Outdoorswomen of the Sierra Club: Writings, Experiences, Friendships, and Activism at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Abstract

Created in 1892, the Sierra Club of California became one of the most popular and influential groups during the conservation and preservation movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Beginning as an outdoor club, its members organized and participated in many outings in the Sierra Nevada wilderness--particularly Yosemite National Park--and the American west. It was also dedicated to promoting wilderness recreation and the preservation of land for public use. During a time period when many women joined clubs exclusively for their gender and related conservation causes with their role as the caretakers of society, Sierra Club women connected with nature through outdoor activity and became wilderness preservation activists based on those experiences. The Sierra Club had both male and female members who came together through their shared love of nature and the belief that wilderness areas were sacred because of their beauty. The women?s own writings, which are examined in this paper, expressed feelings of love and awe towards the natural landscapes they explored. Sierra Club women hiked through remote wilderness areas and climbed mountain summits, finding these outdoor activities joyful, liberating, challenging, and fulfilling. This paper also highlights the relationships between the men and women of the club, and the atmosphere that enabled friendships and admiration to form during days and weeks long outings. This paper also discusses the early Sierra Club women as activists, describing their efforts to engage with the public and government, and why they believed it was so important to preserve and promote nature.