This book is an authoritative source for anyone interested in the history and heritage of the Yosemite Miwok. It is a classic study of Miwok tribe culture written by two noted anthropologists and covering topics such as shelter, food, art, and industry. The volume includes forty-eight illustrated plates of artifacts, an extensive bibliography, and many informative maps. For students or anyone interested in Yosemite Indian culture, the book is a fascinating read.

Indian Life of the Yosemite Region: Miwok Material Culture

History

Barrett, Samuel A.

Gifford, Edward W.

Americas

Yosemite Conservancy

A Pictorial Guide to Yosemite German (English and German Edition)

Reference

Henry Berrey

Maryann Olsen

Foreign Language Study & Reference

An authoritative and up-to-date study of Yosemite’s geology this is the first comprehensive treatment of the subject written in terms that the lay person can understand. Multiple maps, diagrams and full-color photographs help to describe Yosemite’s rocks and their origins. The book includes a very helpful glossary of terms and references for additional reading.

The Geologic Story of Yosemite National Park

Science & Math

Huber, N. King

Earth Sciences

Yosemite Valley, Karte & Fuhrer: Seine Geschichte Schenswurdigkeiten, Flora Und Fauna, Aktivitaten, Wander- Und Radwege, Information Des National Park Service (English and German Edition)

Reineck & Reineck

Chiura Obata, a gifted Japanese-born artist from California, made his first trip to Yosemite in 1927. The trip left a lasting impression in a remarkable collection of sketches, postcards, and letters. This volume includes 80 full-color reproductions of Obata’s pencil sketches, watercolor paintings, and day-by-day narratives woven through his correspondences. Named one of the Best Fifty books of 1993? by the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the book is a unique and beautiful presentation of personal artistic experience.

Obata's Yosemite: Art and Letters of Obata from His Trip to the High Sierra in 1927

Arts & Photography

Individual Artists

When Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan visited Yosemite National Park, they both called out Fredrick Law Olmsted as a major influence and inspiration for their documentary film, "The National Parks: America’s Best Idea." To celebrate Mr. Olmsted and his contributions to our National Parks, the Yosemite Conservancy, in partnership with Heyday Books, has reprinted Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove: A Preliminary Report, 1865” with a new foreword by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns. This seminal book is a must read for anyone interested in the National Parks and our public lands. The first eloquent expression of the need for conservation in 1865 is found in this remarkable and prescient report by Frederick Law Olmsted. No statement since has been so cogent or powerful. Pristine natural landscapes, Olmsted observed, provide people with refreshing rest and re-invigoration.” They are good perhaps essential for the soul. Which is why, he noted, that from time immemorial they have most often become the exclusive domain of any society’s most privileged classes, a monopoly, in a very peculiar manner, of a very few, very rich people.” Olmsted believed a great democracy had a greater obligation: to provide means of protection for all its citizens in the pursuit of happiness.” That meant, he argued, that the establishment by government of great public grounds for the free enjoyment of the people . . . is thus justified and enforced as a political duty.” Olmsted gave additional reasons for creating public parks, including that they are undeniably good for the local, state, and national economy because of the tourist business they engender. His report also included practical advice about building roads and shelters, as well as instituting regulations to zealously protect the dignity of the scenery.” All of his points are as pertinent today as they were when he first read them to his fellow Yosemite commissioners nearly 150 years ago. But in deliberately borrowing from our nation’s founding document, which proclaims that the pursuit of happiness” is among the inalienable rights of every human being, and in attaching that notion to why Yosemite (or any other future park) should not be allowed to become a rich man’s park,” Olmsted infused the national park idea with its most enduring principle.”

The Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees: A Preliminary Report, 1865

Olmsted, Frederick Law

This colorful volume is a wonderful introduction to the story of the giant sequoia, the world’s largest tree. Tracing the life of one special sequoia that lived for over 2,000 years, it shows the stages of development of the tree in relation to important events in world history. When the Tree of Time is only a seedling, Hannibal and his elephants are crossing the Alps. While the sequoia grows, humankind progresses from wooden-wheeled chariots and rock paintings to space ships on the moon and computers. Children will be captivated by the parade of events illustrated here, and there’s an informative time-line of world history that runs throughout the book. The reader is left with a real appreciation for the remarkable age of the Tree of Time and giant sequoias generally.

The Tree of Time: A Story of a Special Sequoia

Children's Books

Science, Nature & How It Works

This is a reprint of the intriguing story of four short-line railroads that operated in the Merced River Canyon to serve Yosemite National Park. Originally published in 1963, this volume assembles more than two hundred black-and-white photographs of railroads and trains, relating the importance of the rail lines in the visitors’ experiences of Yosemite. The rich history of Yosemite is brought to life through the photographs that tell a special relationship between individuals and machines.

Railroads of the Yosemite Valley

Johnston, Hank

This comprehensive guide is the first to focus on all the giant sequoia groves in the state of California, not just those that are well-known. The author has identified sixty-seven different groups of these forest giants, and has organized them into five different geographic areas from north of the Kings River to south of the Tule River watershed. Extensive information is provided for each grove including general description and managing agency; historical facts; size, condition, and overall quality; access; and notable trees.

A Guide to the Sequoia Groves of California

Willard, Dwight

Biological Sciences

This book brings new attention and focus to Yosemite's beauty, significance and future. William Neill's photographs, from sweeping vistas to intimate studies of natural phenomena, strongly convey Yosemite's exceptional qualities. The collection is powerful, inspired by eighteen years of Neill’s residence in the park. Tim Palmer's essay is filled with a deep appreciation for Yosemite and the benefits it offers the human spirit, coupled with a passionate concern for its continued protection and health. The book includes 70 stunning photographs, a two-part essay, and informative photographic notes.

Yosemite: The Promise of Wildness

Photography & Video

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Books by Yosemite Conservancy