Experience the California Coast: A Guide to Beaches and Parks in Northern California, Counties Included: Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin [Paperback]

California Coastal Commission (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 11, 2005 | Series: Experience the California Coast

The shoreline between California's Golden Gate and the Oregon border offers an endless variety of coastal attractions: soft white sand and coarse pebble beaches, forests of Sitka spruce and fields of California poppies, redwood glades and crashing surf, lighthouses and whales. This easy-to-use, up-to-date, comprehensive guidebook, packed with information on every page, tells you where to go in coastal northern California, how to get there, what facilities to expect, and what you can do at each location. The guide's gorgeous color photographs, topographical maps, and abundant information on natural history and the environment make it the perfect guide to pack along on any excursion to the coast of northern California for hikers, picnickers, campers, surfers, divers, wheelchair users, birders, boaters, kayakers, anglers, and travelers.
* Includes a comprehensive list of more than 300 beaches, parks on or near the coast, and paths to the shoreline
* Features more than 300 full-color photographs, 49 detailed maps, and charts that provide information on facilities, attractions, coastal environments, access for the disabled, and more
* Lists recreational outfitters, including fishing boat services, kayak and surfboard rentals, and riding stables
* Gives information on hostels; campgrounds in national, state, and local parks; and private campground facilities
* Introduces the coast's major environments, including beaches, rocky shoreline, and the redwood forest, and highlights the plants, animals, and birds that can be seen in each

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Marvelous. . . . Comprehensive and authoritative."--Shore & Beach

From the Inside Flap

"This guide captures the tremendous variety of things to see and do along the dramatic expanse of coastline from Marin County up to the Oregon border. It's presented in a well-written, easy-to-use style, making it a reference that's just as interesting as it is practical. This is a must-have for anyone looking to explore the Northern California coast."--Doug McConnell, Host and Senior editor of KRON 4's Bay Area Backroads

"This book is essential reading for anyone who plans to visit California's northern coast. Whether you're a nature lover or history buff, fascinated by Native American culture or interested in California's complex geology, or if you just can't get enough of the coast, Experience the California Coast has information that everyone can learn from and enjoy. And perhaps most importantly, after reading this book, one can't help but have a greater sense of stewardship for this incredible natural resource."-Mark Gold, Executive Director, Heal the Bay

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (November 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520245407
• ISBN-13: 978-0520245402
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #469,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Overview of North Coast Travel Opportunities, May 30, 2007

By 

Fritz R. Ward "dayhiker" (Crestline, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Experience the California Coast: A Guide to Beaches and Parks in Northern California, Counties Included: Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin (Paperback)

North of the Golden Gate Bridge, the California Coast becomes much more rural and rugged. Many state parks, beaches, tourist towns, and rivers invite exploration, but there is so much out there it is hard to know where to begin. Enter the California Coastal Commision which has somehow strong-armed the University of California Press into printing a guidebook listing all parks, beaches, public access points, private nature preserves, hostels, and many whale watching tours. (When was the last time a major university press published a travel guide?) If you are unsure where to go, this book is a good place to look for ideas.

On the whole, this is a decent book. Every park, tourist center, or beach has a one to three paragraph description focusing on the basics: fees, directions, natural features and the like. Destinations are listed from north to south with facing maps showing their location. The book is further divided into six major chapters: one for each county north of San Francisco. Interspersed throughout the text are feature articles covering everything from techtonic plates to birding and common coastal flowers. The color photos are stunning, but don't expect that much blue sky on your vacation. The north coast receives a lot of rain.

My main concern with the book is that park descriptions are sometimes too brief. In some ways, this is an unfair criticism because comprehensive guides cannot get bogged down in details. Still, I thought hiking was definitely shorted in this book. Day hikers will want to supplement it with John McKinney's California's Coastal Parks: A Day Hiker's Guide. If you want to spend several days, or weeks, exploring the wilder sections of the coast on foot, consider getting Bob Lorentzen and Richard Nichols Hiking the California Coastal Trail, Volume 1: Oregon to Monterey. State parks also often publish their own literature and maps. That said, this book is a valuable resource for planning your north coast vacation. Get it and go enjoy California's wild and scenic coastline.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beaches and Parks From Monterey To Ventura, July 25, 2009

By 

Anonymous (Carmel, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Experience the California Coast: A Guide to Beaches and Parks in Northern California, Counties Included: Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin (Paperback)

Great book. Really helped my visitors with their vacation planning. Great maps, terrific pictures, well organized, easy access layout and great descriptions. I would highly recommend it to others.