Wilderness Press 50, high-altitude cocktail party, #WP50

The Wilderness Press High-Altitude Cocktail Party

50 years ago almost to the day, Wilderness Press founder Tom Winnett and 15 of his friends parked their cars, donned backpacks full of liquor and hors d'oeuvres, and set off into the Sierra for a high-altitude cocktail party. Why? To celebrate the printing of the...

Read More
Wilderness Press 50th Anniversary, Sierra North, Thomas Winnett, old guidebooks

The Magic of an Old Guidebook

It’s safe to say that bibliophiles appreciate the tactile aspects of reading. The smell of new ink. The satisfying feel of cracking open a new hardcover. The crinkle of pages turning. The sight of a tattered, earmarked, well-loved novel. Now imagine holding in your hands a...

Read More
Wilderness Press 50, hiking fashion

Revisiting 50 Years of Hiking Fashion

It’s impossible to keep up with the fashion industry. What’s popular today will become old news tomorrow. This season’s trendy color triggers next season’s gag reflex. It’s not quite the same story for the outdoors world, thankfully. Sure, color palettes change and materials become softer and...

Read More
Pacific Crest Trail, Pacific Crest Trail Association, Wilderness Press 50th anniversary

The Time Before the Pacific Crest Trail

The trails in the Sierra and the PCT are so engrained in our 50 years as guidebook publishers that it's hard to imagine a time before the iconic Pacific Crest Trail weaved its way from Mexico to Canada. Yet Wilderness Press was already a year...

Read More
Tom Winnett, Wilderness Press 50th Anniversary

Tom Winnett—The Father of Wilderness Press

It’s only fitting that the story of a publishing company’s humble beginnings starts with a man who had a love for both the written word and the wilderness. It’s a comforting thought when, at times, it feels like everyone is so power-hungry and money-driven. The...

Read More
Mount Rose summit, Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Rim Trail, Wilderness Press 50th anniversary, Tom Winnett

It All Started with a High-Altitude Cocktail Party

Hang onto your party hats and hiking boots—2017 is the 50th anniversary of Wilderness Press! In this digital world full of apps, we are the elusive silver fox of the outdoor publishing world—darting in and out of the trees, climbing mountains, swimming in alpine lakes, and...

Read More