Sigurd F. Olson (1899–1982) was one of the most influential environmentalists of the twentieth century. An award-winning conservation activist and best-selling author, he introduced a generation of Americans to the importance of wilderness.

• ContentsAuthor’s NotePrologue: My Wilderness WorldSpringThe Winds of MarchNo Place BetweenThe Loons of Lac la CroixThe Feel of SpringThe StormThe Sound of RainWitching HoursSilenceYoung OttertailSummerThe Way of a CanoeThe PortageStream of the PastWhite HorsesThe FallsGhost Camps of the NorthPainted RocksThe Ross LightCampfiresAutumnFalling LeafWild RicePine KnotsBeaver CuttingSmoky GoldCaribouHunter’s MoonScrub OakWinterComing of the SnowNorthern LightsTimber WolvesThe RiverDark HouseThe SpawningTrapper’s CabinWilderness MusicEpilogueMap Section

"With a poet’s lyric voice, a guide’s authority, and a warrior’s commitment to his beloved canoe country wilderness, Sigurd Olson became the ‘Voice of the North’ to a generation of readers." -Douglas Wood, author of Old Turtle and Paddle Whispers "Sigurd Olson distilled the joy and wonder of his life and preserved them in his books. This is the source of their enduring appeal. They contain the pure essence of all that is consoling in nature." -Paul Gruchow, author of Journal of a Prairie Year and The Necessity of Empty Places