Camping with the President

A camping trip with John Muir affects Theodore Roosevelt’s decisions on conservation. Imagine a U.S. president on a camping trip. It seems unlikely today, but in May 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt dismissed his Secret Service men to go camping with John Muir, the world-famous naturalist. For three glorious nights and four days in California’s Yosemite National Park, the two men talked about birds, giant sequoia trees, glaciers, as well as the importance of preserving wilderness for future generations. They slept under the stars, built blazing campfires, and enjoyed the beauty and the uniqueness of the area. Setting aside new national parks and monuments became one of the cornerstones of Roosevelt’s presidency and was a direct result of this camping trip.

Author Ginger Wadsworth and illustrator Karen Dugan carefully researched this true story, a CRA Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Silver Honor Book, relying on primary documents and working closely with experts in the field.