The following Yosemite books are available online, with the complete text and usually the original illustrations. This list is arranged by title. Also available by author.

[ Title: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z ]
[ Subject: California | Geology | History | Indians | Maps | Muir | Mountaineering | Nature | Management ]
[ What’s New ] [ Author ]

Search Yosemite books on http://www.yosemite.ca.us/

Title

A
“Abrams Diary” (1947). Describes William Abrams’ discovery of Yosemite Valley in October 1849 by Weldon F. Heald.
The Ahwahneechees: A Story of the Yosemite Indians (1966) by John W. Bingaman
Animal Life in the Yosemite (UC MVZ, 1924) by Joseph Grinnell and Tracy Irwin Storer. Online at NPS website
The Atlantic to the Pacific: What to See and How to See it (1873) by John Erastus Lester
B
“Basket Makers” (1901) by George Wharton James
Bears of Yosemite (1943) by M. E. Beatty
The Big Oak Flat Road (1955) by Irene D. Paden and Margaret E. Schlichtmann
The Big Trees of California (1907) by Galen Clark
Birds of Yosemite National Park (1954, 1963) by Cyril A. Stebbins and Robert C. Stebbins
Bits of Travel at Home (1878) by Helen Hunt Jackson. Includes a travel account to California by railroad and to Yosemite.
Broadleaved Trees of Yosemite National Park (1947) by C. Frank Brockman
A Brief Story of the Geology of Yosemite Valley (1943) by M. E. Beatty
C
“California for Waterfalls!,” San Francisco Daily California Chronicle (August 18, 1855), by James M. Hutchings. Contains an account of the second tourist party to Yosemite Valley An earlier version was published in the Mariposa Gazette, August 9, 1855)
Call of Gold: True Tales on the Gold Road to Yosemite (1936) by Newell D. Chamberlain
Census of Non-reservation California Indians, 1905-1906 (1971) by Charles E. Kelsey. Robert F. Heizer, ed. Only Yosemite-area counties are on this web edition
Central Sierra Miwok Dictionary with Texts (1960) by L. S. Freeland and Sylvia M. Broadbent
A Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra (1954) by Dr. Hervey Harper Voge
The Cone-bearing Trees of Yosemite (1939) by James E. Cole
D
The Dawn of the World; Myths and Weird Tales Told by the Mewan [Miwok] Indians of California (1910) by C. Hart Merriam
The Devil Postpile National Monument, (1952) by Richard J. Hartesveldt
“Discovery of the Nevada Fall,” Overland Monthly (1884). account of an early tourist party in 1855 by James H. Lawrence
Discovery of the Yosemite and the Indian War of 1851, Which Led to That Event (1892) by Lafayette Houghton Bunnell, M.D.
- See also Reports from Lt. Tredwell Moore to the Pacific Division on the Mariposa Indian War of 1852 (unpublished letters, 1852)
“Distribution and Classification of the Mewan [Miwok] Stock of California,” American Anthropologist 9(2):338-357 (April/June 1907) [PDF] Includes a map.
“Does it Pay to Visit Yo Semite?,” The Galaxy (1870) by Olive Logan
E
Early Days in Yosemite (1964). by Galen Clark. Originally published as “A Plea for Yosemite” in 1927 from a manuscript written c. 1907
“Early Years in Yosemite” (1926) by Carl P. Russell
Early History of Yosemite Valley California (1919) by Ralph S. Kuykendall
“Exploration of the Sierra Nevada” (1925) by Francis P. Farquhar
F
“Features of the Proposed Yosemite National Park,” The Century Magazine (1890) by John Muir
A Familiar Letter from a Daughter to Her Mother (1871) by Alice Ives Van Schaack
Ferns of the Sierra (1960) by Robert J. Rodin
Fishes of Yosemite National Park by Willis A. Evans and Orthello L. Wallis (1941, 1948)
The Four Seasons in Yosemite National Park (1938) photographs by Ansel Adams; edited by Stanley E. Plumb
The Four Seasons of Yosemite by Dana Morgenson (1980). Yosemite pictorial
François Matthes and the Marks of Time; Yosemite and the High Sierra by François E. Matthes (1962). A posthumous collection of popular articles by François Matthes, mostly from the Sierra Club Bulletin
G
Geologic history of the Yosemite Valley by François E. Matthes (1930). U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 160. A classic study in glacial geology. (NPS)
The Geologic Story of Yosemite National Park by Dr. N. King Huber (1987). Authorative description of Yosemite geology.
“The Geography and Dialects of the Miwok Indians,” University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology 6(2):333-368 (February 1908) [PDF] by S. A. Barrett Includes a map.
Ghost Mines of Yosemite (1958) by Douglass H. Hubbard
The Giant Sequoia of the Sierra Nevada (NPS, 1975) by Richard J. Hartesveldt. In-depth work on the Giant Sequoia, including the roles of fire and insects on the Sequoia. Online at NPS website
Granite Crags (1884) by Lady Constance F. Gordon-Cumming
“The Great Yo-Semite Valley,” Hutchings’ California Magazine, Oct. 1859 by James M. Hutchings. First account of Yosemite Valley with illustrations
Guardians of the Yosemite, “Yosemite Indians” chapter (1961) by John W. Bingaman
Guide to Yosemite: a handbook of the trails and roads of Yosemite valley and the adjacent region (1920) by Ansel F. Hall [in preparation]
A Guide to the Giant Sequoias of Yosemite National Park (1949) by James W. McFarland
A Guide to the Mother Lode Country (1948) by C. Frank Brockman
“Guide to the Pioneer Cemetery,” 38(5):58-74 by Lloyd W. Brubaker, Laurence V. Degnan, and Richard R. Jackson (1959). Yosemite Valley Pioneer Cemetery located next to the Visitor Center
H
Handbook of Indians of California, chapter on “The Miwok” (1919) by A. L. Kroeber
Handbook of Yosemite National Park: a compendium of articles on the Yosemite region by the leading scientific authorities (1922) by Ansel F. Hall
Hutchings’ Illustrated California Magazine (1856-1861)
I
In the Heart of the Sierras; the Yo Semite Valley, both historical and descriptive: and Scenes by the Way. Big Tree Groves. The High Sierra, . . . (1888) by James Mason Hutchings
Invisible Men: Buffalo Soldiers of the Sierra Nevada Shelton Johnson, Ranger Naturalist (cira 2003) by Shelton Johnson. Story of Black Calvary troopers patrolling Yosemite. For background information, see “Buffalo Soldiers Story.”
“Indian Myths of South Central California” (Pohonichi Miwok Myths) (1907) by A. L. Kroeber
“Indian Village and Camp Sites in Yosemite Valley,” Sierra Club Bulletin 10(2) (Jan. 1917), by C. Hart Merriam
Indians of the Yosemite Valley and Vicinity (1904) by Galen Clark
J
A Journal of Ramblings Through the High Sierras of California by Joseph LeConte (1875)
L
The Last of the California Rangers (1928) by Jill L. Cossley-Batt. Biography of William Howard, including information on the California State Rangers, Mariposa Battalion, discovery of Yosemite, and Joaquin Murieta.
The Last Survivor (1932) by Mrs. H. J. (Rose Schuster) Taylor. Biographical sketch of Maria Lebrado “To-tu-ya” (ca. 1840-1931), granddaughter of Tenaya, chief of the Yosemite Indians.
Letters to a Friend (1915) by John Muir
Life Among the Piutes (1883) by Sarah Winnemucca
The Life and Letters of John Muir (1924) by John Muir, edited by William Frederic Badè
Lights and Shadows of Yosemite (1926) by Katherine Ames Taylor. Yosemite history and narrative, with photographs by several photographers, including an early one by Ansel Adams
M
Mammals of Yosemite National Park (1962) by Harry C. Parker
Miwok Material Culture: Indian Life of the Yosemite Region (1933) by S. A. Barrett and E. W. Gifford
Miwok Myths (1917) by Edward Winslow Gifford
Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada (1902) by Clarence King, geologist (1842-1901)
The Mountains of California (1894) by John Muir
My First Summer in the Sierra (1911) by John Muir
“Myths of the Southern Sierra Miwok” (1919) by S. A. Barrett
N
“Names and Meanings for Yosemite Valley,” YNN 47(3):42-44 (1978) by Craig Bates. Discussion about the origin of the Ahwahneechee words Yosemite and Ahwahnee.
The North American Indian, v. 14 (1924) “The Miwok” chapter by Edward S. Curtis
“Notes on Hetch-Hetchy Valley” (1868) by Charles F. Hoffmann. Includes notes on Miwok and Northern Paiute people, and early European settlers
O
The Old Stagedriver’s Yosemite Yarns (1962) by Laurence Degnan and Douglass Hubbard
“On Foot in the Yosemite,” Atlantic Monthly (1910) by Bradford Torrey
“On the Evidences of the Occupation of Certain Regions by the Miwok Indians,” University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology 6(3):369-380 (February 1908) [PDF] by A. L. Kroeber (Rebuttal to Dr. Merriam’s 1907 article.)
One Hundred Years in Yosemite; The Story of a Great Park and Its Friends 2d. ed. (1947), by Carl Parcher Russell.
Our National Parks (1901) by John Muir
An Overland Journey from New York to San Francisco in the Summer of 1859 (1860) by Horace Greeley. First account of Yosemite to be widely distributed on the east coast
Over the Purple Hills or Sketches of travel in California, embracing all the important points usually visited by tourists (1876) by Caroline M. Nichols Churchill. (American Memory, Library of Congress).
P
Pathways: A Story of Trails and Men (1968) by John W. Bingaman
Place Names of the High Sierra (1926) by Francis P. Farquhar
Picturesque California (1888-1890) by John Muir
“A Plea for Yosemite,” Yosemite Nature Notes (February 1927) from a manuscript written c. 1907 by Galen Clark. Reprinted as Early Days in Yosemite (1964).
Principal Waterfalls of the World (1945) by C. Frank Brockman
R
The Ralston-Fry Wedding and the Wedding Journey to Yosemite May 20, 1858 From the Diary of Miss Sarah Haight [Mrs. Edward Tompkins]. (1961) by Sarah Haight. Edited by Francis P. Farquhar, 1887-1974
Refined Burning Prescriptions for Yosemite National Park (1975) by Jan W. van Wagtendonk (NPS website)
Reptiles and Amphibians of Yosemite National Park (1946) by M. V. Walker.
Restore Hetch Hetchy volume 1 - present (2002-). Newsletter.
S
Sam Ward in the Gold Rush (1861, 1949) by Samuel Ward. Only the chapter relating to events after the Mariposa Indian War are reproduced online.
Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California (1862). by James M. Hutchings. First travel guide for Yosemite Valley.
The Secret of the Big Trees: Yosemite Sequoia and General Grant National Parks by Ellsworth Huntington (NPS, 1921)
Self-guiding Auto Tour of Yosemite National Park (1956) by Richard P. Ditton and Donald E. McHenry
Sierra Nature Notes, edited by George Durkee. “The Online Journal of Natural History News in the Sierra Nevada”
Sketch of Yosemite National Park and an Account of the Origin of the Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy Valleys by François E. Matthes (1912) (NPS)
Southern Sierra Miwok Language (1964) by Sylvia M. Broadbent
Steep Trails (1919) by John Muir
“Stickeen: The Story of a Dog” (1909) by John Muir
The Story of My Boyhood and Youth (1913) by John Muir
Studies in the Sierra (1874-1875; 1915-1921; 1950) by John Muir
T
“The Treasures of the Yosemite,” The Century Magazine (1890) by John Muir
The Trees of Yosemite; a Popular Account. Revised ed. (1948) by Mary Curry Tresidder. Linoleum prints by Della Taylor Hoss.
The Tioga Road; a History 1883-1961 (1961, rev. 1980) by Keith A. Trexler.
Tribes of California, “Miwok,” “Yosemite,” and “Pai-u’-ti” [Paiute] chapters (1877) by Stephen Powers
“A Trip to the Yohamite Valley,” San Francisco Daily Alta California, August 6, 1859, by Thomas A. Ayres
“A Trip to the Yosemite Falls,” Mariposa Democrat, August 5, 1856, probably by Warren Baer. First extensive description of Yosemite Valley
Guide to Tuolumne Meadows Trails (1959) by Allan Shields
Two Weeks in the Yosemite and Vicinity (1873, 1883) by Rev. J. M. Buckley, D. D.
U
Up and Down California in 1860-1864; The Journal of William H. Brewer (1930) by William H. Brewer
V
A Vacation among the Sierras: Yosemite in 1860 (1962) by Thomas Starr King
Vegetational Changes in Yosemite Valley (NPS, 1978) by Harold F. Heady and Paul J. Zinke
W
“The Wawona Hotel and Thomas Hill Studio,” Architecture in the Parks (1986) by Laura E. (Soullière) Harrison. Online at NPS website
Wawona’s Yesterdays (1961) by Shirley Sargent
Wild Flowers of the Sierra (1958) by Douglass H. Hubbard
The Wonders of the Yosemite Valley, and of California With original photographic illustrations, by John P. Soule. (1871) by Samuel Kneeland
Y
“The Yo-hem-i-ty Valley and Falls,” The Country Gentleman,, October 8, 1856. First article published on the east coast on Yosemite.
The Yo-semite, Its History, its Scenery, its Development (1873) by John Erastus Lester
Yosemite (El Portal: Yosemite Association, 1986-present) Quarterly journal
Yosemite Tales and Trails (1934) by Katherine Ames Taylor. Yosemite history and narrative, with photographs by Ansel Adams.
Yosemite Trails: Camp and Pack-Train in the Yosemite Region of the Sierra Nevada (1911) by J. Smeaton Chase. Early account of Yosemite backcountry
Yosemite: The Park and Its Resources (1987) by Linda Wedel Greene. This Historic Resource Study is a detailed technical reference on historical park resources, with an extensive bibliography
“Yosemite: The Story of an Idea” (1948) by Hans Huth
Yosemite Sentinel (1941-). Published by Yosemite Park and Curry Company.
Yosemite Wildflower Trails (1975) by Dana C. Morgenson. Based on notes by Mary Curry Tressider.
Yosemite: Where to Go and What to Do (1888) by George G. MacKenzie
“The Yo Semity Valley,” Mariposa Gazette October 11, 1855 and Stockton San Joaquin Republican October 16, 1855. Contains an account of an early tourist party to Yosemite Valley
“The Yohamite Falls, California,” Ballou’s Pictorial Drawing-room Companion, (May 21, 1859)
The Yosemite (1912) by John Muir
“Yosemite and Tamalpais,” Names (1955). by Madison S. Beeler. This article discusses the origin of the word Yosemite.
The Yosemite Book: a description of the Yosemite Valley and the adjacent region of the Sierra Nevada, and of the big trees of California (1869) by Josiah Dwight Whitney, Jr.
Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove: A Preliminary Report (1865) by Frederick Law Olmsted
Yosemite Indian Petition to the United States (circa 1891) by Anonymous.
Yosemite Indians; Yesterday and Today [1941] by Elizabeth H. Godfrey
Yosemite Indians and Other Sketches (1936) by Mrs. H. J. (Rose Schuster) Taylor. Biographical sketches of early pioneers and artists, and Yosemite Indians.
Yosemite: Its Wonders and Its Beauties (1868) by John S. Hittell
Yosemite: The Embattled Wilderness (1990) by Alfred Runte. Online at NPS website
Yosemite: The Park and Its Resources (1987) by Linda W. Green Detailed technical reference on historical park resources, with an extensive bibliography
“Yosemite Glaciers,” New York Tribune (1871) by John Muir
“Yosemite in Spring,” New York Tribune (1872) by John Muir
“Yosemite in Winter,” New York Tribune (1872) by John Muir
Yosemite Nature Notes (Yosemite Valley: Yosemite Natural History Association, 1922-1985)
“Yosemite: Past and Present,” Sunset, (April, 1909) by Galen Clark
The Yosemite Valley (1910) by Galen Clark
Yosemite Valley: An Intimate Guide (1929) by Ansel F. Hall
Yosemite Valley Place Names (1955) by Richard J. Hartesveldt
“Yosemite’s Pioneer Cabins” (1951) by Robert F. Uhte
Z
Zanita: A Tale of the Yo-semite (1872) by Thérèse Yelverton. Fictional novel about Yosemite, including gimpses of a young John Muir

Home

A - Z

FAQ

Bookstore

Art Prints

Online Library

Discussion Forum

Muir

Weather

Maps

Lodging

About

Search

Online Library:

Title

Author

California

Geology

History

Indians

Muir

Mountaineering

Nature

Management

If you have questions or comments, please send a message to Dan Anderson.

http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/title.html