Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes (1878) is among the earliest published works of Robert Louis Stevenson, and yet it is in no way inferior to his later writing that established his fame. In fact, this delightful account of Stevenson's solo trek in the Cevennes Range in south central France ranks among the best travel literature in the nineteenth century.

Wishing not to advertise that he would be camping alone in remote areas, he chose not to travel with a tent. Instead, he designed a sleeping sack some six feet square, made of green water-proof cart cloth without and blue sheep's fur within. This commodious bed was too heavy to carry, and thus Stevenson acquired a donkey, Modestine.

Stevenson and Modestine for twelve days were close companions, traveling some 120 miles over several mountain ridges, along rocky roads, and even through boggy marshes. The stubborn Modestine was never quite convinced that the journey was entirely worth the effort, but nonetheless Stevenson and Modestine eventually became fast friends.

Stevenson actually found lodging most nights, including a stint at a monastery. Our Lady of the Snows, allows him not only to sleep more comfortably, but to share meals with strangers. Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes is as much about the people Stevenson encountered as about his adventuresome travels through this remote region of France.

Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes recounts Stevenson's 12-day, 120-mile solo hiking journey through the sparsely populated and impoverished areas of the Cévennes mountains in south-central France in 1878. The character of Modestine, a stubborn, manipulative donkey he could never quite get the better of, is memorable. It is one of the earliest accounts which presented hiking and camping outdoors as a recreational activity. It also tells of commissioning one of the first sleeping bags, large and heavy enough to require a donkey to carry. Most of the problems travelers encounter have to do with transportation. On a 12-day trek through the Cevennes, Stevenson's cross to bear was Modestine, a stubborn, manipulative donkey he could never quite get the better of. After many humorous trials and tribulations, Stevenson found that his disdain for the creature had turned to love, and at the end of the trip he said goodbye with much regret. Written in just a few months when he was in his late twenties, the publication was initially a means to earn a quick buck. Little did Stevenson know that his Modestine would become one of the great characters in travel literature.

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (13 November 1850—3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer. His most famous works are Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

A literary celebrity during his lifetime, Stevenson now ranks among the 26 most translated authors in the world. His works have been admired by many other writers, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, etc.

Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes is considered a pioneering classic of outdoor literature.

... the best of all possible trips. —The New York Times Book Review, William Grimes