Woodchuck Lodge was the summer home of literary naturalist John Burroughs. It is here where Burroughs explored and studied the world, finding his deep appreciation for nature that would shape the rest of his life. In 1871, he published his first book and quickly went on to become one of the most popular essay writers of his time. Finding himself in good company with friends such as Walt Whitman and John Muir, Burroughs always referred to the Catskills as his home and would ultimately end up there, as he is buried just up the road from Woodchuck Lodge, a now historic site.