The Site preserves the 14 room mansion where the naturalist John Muir lived from 1890 to his death in 1914. While living in Martinez, Muir accomplished many things: he battled to prevent Yosemite National Park's Hetch Hetchy Valley from being dammed, served as the first president and one of the founders of the Sierra Club, played a prominent role in the creation of several national parks, and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles and several books expounding on the virtues of conservation and the natural world.

Muir's work laid the foundations for the creation of the National Park Service in 1916. The Muir house and historic Martinez adobe became part of the National Park Service in 1964. In 1992, Mt. Wanda was added to the Site. The 325 acre tract of oak woodland and grassland was historically owned by the Muir family.

 Directions 

Plane - Both Oakland and San Francisco International Airports provide access to the area.

Car - Eastbound I-80 to eastbound Highway 4. Exit at Alhambra Avenue, turning left at ramp. Cross beneath highway; Site is immediately on your left.

I-680 northbound to Highway 4 westbound. Exit at Alhambra Ave. Turn right at bottom of ramp; Site is located immediately on your left.

Public Transportation - Contra Costa County Connection Route #116 stops at John Muir National Historic Site. The bus operates Monday through Saturday and connects with the Martinez AMTRAK station and the BART stations in Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek. Contact County Connection at(925) 676-7500 or click on the link to County Connection for specific schedule information.