The Mountain Institute
Franklin, West Virginia

Sacred Mountains of North America

As the highest features of the landscape, mountains have become associated with the highest ideals and aspirations of societies around the world. In the United States, pristine mountain environments within parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone enshrine cultural and spiritual values basic to American society. As the writings of John Muir demonstrate, views of mountains as places of inspiration and renewal helped give rise to the American environmental movement. While the majority of national parks lie in undeveloped mountainous
regions, interpretive materials based on the cultural and spiritual significance of mountains and other features of nature are often lacking. The Mountain Institute is therefore working with the National Parks Service to develop interpretive and educational materials and activities that draw upon diverse views of the cultural and spiritual significance of the mountains in the parks. The addition of these materials will help to enrich visitors' experience of these places and give them deep-seated reasons for conserving the environment-both in the parks and back home.