mother Earth." He fully describes flora and fauna, from the humblest mosses to giant redwoods, from insects and lizards to the Sierra brown bear. Essential reading for anyone who wants to protect America's wild lands, these essays heighten readers' appreciation of nature and inspire them to preserve the wilderness areas Muir loved so well. |
Contents
The Wild Parks and Forest Reservations of the West | 1 |
The Yellowstone National Park | 28 |
The Yosemite National Park | 57 |
The Forests of the Yosemite Park | 74 |
The Wild Gardens of the Yosemite Park | 103 |
Among the Animals of the Yosemite | 129 |
Among the Birds of the Yosemite | 160 |
The Fountains and Streams of the Yosemite National Park | 181 |
The Sequoia and General Grant National Parks | 201 |
The American Forests | 248 |
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Abies magnifica acres animals avalanches bark basins bears beautiful beds belt beneath Big Trees birds bloom boulders branches bright brown bushes camp caņons chaparral climb color cones conifers deer domes Engelmann spruce falls feet high feet in diameter ferns fire flowers forests fronds gardens geysers giants glacial glaciers glorious grand grass gray ground groves growing head height hundred feet inches Indians John Muir Kings River lakes landscape leaves look magnificent Mariposa Grove meadows miles moraines Mount Dana mountain hemlock mountains Muir national parks nearly never panicles peaks plants purple range redwood region ridges rivers roar rocks rocky scenery seeds seemed seen Sequoia shining side Sierra silver fir slopes snow soil species spring squirrels storms streams sugar pine summer summit sunshine thousand feet timber trunk Tuolumne weather wild wilderness winds winter wonderful woods yellow Yosemite National Park Yosemite Valley