12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Key words: coast and day hike, January 30, 2002
This review is from: Day Hikes on the California Central Coast (Paperback)
This review speaks only for the book's format and NOT for the accuracy of its information.
Good Points
· Very complete. Stretches from Monterey to Carpenteria and covers many coastal hikes missing in other guides
· Easily understood writing style that gives the high points for each trail
· Two-dimensional map illustration for each trail. Appears to be accurate and to scale
· Current (based on ground-checking three listed trails and comparison to other guides for the area)
Weak Points
· Format. Each trail has exactly two pages for narrative and map. I have the feeling that this restricts what the author could have added to the trail narrative
· No topo info or trail profile. Anyone who has no trouble reading topo maps will find the illustrations in this guide limiting. Although the author includes the elevation gain for each trail, this is insufficient for the reader to determine just how tough any trail may be
· Very limited scope inland. "Coast" is in the title and "coast" is what is meant. You won't find much info for trails in Monterey county that have trailheads on the coast but extend inland
· No rating scheme. The author makes no attempt to rate any single hike more scenic or more difficult than any other hike
· No naturalist guide. This book is strictly for trail info
· No GPS waypoint info. Many of us now have handheld GPS receivers and want waypoints for trailheads, trail intersections, and scenic points as a minimum requirement
Summary: Sticking to its title, this book is a complete listing of coastal day hikes from Monterey to Carpenteria. Topo and GPS users or naturalist hikers will need additional resources beyond this book
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Short Walks along California's Central Coast, November 13, 2008
This review is from: Day Hikes on the California Central Coast (Paperback)
This review focuses on the content of the book and does not, except briefly, discuss the format.
California's central coast offers some of the most beautiful hiking, and least populated, areas of the state. The region from Monterey to Santa Barbara county also provides four season recreation. Temperatures in the winter are typically only 10 degrees cooler than those found in the summer months and while considerable rain falls in the winter, it is nowhere near as heavy as the temperate coastal rain forests north of San Francisco experience. In all, the central coast region is ideal for year round outdoor recreation and this guide provides a good look at the walking opportunities along the coast.
I've done a little more than 20 of the hikes described in this book. Mileage and maps are accurate and driving directions to and from the trailhead are very easy to follow. I personally find the summary of the hikes, found at the beginning of each description, more valuable than the trail descriptions themselves. The latter are a little brief, while natural history and scenic highlights are all found in the former.
For the most part, this is a decent book. But hikers who want strenuous distance treks should look elsewhere. Fully half the hikes in this book are 2 miles or less in distance. Many are nearby or within urban settings. County parks, small nature areas, beaches, and coastal bluffs make up the vast majority of trails in this guide. Those seeking longer hikes would do well to look elsewhere. But if you want to get out and stretch your legs as you drive up the coast, this is a great book to take along. You will find lots of small hidden gems among some of California's nicest coastal counties.
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