John Muir Journals (discovery layer)

These journals were written by John Muir between 1867 and 1913. They include his 1867-1868 "thousand mile walk," his early years in Yosemite, extensive travels in Alaska, his 1903 world tour, and his 1911-1912 voyage to South America and Africa. The journals offer a unique perspective on Muir's life and experiences in his own words and drawings.

Some of the journals are filled with miscellaneous notes and jotted writings, while others feature diary-like narratives. Similarly, some journals contain only text while others, especially those from his Alaska trips, are full of drawings that reflect the places Muir visited.

Many, but not all, of the digitized John Muir journals are transcribed. Portions of the journals can be difficult to read because of faded writing, but the zoom feature enables users to magnify pages and improve their legibility. Join our Muir Journal Transcription Project to help.

The "titles" assigned to each journal are taken from the published Guide and Index to the Microform Edition of the John Muir Papers, 1858-1957. These titles convey the general content of each journal, but many of the journals contain a wealth of information beyond the subject indicated in the title. It may be helpful to consult the John Muir chronology for more information on where Muir was during the periods when he was writing various journals.

The unpublished works of John Muir are under copyright by the Muir-Hanna Trust. To purchase copies and/or obtain permission to publish or exhibit items from the John Muir Papers, visit our fees and forms page.

Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing.

Switch View to Grid View Slideshow

October-December 1879 [Journal 31]: First Alaska Trip with S. Hall Young

John Muir
June-August 1878 [Journal 26]: Geodetic Survey from Sacramento to Wasatch Mountains, Utah

John Muir

No. 8 Reconnaissance Geodetic Survey from Sacramento to Wahsatch Mtns [Mountains] - Lake Tahoe Tree-studies etc – Good sketches of young firs. P. aristolochia 19 00022
September-October 1878 [Journal 27]: Notes of Travel on the East Side of Sierra

John Muir
August-September 1877 [Journal 24]: Cinder Cone Sketches, etc.

John Muir

Cinder Cove Sketches etc Feather River Fountains San Gabriel & South Coast Mountains 16 00021
May-July 1877 [Journal 23]: Travels in Utah, etc.

John Muir

N0 20 Travels in Utah Mormons Scenery [ ] etc. Excursion into - Big Tuol [Tuolumne] [Canon] from head with Magee 1877? Voyage Santa Monica 1877
September-November 1877 [Journal 25]: Trip with Hooker, Gray, Bidwells, etc.

John Muir

No 14 Redwoods Ex [Tuolumne Canyon] Ex Mid Fork K R [Kern River] Voyage down Sacramento [voyage down] San Joaquin
May-August 1876 [Journal 22]: South Dome, Ridge, etc.

John Muir

[ ] No. 9 [ ] [High] South Dome Ridge Views from Ridge May 5 Notes of Journey to Stockton Trees
April 1875 [Journal 19]: Glaciers, Dead Rivers, Sketches, Shasta Storms

John Muir

Glaciers Dead River Sketches Shasta Storms No 7
August-November 1875 [Journal 21]: Sequoia Studies from Yosemite South End of Belt at White River

John Muir
June-September 1875 [Journal 20]: Owens Valley, Yosemite, Middle Fork San Joaquin

John Muir

No. 16 Owens Valley Yosemite M. F. [Middle Fork], San Joaquin [Yo] Mt [Mount] San Joaquin [TRIFO] [BROUNIE] Wamello. Sequoia [ ] with Etc No. 16 (COPIED) 14a 00016
October 1874-circa July 1875 [Journal 18]: Redwood, Yosemite, Shasta, Kings River, etc.

John Muir

Redwood Yo [Yosemite] [ ] 1887 Shasta Kings River Mt Whitney Kearsarge Pass NO. 6
October-December 1874 [Journal 17]: Shasta, Yosemite, Dead Rivers

John Muir

Shasta Yosemite Dead Rivers Vol. No. 15 10
October-November 1874 [Journal 16]: First Trip to Mount Shasta

John Muir
Summer circa 1874 [Journal 15]: Torreya, Merced Canon

John Muir
January-May 1873 [Journal 9]: Yosemite Fall, Ice Cone, etc.

John Muir
July-August 1873 [Journal 13]: “Alps” and Little Yosemite

John Muir

[1] Top table |o| 3 & 240 [val] July [20th] foot moraine where ascend with horses 8450 & is near shoulder grand rounded [bossy] rock head of Yo Sem Val [Yosemite Valley] 8300. So also Tis like [ ] & level topped escarpment coming [ ] from Mt Starr King group Tis like front farther [up] is about 100 ft? than [larger] great it [Lat] [Morain] of Lyell about [ ] S. [ ] about [same] Alp & [well] [ ]where possible [mile] from up shoulder (N) [mor] slope [about] 24° [ ] of outmost moraine of Lyell 8100 Splendid garden at west end of water [ ] cut out & regulated by marmots [ ] mtnside [mountainside] |o| Clds R [Clouds Rest] & [ ] D [ ] with 140 flrs Azaleas in [6573)] also Lilium Parvum & [Aspidium] large tufted [ ] stems [crulinned] 2 in a long [taper] point beyond the [flrs] [Hasaekea] sets nuts & leaves among them so do geraniums. The lofted panicles [Leerzia] wave nobly many grasses [chess] & stipa etc. Lupine garden in the firs at slope of 18° great [heat] & moisture pine burs in garden, breezy, bees, flies & [humming] birds Saw [ ] bird feeding among the young shoots of the silver fir. Saw [bird] larger than canary light yellow dark orange head wing black barred with yellow Marmots keeping the water works of the garden July 25 (Garden)
June 1873 [Journal 12]: Mt. Lyell Studies, Glacier Canon Erosion

John Muir

Mt Dana [ ] [ ] Glacier Canon Erosion [ ] [ ] [ ] Spring in high Sierras No 2 Sketches etc. Sketch of Will Spruce, pg 20 [Sketch of] Mt Lyell [pg] Last Copied 1887 Notes from “Hebrides to the Himalaya” No 4 [4a 00010]
May-July 1873 [Journal 11]: Indian Canon, North Dome, Big Tuolumne Canon

John Muir
May-June 1873 [Journal 10]: Yosemite Falls, Rainbows, Avalanches

John Muir

Yosemite Fall. Rainbows. Avalanches. Notes of 1873? Copied 1887. No. 2 11 00008
September-November 1873 [Journal 14]: Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Mono Trip

John Muir
August-October 1872 [Journal 05]: Yosemite Creek, etc.

John Muir
August-September 1872 [Journal 06]: Illilouette Basin Trip

John Muir

Notes of 15 days journey in the basin of Illilouette [Yo] Excursion
December 1872-1873 [Journal 08]: Wind Storm, Pine Trees, Feeding, etc.

John Muir

Journal. Jan to June. 1873. Wind Storm = Pine trees feeding etc No 3
September-October 1872 [Journal 07]: Tuolumne

John Muir

No. 12 [Tuolumne] Some good drawings
January-May 1869 [Journal 03]: Twenty Hill Hollow

John Muir