This guide takes you into the little-known wilds of three central coast counties: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. Each trip lists mileage, difficulty, elevation gain, and a "child rating," and has a route map.
50 Best Short Hikes: San Diego is the first book in a new version of a series Wilderness Press initially launched in the 1990s. This 50 Best title sports a fresh, modern design while maintaining the original concept: It's a guidebook for busy outdoor lovers who want beautiful hikes to experience in limited spurts of time. With all of its trail distances tallying only 1 to 8 miles, 50 Best Short Hikes: San Diego showcases routes that can be completed in just an hour, a morning, or an afternoon. But these capsule distances are anything but dull or monotonous. Instead, myriad terrains beckon within these pages. Some trails wind along the coast, others weave through the canyons, and still others ascend mountains or meander into forests. Because of the attainable distances and the diverse land- and seascapes presented here, 50 Best Short Hikes: San Diego also appeals to hikers with physical limitations and to families with small children. All readers will appreciate the wealth of information about each trail area's varied history, geology, and amenities. As a longtime resident of San Diego and an avid outdoorsman, the author shares his favorite panoramas and pocket nirvanas in this Southern California region. He knows the nooks and crannies of his destinations, and he corrals them into this easy-to-follow, practical-to-use book. He divides San Diego into 5 micro-regions, with an overview map of the entire area. Then each individual entry includes a detailed map, directions to the trailhead, an at-a-glance info box, and personably written descriptive text. Design, information, and the author's writing style make this a compelling resource for local residents, and a keepsake for visitors.
101 Hikes in Northern California by Matt Heid benefits readers by narrowing down the multitude of options for hiking in Northern California to the very best of the best adventures. It is distinct from other similar guidebooks in that it covers the northern two-thirds of the state, including nearly the entirety of the Sierra Nevadas south to Kings Canyon National Park, and the entire Big Sur region along the coast south to Silver Peak Wilderness. It also provides significant geographic diversity: hikes are spread out across the entire region. No matter where you are in northern California, you can find a hike in the book within a short drive. The guide is unique in the amount of natural history information it provides, especially the geologic stories of the featured destinations. It provides not just the essential directions for completing a hike, it enhances the experience by telling the story of how the landscape came to be the way it is.
Spark a Love of Nature! California kids live in a magnificent natural playground, and 50 Hikes with Kids California helps them explore its beaches, deserts, mountains, and forests. Scavenger hunts for every hike make it fun for families to learn about the region’s geology, flora, and fauna. For successful adventures with even the youngest trekkers, award-winning author Wendy Gorton includes a detailed map, trustworthy and intuitive directions, a difficulty rating, restroom info, and places to grab a snack nearby for every trip.
Guide to 156 easy to moderately strenuous day hikes around San Luis Obispo County, ranging from bluff trails along the Pacific coastline to creekside canyon walks in the Santa Lucia Mountains, from city paths to wilderness retreats.
The Pacific Crest Trail was designated as one of the first National Scenic Trails way back in 1968. As it traverses the “high road” from Mexico to Canada, incredible views are not only commonplace but also uniquely diverse, because the trail connects six of North America’s seven eco-zones. The PCT’s familiar, well-worn path is a special place for hikers from all walks of life on walks of all lengths and for all reasons. Instead of guiding you through the arduous task of hiking the entire PCT, the goal of this book is to help you plan trips that incorporate hiking on the PCT in Southern California, whether you have just an afternoon to spare or you want to escape for the entire weekend. Carefully edited maps and elevation graphs generated with GPS data collected by the author on the trail will help make your trip a success. This cargo-pocket guide offers author-tested advice to help you make the most of your time away from civilization, however long (or short) that stretch may be.
* The best 66 short hikes in the Southern Sierra* Handy appendices to find the Sierra hikes you desire* Two trip summary tablesAn area that's larger than the entire European Alps, the South Sierra offers unparalleled beauty and extensive hiking options. The drive to the various trailheads alone will take you past the largest trees in the world, provide dramatic views of some of the deepest canyons in the United States, and reveal splendid glimpses of the highest peak in the lower 48states.
Residents and travelers will find this comprehensive guide essential to locating an amazing number of hiking trails throughout the 50-mile-long Santa Monica Mountains. The range parallels the coastline in southern California, dividing the Pacific coast from the interior valleys. Included are 138 day hikes, with an additional section of 13 hikes that traverses the full length of the 68-mile Backbone Trail. 496 pages with clear trail descriptions, ample maps, index. All hiking levels.
Hiking Joshua Tree National Park contains detailed information about 38 of the best day hikes and extended backpacking trips in Los Angeles' closest national park. Supplemented with GPS-compatible maps, mile-by-mile directional cues, rich narratives, and beautiful photographs, this is the only book you'll need for this land of enchanting granite rock formations and, of course, the enchanting symbols of the park, the Joshua trees.