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, relying on primary documents and working closely with experts in the field.

Ginger Wadsworth lives in northern California near John Muir's ranch. Yosemite National Park, the setting for this book, is one of her favorite camping and hiking spots. Some of her titles include John Muir, Wilderness Protector; Giant Sequoia Trees; and Words West: Voices of Young Pioneers.

Karen Dugan has worked on more than twenty-five books, eight with Boyds Mills Press, including If I Had a Snowplow by jean L. S. Patrick and Tea Party Today: Poems to Sip and Savor by Eileen Spinelli. She lives in North Attleboro, Massachusetts.