Pursuit of wildlife photography and backpacking took me around the world from well above the Arctic to Tierra del Fuego in South America.
Take the journey along with me. See what I saw, feel what I felt. It’s all here in my books.
Learn MoreAt the age of 11, while playing with friends in the woods near his home, Kern saw an unusual and beautiful bird he had not seen before.
By age 15 Kern had achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the first evidence that he was serious about his outdoor pursuits.
A moment of truth came in 1956 when Yale’s yearbook committee asked in a form: “Future occupation?” Although full of trepidation over what his parents might say, he listed: “Film and collect wild animals around the world.”
Read Jim’s BiographyJim’s latest book, Broken Promise: The Plight of Our National Trails, has arrived!
Order Your Copy Today!Jim’s Books
Broken Promise
The Plight of Our National Trails
With the 1968 National Trails System Act, Congress created a system of national hiking trails. The first, the popular Appalachian Trail, had been granted eminent domain. However, the other 10 trails since then were not provided this critical provision, and none is complete today. This plight can be remedied by Congress, with the urging of nature lovers. This book contains the solution to fixing the incomplete system of America’s footpaths.
Wildlife Art & Adventures
of Jim Kern Photographer
Jim Kern writes: “In the fall of 1958 I was adrift in the Sunda Sea in a 30’ handmade boat. The sails were so thin I could have poked a finger through them. We had no motor. The goat we had killed and had on board as dragon meat spread a stench by the second day. Late on the third day we gained the island and got the first color photographs of the Komodo dragon, eventually visiting the island two more times, a record for a wildlife photographer.”
Trail Reflections
50 Years of Hiking and Backpacking
The founder of the Florida Trail, the American Hiking Society and Big City Mountaineers takes you on a hiking and backpacking journey around the world in search of remote scenic splendor, from the 9,000-foot granite cones of Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chile and the roof of the world in the Langtang Range of northern Nepal, to hikes in the shadow of Mont Blanc, France, and on the Milford Trackon South Island, New Zealand.
Testimonials
If Colin Fletcher is the father of backpacking, Jim Kern might be its heart and soul.
Few men have hiked more miles or given more to the sport—or taken greater inspiration from wilderness places worldwide. This collection of his outdoor stories, friendships, foundations and photographs is a rich guide to the hiking world’s most beautiful places and a must read for any student of hiking’s colorful history.
Jonathan Dorn, Editor in Chief, Backpacker Magazine
Jim is the founder of the following organizations
