John Muir was an author, environmental philosopher, and early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States of America. He is often called “Father of the National Parks” and “John of the Mountains.”
Muir published more than 12 books and 300 articles in his lifetime. His books, essays, and letters describing his adventures in nature, and especially in the Sierra Nevada, have attracted millions of readers. His activism helped in the preservation of the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and many other wilderness areas. Muir co-founded The Sierra Club, a prominent American conservation organization. The club has helped establish a number of national parks after he died.
Muir published two landmark articles on wilderness preservation as part of the campaign to make Yosemite a national park. The articles helped support the push for U.S. Congress to pass a bill in 1890 to establish Yosemite National Park.
Muir featured on two U.S. commemorative postage stamps, a 5-cent stamp issued on April 29, 1964, and 32-cent stamp issued on February 3, 1998. An image of Muir appears on the California state quarter released in 2005.