1st tours to Muir’s grave site start Saturday

Years of waiting will end Saturday when a lock is opened, a gate is swung wide and the public gets its first opportunity to visit John Muir’s grave site in Martinez.

On the same visit, you can see the nearby grave site of Joe Walker, often called the greatest trailblazer in history.

To visit Muir’s grave site, reservations are required to join a tour, which will be available at 3 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays. To reserve a spot, call the John Muir National Historic Site at (925) 228-8860. You will meet at the historic site, Muir’s former home at 4202 Alhambra Ave. in Martinez, and be ferried by van a short distance. A short walk is then required. Admission is free.

The site has been off limits because it was blocked by private property and fenced off, and local residents expressed concerns about parking and privacy. The National Park Service negotiated for 15 years to develop an easement.

Muir, founder of the conservation movement in America, was a self-taught scientist who invented glaciology. He also was an explorer, naturalist and author who split his time between the Bay Area in winter and High Sierra in summer.

This trip can be expanded by visiting the historic Alhambra Cemetery nearby to find the landmark headstone for Walker, as well as other legends, including David Muir and Don Pacheco.

Walker’s grave site is set on a hilltop where you overlook Carquinez Strait. His marker includes the dates of some of his escapades, most notably, “Camped at Yosemite Nov. 13, 1833.” Walker blazed crossings into California that pioneers later followed, and told the Donner Party, before they attempted their failed crossing, they had no chance.

To access the Alhambra Cemetery, stop in at the Martinez police station and sign for the free key. The cemetery is along the right side of Carquinez Scenic Drive and is fenced, gated and locked.

Up on the hill, looking across the Lower Delta, it’s likely that Muir and Walker, two of America’s greatest outdoorsmen, stood at the same spot.

Muir was a self-taught scientist who invented glaciology. He also was an explorer, naturalist and author.