100 Hikes in California's Central Sierra & Coast Range [Paperback]

Vicky Spring (Author), Tom KirKendall (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: 100 Hikes In... | Publication Date: May 2004

From hot springs hikes to journeys among the mighty Sequoias, there's something here for everyone! Routes range from short day hikes to overnight backpacking trips, with difficulty levels (moderate to challenging) clearly labeled.

* Every trail has been updated in this new edition
* All maps are completely revised
* Now includes elevation profiles
* New "hike finder" chart for easy trip planning
* New hikes added in Henry Coe State Park and Los Padres National Forest, among other areas

Locations include:
Yosemite National Park
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Pinnacles National Monument
John Muir Wilderness
Ansel Adams Wilderness
Hoover Wilderness
Ventana Wilderness
Emigrant Wilderness
Mokelumne Wilderness and more!

Editorial Reviews

Review

A handy book for hikers looking to explore new areas...Spring's writing is concise and informative. -- Fresno Bee

A seductive invitation to explore wilderness neighborhoods to our south. -- San Francisco Chronicle

Good for any serious hiker or backpacker who wants to survey the region's best offerings. -- Reno Gazette-Journal

The detail in this book is more than enough to inspire you to plan a trip and then light out. -- California Coast & Ocean

[A] tightly organized, information-packed guide. -- San Francisco Chronicle

About the Author

Vicky Spring is also the author of 100 Hikes in Washington's Alpine Lakes Region. She and her husband Tom Kirkendall are noted outdoor author-photographers whose books include 100 Best Cross-Country Ski Routes in Washington and Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park.

Product Details

• Paperback: 269 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; 2nd Rev edition (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898868963
• ISBN-13: 978-0898868968
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,349,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to backpacking highlights of the Sierra, June 2, 2001

By 

"orangenomad" (Altadena, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Hikes in California's Central Sierra and Coast Range (Paperback)

I've used this book extensively over the past 3 years and have hiked over 20 of the routes described here. It is excellently laid out (it uses highways to organize the treks) and features an excellent and varied selection of short and long trips. I own most of the guides to the Sierra and this is the one I use most regularly.

The book is also very durable - mine has fallen in rivers, gotten scrunched against rocks, been boiled and frozen and is still perfectly serviceable.

For anyone who is trying to get their head around the central Sierra and identify some good trips - this is the ideal book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 100 Hikes in CA Central Sierra..., June 10, 2002

By 

Steve_in_TN (TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Hikes in California's Central Sierra and Coast Range (Paperback)

Excellent book with an easy to follow layout. Mostly geared towards moderate to "difficult" hikes with overnight backpacks, or longer dayhikes, the most common. Lists 100 hikes and, in general, they spend 2 pages per hike, with directions to the trail head, max elevation, elevation gain, etc. They also give a sketched map and a photo for each.

This book is geared more towards the serious hiker/BPer, not the 2 mile family dayhike type.

I have done about 15 of the listed hikes and have found the info accurate.

One note: Some of the kiosks they list to get wilderness permits are no longer in operation. To be safe, plan on getting wilderness permits at the ranger station.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Sierras, October 6, 2007

By 

mugwump88 (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Hikes in California's Central Sierra & Coast Range (Paperback)

Since I purchased the book in 1995, it is my ultimate guide to the best sierra hikes. I now have #72 planned for next August, the "Buena Vista Loop" at 28 miles and 4 days. Each one that I've completed has my notes scrawled on the pages. I simply photocopy the hike to take on the trail, and then write the notes in the book later. Combined with a topo map of the area, it's the best guide to the best sierra trips.

A sierra hike is sometimes a big event, and the hikes in this book do not disappoint, from the short to the long trails. Everything is laid out very clear and simple, ultra clear and concise without an extraneous word and never lacking the important description.

I only wish I could complete all 100.