Customer Reviews

Foghorn Outdoors: California Camping

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I don't know how Tom Stienstra does it but I'm sure glad he does. This is the best guide ever written for California outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you're looking for a state park, national forest or private campground; if you're a wilderness backpacker or a Winnebago warrior Tom has compiled everything you need to know about every possible destination in the golden state categorized by region. Each year's new edition is up-to-date. Helpful reminders, lists of things to take, words to the wise...it's all here. This book is my home state outdoor bible.

My husband and I were longing to spend our weekends introducing our two children, ages four and two, to the great outdoors. I turned to the web to research our options and find out about the campgrounds in our area. My search led to frustration as I found scattered details here and there and no comprehensive information that would aid in my choosing our weekend destinations. After many dead ends I finally hit the jackpot with my web search, a site that recommended Tom's book! I purchased the book and was so impressed with all of the information that less than 24 hours after it first hit my hands, I felt compelled to write to Tom and thank him for providing such a wonderful resource to those looking to camp in California. Camping with two small children, I need specific details on campsites and the activities surrounding them. This book has provided that and much, much more. I feel like our camping opportunities have been vastly expanded, and this book was well worth the investment.

I highly recommend this book! Thank you again Tom!

5/4/02

Whether you're a grizzled veteran or a newbie this will become your bible of California Camping. Of the three past editions I own, the 2001-2002 twelfth edition truly is the most improved. As Tom says in his introduction: "More than 5000 updates and upgrades have been made in the campground listings of this edition, the biggest makeover in five years, and the third major makeover in the 15-year history of the book." And it shows! Many of the directions are now detailed down to the nearest 10th of a mile. All new reservation numbers have been added plus web site information and the RV camps that accept credit cards and are wheelchair accessible are just some of the additional improvements.

To insure accuracy "... the page galleys were reviewed by hundreds of field scouts, including 200 rangers at Forest Service Districts and state parks. Research editor Stephani Cruickshank, faxed the galleys out to field stations, then personally reviewed each listing with rangers. A similar process was completed for every page."

So it is not only the most complete - with more than 1,500 campgrounds listed - but by far the most accurate. This book achieves the author's goal of making it possible to always find a spot for the night.

After living in California for some forty years, I've moved a couple of states to the north. I got this edition so I'd be up-to-date and able to show my kids and grandkids who live in California some of the wonders of the great outdoors in their beautiful state (without getting lost!).

I've found no more comprehensive resource for California campgrounds than this book. Websites don't compare either. This book has details you won't find anywhere else!

Although I'm a huge fan of Tom Stientstra's "California Hiking" book I'm only lukewarm about the value of this camping guide. On the positive side, it's comprehensive, with detailed descriptions of hundreds of campgrounds throughout California. It's well organized, lucid, and easy to read.

The negative is that I haven't found the book very useful. That's largely a matter of target audience. The campgrounds listed tend toward the bigger, more established, more feature-rich, and (unfortunately) more popular sites. Readers who find themselves driving down the highway 30 minutes before sunset with no idea where to camp for the night will find this book a godsend. People planning a trip with a trailer, boat, or family will find it a valuable resource. But people like me, who prefer roughing it even when camping 10 feet from the car, and care more about scenery and tranquility than the number of amenities offered such as flush toilets and boat ramps, will have to look elsewhere. The campgrounds I've enjoyed most aren't listed in this book.

As an avid camper in the north state I would like to recommend this book to everybody. It is user friendly and has all of the information you need from directions to your destination or a phone number of the the place you would like to make reservations at. Buying this book is worth all the time you would waste otherwise.

This book proves to be an excellent resource for locating campgrounds. The facts are generally accurate, for example, you can easily tell if a campground accomodates an RV or pets or has piped water. However, the notes based on opinion, such as seneic rating and the extra "trip notes" are just that--the opinion of the author--and sometimes are radically different than what I would assign the campground. We have visited many wonderful, remote campgrounds that have secnic ratings of "4." It's best not to let these numbers influence your selection of a particular campground. But overall, a MUST for any California camper.

I can not believe how wonderful this book! I thought that I would not be able to go camping this summer because I could not get a reservation at any of the Cailifornia State Parks. California Camping had tons of campgrounds that I had never heard of. We have gone camping each week for the past month, and each place was close to home and somewhere we had never been before. Not only does it list places to camp, but also what you can and can not do there. The book made me well prepared for my camping trips. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to camp, but is tried of fighting with crowds.

Is there a man who knows California's campgrounds better than Tom Stienstra? Nope. And this new edition proves it in so many wonderful ways. The book's got everything a novice weekend camper or grizzled outdoorsman needs to know in order to navigate through California's camping options.

I wore out two earlier editions of this book, and am glad I picked up the updated volume -- even though I moved from California to New Jersey last year. This book keeps me in touch with my home state and helps me plan my outdoor trips West.

Not only does this book have a great batch of new entries, it's filled with Tom's concise, colorful writing style. Of Rogers Cow Camp he writes: "You want quiet, you got it. You want water, you bring it yourself." And I always enjoy reading about Tom's adventures with Rambob, Foonsky and his dad. Well, I've yakked enough here. Time to pick another camping destination with the help of ol' Tombo.

This is a great book for all campers, from tents, to boaters, to rv,s. It covers all, including how to get there. It's very well written. We use it like the bible to camping.