Customer Reviews

Foghorn Outdoors: California Hiking: The Complete Guide to More Than 1,000 of the Best Hikes

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've used this book a few times when back home from college, and I was really surprised to see that it included trails I always thought minor or didn't consider to be "trails." This book is so thorough! I most recently used it as a reference when I was in Yosemite, and the description listed side-trips and very clear information about what to expect (landmarks, bridges, etc.) at the top of the Yosemite Falls trail, things I otherwise would have overlooked had I just followed the trail signs. The book generously estimated 6 hours round trip, and it took me that amount, with a nap and lunch included. The difficulty and time estimates are accurate, I think. This is a great book because it's really easy to find something that's just right (a suitable distance/time/difficulty) in whatever area you may be in. There is even some cross-referencing, so that multi-day backpacking trips can be planned by linking up several trails.

This is probably the most comprehensive listing of hikes in California, but it's not without its flaws. First of all, the authors have clearly not updated information on all of the hikes. The 2001 edition, for example, gives an extensive description of a hike through Bear Gulch Caves in Pinnacles National Monument. As anyone who's been to the park knows, these caves have been closed for over four years. The book's cover claims it's been updated, but, given this glaring error, it's likely that there are other hikes for which it's best to independently verify the information.

Second, there are many places in California that the authors skip over. For example, there are no hikes listed in the Dome Land Wilderness in the Southern Sierra, except for the section of the Pacific Crest Trail that goes there.

Third, while the book does list hikes across the state, it doesn't have any trail maps. While I know that adding trail maps would make the book much longer, it would also make it more useful. As it is, some of the trail maps are very hard to get a hold of.

So, while still worth buying for its coverage of hikes across the state, this book could have been much better.

Too bad this guide is not available for other regions. When traveling into Northern California I found the hiking scale for difficulty & view to be very accurate. I really appreciated the User Group section, which let me know where I could take my dogs (they like to hike too). Excellent guide & I hope more are to be coming.

Great guide! Best CA hiking guide i know of! It is very thorough and features many little known spots. My only complaints would be as follows: - it would be nice to get just a tiny bit of camping info thrown in. - frequently the authors make little distinction between the crowded trails and the ones you have all to yourself (though you can generally figure this out on your own). It certainly doesn't seem to play any part in their rating system. I've done many of the hikes from this book in Southern Califonia; some of them i didn't think anyone else knew about! One weak spot is Joshua Tree, there are alot of great spots in this park that arn't mentioned in the book. Then again, the good N.P. hikes are easy to find; it's the hard to find spots that make this book valuable. Overall, a wonderfull book. s.

This book is an almost perfect guide to hiking in Northern California. It's UNBELIEVABLY thorough. My only two quibbles are: 1. Directions to trailheads are a little iffy in places, and (perhaps more importantly) 2. The difficulty ratings are sometimes waaay off. The book uses a 1 (easiest) through 5 (most difficult) difficulty rating. And yesterday, my husband and I went on a hike in the east bay area that the book deemed a 1 in difficulty, and it was considerably more difficult than many 3s we've hiked in the past. What's up with that?! If an inexperienced hiker showed up in tennis shoes relying on that 1 rating, that person could potentially be in physical danger in places.

Having said all that, we've used this book for nearly 3 years and have found it completely spot-on when it comes to identifying beautiful hikes. It's been particularly useful when we've been vacationing in a part of the state with which we're not very familiar. I recommend using this book as a way to identify awesome hikes you want to try, but then you should contact the state/national/whatever park you're about to visit and get more detailed information about the hike before embarking on it.

Here's an overwhelming collection of California hiking trails. Each is rated on two scales. An overall rating from poor to great lets you know if it's worth your time. A scale from stroll to butt-kicker prepares you for the hike. The John Muir and Pacific Crest trails are covered start to finish. Permits and fees are listed so you can arrive prepared. I always check out the trail notes before any adventure. - Outstanding!

I was surprised to open this book and find no maps. This makes it very hard to get oriented once you've found the trail. The writing is too general and bland. I'm sticking to titles that are more pertinent to the region that have more detailed descriptions. I would have preferred more quality than quantity and more photographs.

This review speaks only for the book's format and NOT for the accuracy of its information.
Good Points
· Indexes more than 1,000 hikes covering all of California. Provides a good overview of trails in any area you may be visiting while still being small enough to carry in a day pack
· Has a rating scheme for both the difficulty and scenic quality of each hike. If you agree with the authors' opinions, this scheme allows you to concentrate on the "best" hikes given limited time in an area
· Has a "Best Hikes" summary that lists the choice trail picks given hiker-desired categories (such as waterfalls, wildflowers, views, for kids)
· Easily understood writing style that gives the high points (and cautions) for each trail
Weak Points
· No trail maps or trail profiles. Of course, adding a trail map for each of 1,000 trails would add another 1,000 pages. But general area access maps would have been nice and wouldn't have added that much bulk
· Not all-inclusive. It you want a complete listing of all the trails in a specific area, you should buy a guide specifically for that area
· Not current. Of course, when the scope is 1,000 trails, you can't expect each trail description to be updated every year
· 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: If you buy into its rating scheme, this book is one of two you should own if generally investigating California regions for hiking potential. The second book should narrowly focus on the area and include the trail maps and naturalist info that this book lacks.

I found this book to be too much like an encyclopedia. There wasn't enough depth to the descriptions. I would have preferred a smaller book that described the trails more carefully; one that fit into my backpack for handy reference.

My husband and I recently took an extended road-trip vacation throughout California, and this book has been more valuable than anything else we packed. We used it throughout the whole state and enjoyed some of the best hikes we've ever taken. Not being from California we were worried about finding our way, but we never had any problems finding our spots. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to hike anywhere in the state.