Theodore Roosevelt in California: The Presidential Adventure that Saved the Wilderness

by Chris Epting

"There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country." ―Theodore Roosevelt



 In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt embarked on one of the most audacious journeys in presidential history―the epic "Great Loop Tour." This daring nine-week, 14,000-mile train trek across 25 states transformed the landscape of American conservation.



At the heart of this monumental trip lies a legendary three-night camping expedition through Yosemite alongside renowned naturalist John Muir. This profound experience would help spark the creation of the National Park system and the preservation of many of America’s wild spaces for future generations.



Roosevelt’s tour broke other boundaries along the way, including the presence of courageous African American Buffalo Soldiers who not only protected the President, but became the first guardians of our national parks.



The remarkable connections between Roosevelt, Yosemite, and President Abraham Lincoln, along with the many other fascinating characters helped to shape the modern conservation movement for decades to come.



In this revised and expanded edition, author Chris Epting explores one of the most impactful presidential journeys in American history and the forging of our national parks. 

160 pages, Hardcover

Published March 31, 2026

About the author

A pop culture (and baseball) history aficionado, Chris has a lifelong penchant for documenting the exact sites where things both great and small occurred. As an author, Epting has found that unearthing and chronicling ‘hidden’ locations offers him a challenge. What began as an inquisitive hobby soon developed into the writing and photographing of 14 books based on his discoveries, including James Dean Died Here…The Locations of America’s Pop Culture Landmarks, Elvis Presley Passed Here, Even More Locations of America’s Pop Culture Landmarks, Images of America – the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Roadside Baseball, The Ruby Slippers, Madonna's Bra, and Einstein's Brain: The Locations of America's Pop Culture Artifacts and Led Zeppelin Crashed Here.

As an extension of his efforts to chronicle the unique, Epting joins Hampton Hotels for a fourth exciting year as national spokesperson and consultant for the Hidden Landmarks program in support of the brand’s national “Explore the Highway with Hampton Save-A-Landmark™” campaign (the program recently won the President’s award). He was also recently national spokesman for the launch of Microsoft Windows Live Local travel web site and is the current spokesman for EMusic.com, an online music download company.

Chris is a frequent featured guest on numerous radio and television programs such as National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” “The Savvy Traveler,” “Access Hollywood” and FOX TV’s the “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” plus international programs in Australia, Japan and the U.K.

He has contributed articles for such publications as the Los Angeles Times, Westways, Travel + Leisure and Preservation magazine, and was the Travel Editor for Chicken Soup for the Soul Magazine. He also writes and voices a series for Major League Baseball Radio, and writes a weekly column for the Huntington Beach Independent newspaper and a monthly feature in Orange Coast magazine. Chris hosts The Pop Culture Road Trip radio show on webtalkradio.net and his 14th book, “The Birthplace Book,” comes out in Spring ‘09.

Chris lives in Huntington Beach, CA with his wife and their two children.