Day Hikes Around Los Angeles, 4th (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

LA TIMES BEST SELLER! Day Hikes Around Los Angeles includes 82 hikes in and around a 50-mile radius of the city. Now in its fourth edition, this hiking guide has made the LA Times Bestseller list. Outdoor people living in the city will find the book essential. This
comprehensive guide provides access to the green areas in the metropolitan area, including coastal walks, mountain climbs, and solitary retreats in addition to well-known sites, such as a hike that treks up to the “HOLLYWOOD” sign.
Despite the imminent presence of the Los Angeles metropolis, there are thousands of acres of natural, undeveloped land with miles of hiking trails, from the coast to the interior mountains and valleys. Day Hikes Around Los Angeles includes a cross-section of scenery, ecosystems, and difficulty levels. Highlights include sweeping views from the ocean to
the city, magnificent rock formations, waterfalls, bluffs, ridge walks, weather-sculpted canyons, old ranch roads, architectural ruins, filming locations, large state parks, and cool shady retreats. All hikes can be completed during the day (although map sources and references are included for extending hikes).
Each hike includes a detailed map, accurate driving and hiking directions, and a quick overview of distance/time/elevation. Larger overall maps show the hike locations in the greater metropolitan area. The summaries allow the hiker to choose a trail appropriate to their
ability and desire.
Companion hiking guides, also in the Day Hike Books series, include Day Hikes Around Ventura County, Day Hikes Around Santa Barbara, and Day Hikes On the California Central Coast.

From the Back Cover

Day Hikes Around Los Angeles is the essential guide to accessing this area's green space. Despite the imminent presence of the city, there are thousands of acres of natural, undeveloped land with miles of trails. Highlights include waterfalls, weather-sculpted canyons, rock formations, filming sites, architectural ruins, and ridge walks with sweeping views.
Outdoor people living in the city will find the book indispensable. Hikes range in scenery and difficulty level, from coastal walks to mountain climbs with 360-degree views. Clear directions, concise summaries, and over 80 maps allow the hiker to choose a trail appropriate to their ability and desire.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Day Hike Books, Inc.; 4th edition (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573420441
• ISBN-13: 978-1573420440
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #148,950 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, but some serious issues, February 18, 2007

By	K. Dudley (Burbank,CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I haven't gone on all 82 hikes in this book. But I have gone on a few, and on some the directions are not quite right. So if you get this book, here's some notes:

Hike 51: Rustic Canyon
This hike is awesome. However, if you go, go with someone who has gone before, or you WILL get lost. The trail in the canyon is not maintained whatsoever, and has pretty much disappeared at the tail end. The best way out is to slog through the stream, so you will be soaked. Be prepared.

Hike 66: Brush Canyon
It says to reach Mt Bell, to take a right on Mount Hollywood Drive. It's a left. The turnoff isn't far, but it's to the left. If you go right, the first turnoff takes you up to Mt Hollywood (a back way to Hike 68).

Many, many hikes:
Be very careful - there are numerous hikes where North is not at the top of the map. On some hikes, North is the bottom of the map. Who does that? If you don't realize this, you're going to get lost. Be sure to double check.

Other than that, some great hiking routes. Many are pretty far from "Los Angeles" - so be prepared for a bit of a drive sometimes. Also, there are NO hikes east of the 5 freeway - even though there are some fantasic hikes above Pasadena, Altadena, Azusa. Even a few above Whittier. They're just not in here at all. The majority of the hikes are nearer to the Ventura County Line than they are to Los Angeles. They're just not in here at all.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super fun book, April 24, 2006

By	LakeMeadOncoDoc19 "J. Edgar" (Lake Mead, NV) - See all my reviews

Considering that there are like 20 million people living in the LA area, it's sad no one's really written a review of this gem of a book. I find that even though people may have lived here their whole lives, they really haven't seen much of the city.

So what better way to get acquainted with my new home than this book? More interesting to me than "how to go to Disneyland with 110,000 other people" or "learning where the Orange Crush is located," is a book about some offbeat, and beautiful, parts of LA.

Case in point was the hike to Point Fermin I took Sunday. A fine day with my father-in-law, son, and daughter. My panama hat did yeoman's duty, and we enjoyed the wonderful scenery and relative solitude. The best part is, it didn't cost a dime. We even drove over the only suspension bridge in LA county to get there. My boss has lived in LA for forty years, and hadn't heard of this location.

Anyway, this book falls under the heading of "potentially life-changing books" not because the hikes are all that mind-blowing, but because it is the key to unlock experiences you'd otherwise never have. It's that little push that gives you permission to do something a little unusual, a little less safe, than your ordinary weekend. The exploration of such a complex city rich in natural beauty is a great gift, and opening the book is the first step on that journey.

Sean Penn says that now that men aren't hunters anymore, the only thing left for them is violence. I say that's not true. There's a whole world out there to explore, and a man can still try to see it for himself, and take pleasure in showing it to his family.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mt. Lee and the Hollywood sign - Hike 64, February 18, 2007

By	Katherine Michaels (Ventura, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I purchased this book for directions to hike to the Hollywood sign with a friend, and was not disappointed. The directions in this book take you as close as you can legally get to the sign. The map, driving directions, and hiking directions were quite accurate. The trailhead has been moved since this edition was published, but there were signs clearly directing us to and marking the new trailhead. The only unclear element was the listed hiking time, which the book says is 1.5 hours, not stating whether this is one-way or round-trip. Taking time along the trail to stop for water breaks on a warm sunny day and photograph the excellent vistas, it took us about 3 hours round-trip to complete the hike. I suppose if one did the hike in a hurry it might be completed in the stated time, but if you plan to admire the scenery, you should probably add at least an hour onto the hiking times provided in this book. Though there were several other groups of hikers on the trail with us (one group also using this book as a guide), there were many points where it was so quiet that you couldn't hear anything but nature sounds. Even the freeways and fellow hikers elsewhere along the trail were often inaudible. The views along the trail and from the top of Mt. Lee were gorgeous - we could see all the way to the ocean!