Hiking California's Desert Parks, 2nd: A Guide to the Greatest Hiking Adventures in Anza-Borrego, Joshua Tree, Mojave, and Death Valley (Regional Hiking Series) [Paperback]

Bill Cunningham (Author), Polly Cunningham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006 | Series: Regional Hiking Series

Features 114 hikes of all levels in four California Desert Parks; Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks, and Mojave National Preserve.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

For more than twenty-five years, FalconGuide® has set the standard for outdoor recreation guidebooks. Written by top outdoors experts and enthusiasts, each guide invites you to experience the endless adventure and rugged beauty of the great outdoors.
Hiking California’s Desert Parks features 114 of the finest trails—from short day hikes to backcountry treks—in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Mojave National Preserve, and Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks. Veteran hikers Bill and Polly Cunningham provide all the information you need to get the most out of hiking these natural treasures.

Look inside to find:

Hikes suited to every ability
Accurate directions to the trailhead and detailed trail descriptions
GPS-compatible maps
Mile-by-mile directional cues
Difficulty ratings, trail contacts, fees/permits, best hiking seasons, and much more

About the Author

Bill Cunningham and Polly Burke are lifelong hikers and wilderness advocates. They have collaborated on several other FalconGuides, including Hiking New Mexico's Aldo Leopold Wildernss, Hiking New Mexico's Gila Wilderness, Best Easy Days Hikes Death Valley, and Best Easy Day Hikes Joshua Tree.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Falcon; 2nd edition (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762735457
• ISBN-13: 978-0762735457
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #530,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hiking Opportunities in Southern California's Desert Wilderness, September 10, 2006

By 

Fritz R. Ward "dayhiker" (Crestline, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hiking California's Desert Parks, 2nd: A Guide to the Greatest Hiking Adventures in Anza-Borrego, Joshua Tree, Mojave, and Death Valley (Regional Hiking Series) (Paperback)

I have a real fondness for books by Bill and Polly Cunningham. Their 'Best Easy Dayhikes: Anza Borrego' introduced me to desert hiking and has left me with an abiding love of California's desert regions. The off season recreational opportunities in these areas: Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks, the Mojave National Preserve, and Anza Borrego State Parks are seemingly endless and this book provides a good introduction to these places. The 114 hikes described in this book range in length from short leg stretchers of 1/4 mile (or less) to all day rambles over difficult terrain from 10 to 16 miles. Each hike description includes a list of key points, mileage between these points, a hypsometric map (GPS compatible) and decent black and white photographs of the area.

Although I like the book, I have a few concerns. I'm not sure the authors rechecked every trail from the first edition. Had they done so, they might have noticed that Squaw Peak and Pond (in Agua Caliente County Parks) have had name changes to accomodate the politically correct crowd. Also, I have twice hiked Mountain Palm Springs Canyon in the last year and failed to note the cutoff trail sign for Indian Gorge. But aside from those minor errors, my major concern is that this book really doesn't provide a comprehensive view of all the desert has to offer. The author's narrow view of "parks" precludes them from discussing the many recreational opportunities in county and state parks in the Imperial Valley and around Palm Springs. Hikers seeking coverage of these areas as well should look at John McKinney's books or to regional hiking guides. Nonetheless, if you are planning a visit to Joshua Tree, Death Valley, the Mojave or Anza Borrego this is an excellent book to get. The authors made a desert rat out of me and they can do the same for you if you give them half a chance.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful Guide, February 10, 2008

By 

Bryant (Muskegon, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiking California's Desert Parks, 2nd: A Guide to the Greatest Hiking Adventures in Anza-Borrego, Joshua Tree, Mojave, and Death Valley (Regional Hiking Series) (Paperback)

Very helpful guide to hiking in the parks. Good trail directions and maps. Somewhat limited in descriptions of what you will see on the hikes but they did a good job and I found the guide very helpful.

5.0 out of 5 stars A 4.5., February 3, 2010

By 

J. C. (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Hiking California's Desert Parks, 2nd: A Guide to the Greatest Hiking Adventures in Anza-Borrego, Joshua Tree, Mojave, and Death Valley (Regional Hiking Series) (Paperback)

I have gone on a few hikes in this book and so far find this book to be an excellent source of information.
Out of the parks, I like Death Valley the most and have used the book on 4 of the hikes there. Of those those hikes, the aurthor provides good info on where to find the trailheads, description/length of the hikes, and what to look out for (a dry waterfall here, a turn there...etc). Many of the hikes are considered "off-the-beaten-path" hikes and I wouldn't neccessarily have known about them if it was not for this book.
The reason for the 4.5 star is that I thought the descriptions could be better. For example, I made several U turns when I was trying to find a few trailheads looking for a "road" when in reality they are more like semi-hidden small gravel pathes. Another example was some trails descriptions were somewhat vague - I had to use supplemental sources to help clarify some of the trail descriptions in this book.
However, there are a lot of good information in this book and is an excellent source for that next hiking trip.