Best Easy Day Hikes San Diego, 2nd (Best Easy Day Hikes Series) [Paperback]

Allen Riedel (Author), Sean O'Brien (Author)

Book Description

Series: Best Easy Day Hikes Series | Publication Date: July 15, 2009

Hikes varying from half-hour strolls to full-day adventures, this guidebook is for everyone, including families.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Best Easy Day Hikes San Diego includes concise descriptions and detailed maps for twenty-four favorite, easy-to-follow hikes within a short drive of San Diego. Enjoy trails that wind through stands of Torrey pine, follow routes once used by Native Americans, and venture onto summits with views that stretch from stark deserts in the east to beaches overlooking the blue Pacific.

 

Look inside for:

• Half-hour strolls to half-day adventures
• Hikes for everyone, including families
• Mile-by-mile directions and clear trail maps

About the Author

Allen Riedel writes an outdoor column for the Press Enterprise in Riverside, California, and has written several Best Easy Day Hikes guides as well as Best Hikes with Dogs in Southern California. He lives in Riverside. 

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Falcon; Second edition (July 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762751134
• ISBN-13: 978-0762751136
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #378,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Travel > United States > States > California > San Diego
  • #34 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Sports > Mountaineering > General
  • #73 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Walking

More About the Author

I graduated with honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a B.A. in English. I also hold a Masters degree in education from Chapman University. I am an English teacher and I have now authored 10 hiking guides around Southern and Central California.

I have an amazing wife, two beautiful daughters, and a son who mean the world to me.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Significant Revision, July 4, 2009

By 

Fritz R. Ward "dayhiker" (Crestline, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Best Easy Day Hikes San Diego, 2nd (Best Easy Day Hikes Series) (Paperback)

Allen Reidel has been very busy over the last year. In addition to his teaching duties and an outdoor column for the Riverside Press Enterprise, he has written 3 books, with two more forthcoming, and in addition to that he has undertaken a substantial revision of the 1999 Best Easy Dayhikes Guide to San Diego county. One would think that all this would get in the way of quality, but it has not. Since the publication of the first edition of this book in 1999, two extensive fires have damaged much of San Diego's backcountry and devasted large segments of its trail system. Many of the original hikes are overgrown, washed out, or rerouted. A solid update was definitely needed and Reidel came through with a gem.

The section of the book that changed the least were the coastal hikes. San Diego is blessed with a very pleasant coastline and one can walk for miles on the beaches, but developed trail systems are wanting. The best are still included in this book, most notably the Razor Point and Guy Fleming trails in Torrey Pines State Reserve. On the other hand, this edition includes numerous changes in the mountain portion of San Diego. New to this edition are route descriptions for Volcan Mountain, probably the prettiest mountain in the county, and Stonewall Mine. The Garnet Peak hike, which is probably the most spectacular summit you can attain in less than 3 miles is still my single favorite hike in this book. Also new to this edition are 3 hikes in Anza Borrego Desert State Park. It would be hard to pick just 3 hikes for inclusion in a book like this, but Ghost Mountain, Borrego Canyon, and the Calcite Mine are as goood as any.

It has come to my attention recently that "easy" is a relative term and some hikers will find most of these routes nothing more than a quick stroll. Indeed, the longest hike in this book is 6.5 miles along a relatively level trail. But this Falcon series is specifically for people hiking with children or who are looking for pleasant walks, not strenuous treks. I still recommend this series to hikers who want more of a challenge. Especially when you are new to an area, hiking 3-4 short trails in a day often provides greater returns than just one long excursion. The Best Easy Day Hike series is ideal for such exploration and this particular title, and increasingly author, come highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very accurate - and you can take it along, May 30, 2011

By 

T. Schmitt (Dearborn Heights, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Best Easy Day Hikes San Diego, 2nd (Best Easy Day Hikes Series) (Paperback)

This is a great little book. We spent a week in April in downtown San Diego, staying in a hotel via Priceline and driving out to take one or two of these hikes each day. The information given is very accurate, both as to location of the trailheads and the descriptions of the hikes themselves. And it's light enough to carry along! I had two other trail guides but for just a week's visit by day-trippers, this book is enough.