Books & Learning

Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada have inspired a wealth of published material, from the work of John Muir to present day writers. We highly recommend using these resources when planning your trip. They can provide invaluable pre-trip education for your students about the place they will be visiting, as well as provoking questions and sparking interest.

Internet Links

Yosemite National Park Interactive Classroom

Find information on park natural history, useful park statistics, species lists, good accompanying photographs and interactive activities.

Yosemite National Park Photos & Multimedia

Here you can view videos in the Nature Notes and Yosemite Presents sections or listen to podcasts in Yosemite Voices section.

Books

Yosemite Conservancy, a fellow Yosemite National Park partner, publishes high quality books, maps, and other resources about Yosemite National Park.

• Sierra Nevada Natural History: Comprehensive yet concise and portable, this handbook describes hundreds of species:  Now completely updated and revised, it will continue to be the essential guide to the Sierra Nevada for a new generation of hikers, campers, tourists, naturalists, students, and teachers.  Includes introductory sections on Sierra Nevada topography, climate, geological history, and human history.
• The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada: The most comprehensive field guide to the natural wonders of the Range of Light!  In this groundbreaking and meticulously field-tested guide, the rich variety of Sierra life—trees, wildflowers, ferns, fungi, lichens, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, and insects—comes alive.
• My First Summer in the Sierra: In the summer of 1869, John Muir made his first long trip to Yosemite. When a friend offered him the chance to accompany his flock of sheep and a shepherd to the high pastures of the Sierra, it was an opportunity Muir could not resist. This book reprints the journal he kept of those summer days, of the wildlife and plant life, and of his explorations into the magical places of the mountains.
  

More outdoor learning experiences in Yosemite

• You're invited to enjoy an informative and fun vacation with Yosemite Outdoor Adventures, sponsored by the Yosemite Association. This award-winning program has grown steadily since its inception in 1971, reflecting the public's continuing interest in quality outdoor education. Courses are intended to offer educational experiences that stimulate and refresh the mind, body, and spirit.
  
• Balanced Rock offers enriching programs for the mind, body, and spirit in the serenity within and around Yosemite National Park. These journeys foster individual well-being, support the health of our community and environment, and forge a deep connection to the natural world.