“John Muir (1838-1914) was America's most famous and influential naturalist and conservationist. He is one of California's most important historical personalities. He has been called "The Father of our National Parks," "Wilderness Prophet," and "Citizen of the Universe." He once described himself more humorously, and perhaps most accurately, as, a "poetico-trampo-geologist-botanist and ornithologist-naturalist etc. etc. !!!!” (from the Sierra Club, to see more visit, http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/about/default.aspx)

Geotourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.

Geotourism incorporates the concept of sustainable tourism—that destinations should remain unspoiled for future generations—while allowing for ways to protect a place's character. Geotourism also takes a principle from its ecotourism cousin,—that tourism revenue should promote conservation—and extends it to culture and history as well, that is, all distinctive assets of a place.

Geotravelers “go local.” They patronize locally owned businesses and guides. They buy from local craftspeople and eat at restaurants serving regional cuisine. They seek out traditional music and dance. As a result, the money they spend helps local people earn a living and preserves the place's authenticity.

Greeley Hill & Coulterville promote local stores offerings and Mariposa County relies primarily on local vendors for most commercial activity rather than big box chains and franchised businesses.

Read more from National Geographics’s site about Geotravelers www.csdimpact.org/geotravelers.php

A Geotourism trip to Yosemite can be fun, educational and healthy for individuals and families while enriching and maintaining the environment and the country folk who live in this beautiful region. Visitors will honor Muir, learn about his journey of epiphany on the way to Yosemite as a young man and, at the same time, help preserve this original route to Yosemite Valley by sustaining the rural lifestyle that has kept it in its undeveloped state. It is a way to relive Muir’s journals from 1868-69 and make direct contact with the flora and fauna he wrote about while being “green” and environmentally responsible (you get out and walk where he walked instead of just driving by at 60 mph.)

Buy a book or get a whole list of books about Muir’s actual journey! The first step would be to get a copy of the wonderful Muir Ramble Route ( released in 2010 and authored by Peter & Donna Thomas after their reenactment of Muir’s 1868 first trip to Yosemite Valley after landing in San Francisco). You can purchase Muir Ramble Route directly from the John Muir Highway Store on this site and begin planning your trip or segments of your trip for this year.

The selection of books, clothing and gear to help with your trip will continue to expand as web visitors suggest the kind of trip aids they want to have to follow in John Muir’s footsteps. In our early stages, the web site is especially focused on the tools you need to study and understand the significance each stage of Muir’s progress during his walk across California had on the development of his love for the Range of Light and the ecosystems along the way.

Being “Young John Muir” through a geotourism trip to the park puts the visitor into his footsteps by following his own journal entries from My First Summer in the Sierra along with Muir Ramble Route (by Peter and Donna Thomas) or as a guide or signing up for docent led tours – to the botanical and zoological beauty that still exists in this approach to Yosemite. You can hear his wonder and his voice speaking to you as you ascend in mind and spirit along with him on the same route he writes about.

It is located along a 14 mile stretch of a beautiful mountain roadway beginning at the junction with Highway 49 in Coulterville and ending at the Smith Station junction with Highway 120. - SEE MAP

The festivities for our second annual celebration will take place on June 4, 2011 both in Coulterville and Groveland, CA - SEE MAP

This project is not focused on a detailed, academic committee agreement on the specific route John Muir took in his Journal, My First Summer in the Sierra. There are Muir scholars who are doing a tremendous job in undertaking that effort. The work of Peter and Donna Thomas provides a great example of what could become the basis for visitors doing walking tours that are exactly reconstructed on John Muir's route. SEE MORE

One point that I see might need further explanation from me lies in the domain of what the goal is and where I see it being focused. When I first derived the intention to seek the designation of John Muir Highway, it was focused on two specific goals. SEE MORE

The process requires an amendment to the Highway code of the State of California. Initial requests for local state legislators to consider submitting this proposed amendment have already been submitted but will require a demonstration of increasing support among their constituents and groups within their districts.

The costs should be minimal when compared with the potential upside benefits in terms of tourism interest generated. The naming of the Highway will be proposed in a manner that will allow the current addresses to remain the same along the component segments of Yosemite Boulevard/Highway 132/J-132 (county road) and Highway 120 (if it is included).