Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.