The following is a bibliography of the Sierra Nevada of California, United States, including books on recreation, natural history, and human history.^[1][2]

View of Banner Peak and Thousand Island Lake in the Ansel Adams Wilderness

Recreation

Hiking and climbing

Mount Whitney

• Discovering the John Muir Trail: An Inspirational Guide to America's Most Beautiful Hike (2018) by Damon Corso, ISBN 978-1-49303-125-2.
• Moon Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon Hiking, Camping, Waterfalls & Big Trees (2015) by Ann Marie Brown, ISBN 978-1-64049-445-9.
• Climbing Mt. Whitney, (2007) by Peter Croft and Wynne Benti, 3rd edition, 42nd printing, ISBN 978-1-893343-14-6, Spotted Dog Press, Bishop, CA.
• John Muir Trail: The Essential Guide to Hiking America's Most Famous Trail (2007), 4th edition, by Elizabeth Wenk with Kathy Morey, ISBN 978-0-89997-436-1.
• Sierra South: Backcountry Trips in California's Sierra Nevada (2006) by Kathy Morey and Mike White, with Stacy Corless, Analise Elliot, Chris Tirrell, and Thomas Winnett, Wilderness Press, ISBN 978-0-89997-414-9.
• Sierra North: Backcountry Trips in California's Sierra Nevada (2005) by Kathy Morey and Mike White, with Stacy Corless and Thomas Winnett, Wilderness Press, 9th edition, ISBN 978-0-89997-396-8.
• Feather River Country Adventure Trails... (2004), by Tom Demund, ISBN 0-9679740-2-X.
• Close Ups of the High Sierra, (2004) by Norman Clyde, 2nd edition, 3rd printing, ISBN 0-9647530-3-0, Spotted Dog Press, Bishop CA.
• Woman on the Rocks: The Mountaineering Letters of Ruth Dyar Mendenhall (2004), 1st edition, ISBN 978-1-893343-15-3, Spotted Dog Press, Bishop, CA.
• 100 Hikes in Yosemite, (2003) by Marc J. Soares, Mountaineers Books, ISBN 0-89886-867-X.
• Starr's Guide to the John Muir Trail and the High Sierra Region (2002) 12th rev. ed., by Walter A. Starr, Jr. ISBN 0-87156-172-7.
• The Good, the Great, and the Awesome: The Top 40 High Sierra Rock Climbs (2002), by Peter Croft, ISBN 0-9676116-4-4.
• Hiking in the Sierra Nevada, (2002) by John Mock and Kimberley O'Neil, ISBN 1-74059-272-7, A Lonely Planet guidebook.
• Yuba trails 2: A selection of historic hiking trails in the Yuba River and neighboring watersheds (2001), by Hank Meals, ASIN B0006RSO5U.
• The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, and Trails (1999), by R. J. Secor, ISBN 0-89886-625-1.
• The Tahoe Sierra: A Natural History Guide to 112 Hikes in the Northern Sierra (1998), by Jeffrey Schaffer, Wilderness Press, ISBN 0-89997-220-9.
• The Secret Sierra: The Alpine World Above the Trees (1998), by David Gilligan, 1st edition, ISBN 1-893343-01-4, Spotted Dog Press, Bishop CA.
• Climbing California's Fourteeners: The Route Guide to the Fifteen Highest Peaks (1998) by Stephen Porcella and Cameron Burns, ISBN 0-89886-555-7.
• Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country (1997), by Steve Roper, ISBN 0-89886-506-9.
• Sierra Classics : 100 Best Climbs in the High Sierra (1993), by John Moynier and Claude Fiddler, ISBN 0-934641-60-9.
• The Tahoe-Yosemite Trail: A Comprehensive Guide... (1987), by Thomas Winnett, Wilderness Press, ISBN 0-89997-084-2.
• Yosemite Climbs (1987), by George Meyers and Don Reid, ISBN 0-934641-05-6.
• The Vertical World of Yosemite (1973), by Royal Robbins, ISBN 0-911824-87-1.

Skiing

Skier climbing Mount Morgan

• Backcountry Skiing California's High Sierra (1999), by John Moynier, ISBN 1-56044-913-6.
• Ski Tours in the Sierra Nevada: East of the Sierra (1986), by Marcus Libkind, ISBN 0-931255-03-1.
• Ski Tours in the Sierra Nevada: Lake Tahoe (1985), by Marcus Libkind, ISBN 0-931255-00-7.
• Ski Tours in the Sierra Nevada: Yosemite, Huntington and Shaver Lakes, Kings Canyon and Sequoia (1985), by Marcus Libkind, ISBN 0-931255-02-3.

Natural history

Multi-subject

Little Lakes Valley

• The California Naturalist Handbook (2013), by Greg de Nevers, Deborah Stanger Edelman, Adina Merenlender, ISBN 978-0-520-27480-8.
• The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada (2007), by John Muir Laws, ISBN 978-1-59714-052-2.
• Sierra Nevada Natural History (2004) by Tracy Storer, Robert Usinger, David Lukas ISBN 0-520-24096-0.
• Wild Northern California (2001) by Ron Adkinson, ISBN 1-56044-781-8.
• Sierra East: Edge of the Great Basin (2000) by Genny Smith, Diana Tomback, Ann Howald, ISBN 0-520-23914-8.
• Sierra Nevada: The Naturalist's Companion (2000), by Verna Johnston, ISBN 0-520-22488-4.
• Yosemite National Park: A Natural History Guide to Yosemite and its Trails (2000) by Jeffrey Schaffer, ISBN 0-89997-244-6.
• Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project (1996), California Resources Agency.
• Land Above The Trees (1996), by Ann H. Zwinger and Beatrice E. Willard, ISBN 1-55566-171-8.
• A Natural History of California (1995), Allan A. Schoenherr, ISBN 0-520-06922-6.
• Deepest Valley: Guide to Owens Valley, its Roadsides and Mountain Trails (1995) by Jeff Putnam, Greg James, Mary DeDecker, Jo Heindel, Genny Smith, ISBN 0-931378-14-1.
• Yosemite: A Visitor's Companion (1994), by George Wuerthner, ISBN 978-0811725989.
• California Forests and Woodlands: A Natural History (1994), by Verna R Johnston, ISBN 0-520-08324-5.
• Mammoth Lakes Sierra: A Handbook for Roadside and Trail (1993) by Dean Rinehart, Elden Vestal, Bettie E. Willard, ISBN 0-931378-13-3.
• California's Eastern Sierra: A Visitor's Guide (1992), Sue Irwin, ISBN 0-9628505-0-0.
• Sierra Club Naturalist's Guide: The Sierra Nevada (1982), by Stephen Whitney, ISBN 0-87156-215-4.
• The Yosemite (1912) by John Muir, ISBN 0-87156-782-2.
• The Mountains of California (1894), by John Muir.

Flora/Vegetation

A foxtail pine in Sequoia National Park

• Terrestrial vegetation of California (2007) by M.G. Barbour, T. Keeler-Wolf, A.A. Schoenherr (eds.), ISBN 0-520-24955-0.
• Introduction to California Plant Life, Revised Edition (2003), by Robert Ornduff, Phyllis Faber, Todd Keeler-Wolf, ISBN 0-520-23704-8.
• Wildflowers of the Eastern Sierra and adjoining Mojave Desert and Great Basin (2002), by Laird R. Blackwell, ISBN 978-1-55105-281-6.
• Fire in Sierra Nevada Forests: A Photographic Interpretation of Ecological Change Since 1849 (2001), by George E. Gruell, ISBN 0-87842-446-6.
• Conifers of California (1999), by Ronald M. Lanner, ISBN 0-9628505-3-5.
• Wildflowers of the Sierra Nevada and the Central Valley (1998), by Laird R. Blackwell, ISBN 1-55105-226-1.
• Sierra Nevada Wildflowers (1998), by Elizabeth L. Horn, ISBN 0-87842-388-5.
• California Forests and Woodlands: A Natural History (1996), by Verna R. Johnston, Carla J. Simmons (Illustrator), ISBN 0-520-20248-1.
• A Sierra Nevada Flora (1996), by Norman L Weeden and Amy David, ISBN 0-89997-204-7.
• Manual of California Vegetation (1995), by Todd Keeler-Wolf and John Sawyer, ISBN 0-943460-26-3.
• The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California Archived 2015-10-18 at the Wayback Machine (1993) by James C Hickman, ISBN 0-520-08255-9.
• Oaks of California (1990), by Bruce M. Pavlik, Sharon Johnson, Pamela Muick, Marjorie Popper, ISBN 0-9628505-1-9.
• Lingering in Tahoe's Wild Gardens: A Guide to Hundreds of the Most Beautiful Wildflower Gardens of the Tahoe Region (1989), by Julie Carville, ISBN 0-9622378-6-8.
• Illustrated Manual of California Shrubs (1980), by Howard E McMinn, ISBN 0-520-00847-2.
• Native Trees of the Sierra Nevada (1975), by P. Victor Peterson, ISBN 0-520-02736-1.
• Grasses in California (1974), by Beecher Crampton, ISBN 0-520-02507-5.
• Native Shrubs of the Sierra Nevada (1974), by John H Thomas, ISBN 0-520-02738-8.
• Discovering Sierra Trees (1973), by Steven Arno, ISBN 0-939666-04-9.

Fauna

A yellow-bellied marmot on top of Mount Dana

• Birds of the Sierra Nevada (2013), by Edward R. Pandolfino and Edward C. Beedy, ISBN 0-520-27493-8, University of California Press.
• Mammals of California (California Natural History Guides) (2004), by E. W. Jameson. Jr and Hans J. Peeters, ISBN 0-520-23582-7, University of California Press.
• Sierra Birds: A Hiker's Guide (2004), by John Muir Laws, ISBN 1-890771-78-3, Heyday Books.
• Birds of Yosemite and the East Slope (1992.), by David Gaines, ASIN B0006P3Q46, Artemisia Press.
• Discovering Sierra Reptiles and Amphibians (Discovering Sierra Series) (1991), by Harold Basey, ISBN 0-939666-03-0, Yosemite Association.
• Discovering Sierra Birds (1985.), by Ted Beedy, ISBN 0-939666-42-1, Yosemite Association.
• Birds of Yosemite National Park (1963), by Cyril A. Stebbins and Robert C. Stebbins.
• Mammals of Yosemite (1952), by Harry Parker.
• Reptiles and Amphibians of Yosemite National Park (1946), by M. V. Walker.
• Animal Life in the Yosemite (1924), by Joseph Grinnell and Tracy Storer. Classic work on the fauna of a cross section of the Sierra Nevada, available as an online book.

Geology

Palisade Glacier

• Geology of the Sierra Nevada (2005), by Mary Hill, ISBN 0-520-23696-3. (Natural history guide for a general audience.)
• California Geology (2003), by Deborah Harden, ISBN 0-13-100218-X. (A lower division textbook for non-geology majors, with sufficient introductory material for a general audience.)
• Geology Underfoot in Southern California (2003), by Robert P. Sharp, Allen F. Glazner, ISBN 0-87842-289-7. (Roadguide with explanations of the geology written for a general audience.)
• Glaciers of California: Modern Glaciers, Ice Age Glaciers, the Origin of Yosemite Valley, and a Glacier Tour in the Sierra Nevada (2001), by Bill Guyton, ISBN 0-520-22683-6. (A general introduction to glaciers and the California glaciers.)
• Roadside Geology of Northern and Central California (2000), by David Alt, Donald Hyndman, ISBN 0-87842-409-1. (Roadguide with explanations of the geology written for a general audience.)
• California Rivers and Streams (1995), by Jeffrey R. Mount, ISBN 0-520-20250-3. (Natural history/geology, not a river running guide.)
• Assembling California (1994), by John A. McPhee, ISBN 0-374-52393-2. (Part of the Pulitzer Prize winning series about geology across America, Annals of the Former World, 1999.)
• The Geologic Story of Yosemite National Park (1987), by Dr. N. King Huber. (Authoritative book on Yosemite geology written by a USGS geologist.)
• Earthquakes and Young Volcanoes along the Eastern Sierra Nevada: At Mammoth Lakes 1980, Lone Pine 1872, and Inyo and Mono Craters (1982), ISBN 0-931378-02-8.
• The Incomparable Valley: A Geologic Interpretation of the Yosemite (1950), by François E. Matthes.
• Geologic history of the Yosemite Valley: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 160 (1930), by François E. Matthes.
• Geology of the Sierra Nevada, or California Range (1853), Professor John B. Trask's March 1853 report to the [California] State Assembly: 36 pages

History

Panning for gold, 1850

• Savage Dreams: a Journey into the Hidden Wars of the American West (2014) by Rebecca Solnit, ISBN 978-0-520-95792-3.
• Lake Tahoe's West Shore (2012) by Carol A. Jensen, ISBN 0-73858-891-1.
• Rosalie Edge, Hawk of Mercy: The Activist Who Saved Nature from the Conservationists (2009) by Dyana Z. Furmansky, ISBN 978-0-820-33676-3.
• The age of gold: the California Gold Rush and the new American dream (2008) by H.W. Brands, ISBN 0-30748-122-0.
• Owens Valley Revisited: A Reassessment of the West's First Great Water Transfer (2007) by Gary Libecap, ISBN 978-0-8047-5379-1.
• Crow's Range: An Environmental History Of The Sierra Nevada (2004), by David Beesley, ISBN 0-87417-562-3.
• The Mule Men: A History of Stock Packing in the Sierra Nevada (2004) by Louise Jackson, ISBN 0-87842-499-7.
• Shaping the Sierra: Nature, Culture, and Conflict in the Changing West (2000.), by Timothy P. Duane, ISBN 0-520-22676-3.
• Rush for riches; gold fever and the making of California (1999), by J.S. Holliday, ISBN 978-0520214026.
• A Golden State: mining and economic development in Gold Rush California (1999), Rawls, James J.; Orsi, Richard J., eds., ISBN 0-520-21771-3.
• Camp 4: Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber (1998), by Steve Roper, ISBN 0-89886-587-5.
• Old Mammoth: A First Hand Account (1994) by Adele Reed, ISBN 0-931378-04-4.
• Mammoth Gold: The Ghost Towns of Lake District (1990) by Gary Caldwell ISBN 0-931378-12-5.
• Solomons of the Sierra: The Pioneer of the John Muir Trail, (1990) by Shirley Sargent and Peter Browning, ISBN 1-878345-21-4.
• Yosemite: The Embattled Wilderness (1990) by Alfred Runte, ISBN 0-8032-3894-0.
• Beulah: A Biography of the Mineral King Valley of California (1988) by Louise A. Jackson, ISBN 0-87026-065-0.
• Lost Cement Mine (1984) by James W.A. Wright ISBN 0-931378-09-5.
• Owens Valley Groundwater Conflict (1978) by Genny Smith ISBN 0-931378-03-6.
• History of the Sierra Nevada (1965) by Francis Farquhar ISBN 0-520-01551-7.

Explorations

John Muir

• The High Sierra: A Love Story (2022), Kim Stanley Robinson, Little Brown and Company, ISBN 978-0-316-59301-4.
• Spirit in the Desert: Pilgrimages to Sacred Sites in the Owens Valley (2009), Brad Karelius, BookSurge Publishing, ISBN 1-4392-1721-1, 0-520-07245-6.
• Jesus, History and Mt. Darwin: An Academic Excursion (2008) by Rick Kennedy. ISBN 978-0-7188-9189-3.
• Exploring the Highest Sierra (2000), James G. Moore, Stanford University Press, ISBN 0-8047-3703-7.
• Close Ups of the High Sierra (1998), by Norman Clyde, ISBN 0-9647530-3-0.
• High Sierra: John Muir's Range of Light (1996), by Phil Arnot, ISBN 1-884550-06-1.
• The Sierra Nevada: A Mountain Journey (1988), by Tim Palmer, ISBN 0-933280-53-X.
• A journal of ramblings through the High Sierra of California by the University excursion party (1960), by Joseph LeConte, Library of Congress F868.S5 L39 1960.
• Up and Down California in 1860–1864 (1930), by William H. Brewer, ISBN 0-520-02762-0.
• My First Summer in the Sierra (1911) by John Muir ISBN 0-14-025570-2.
• Discovery of the Yosemite (1892) by Lafayette H. Bunnell, ISBN 0-939666-58-8.
• Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada (1872) by Clarence King. ISBN 0-8032-7783-0.

References