Everett Ruess

Who was Everett Ruess?

Everett Ruess was a young artist, poet and writer who explored nature including the High Sierra, California Coast and the deserts of the American southwest, invariably alone. His fate while traveling through a remote area of Utah has been a mystery for many years.

In 2009, DNA from remains found in Utah seemed to indicate they were from Ruess, but the initial findings were soon challenged and shown conclusively to actually be the remains of an American Indian. The 2009 find did not provide a resolution to the Ruess mystery but did fuel a growing popular interest in Ruess.