The North Face brand was founded in 1966 in San Francisco, when Douglas Tompkins and Kenneth "Hap" Klopp opened an outdoor equipment retail store. The name was chosen because the north face of a mountain in the northern hemisphere is generally the most difficult to climb. By the 80s, skiwear and camping equipment were added to the product mix. The North Face is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the VF Corporation.

Today, The North Face is based in San Leandro, California, near its corporate sibling, JanSport. JanSport is the world's largest backpack maker and together, JanSport and The North Face manufacture nearly half of all small backpacks sold in the United States.