Hiking California's Desert Parks [Paperback]

Bill Cunningham (Author)

Book Description

Series: Regional Hiking Series | Publication Date: November 1, 1996

Features 111 hikes of all levels in four California Desert Parks.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Presenting 111 of the best hikes and backcountry tips in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks, and Mojave National Preserve, this book contains information about day hikes, extended backpack trips, and off-trail exploration that is supplemented with detailed descriptions, maps, and elevation charts. In this land of rugged terrain crisscrossed by numerous mountain ranges and sunken valleys, Hiking California's Desert Parks makes a great companion for the veteran hiker or the first-time wilderness traveler.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Falcon; 1st edition (November 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560445084
• ISBN-13: 978-1560445081
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,161,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars sand, silt and snow, January 18, 2000

By 

[e-mail] - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiking California's Desert Parks (Paperback)

The authors pack a lot into this one volume and the maps accompanying each trail description are detailed enough to hike from; the elevation loss and gain charts are useful when planning your trip, especially to those who like to hike, but not uphill. Covering Death Valley National Park, Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park, and Anza Borrego Desert State Park the 111 trips vary from a short stroll to the demanding all-day Telescope Peak trip. The black and white photographs don't really add anything to the book but the trail descriptions are good.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book even after 3 visits in each part, January 27, 2005

By 

A. Torng "Photohiker" (Mission Viejo, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hiking California's Desert Parks (Paperback)

Living in southern CA, these 4 desert parks are my sandboxes. I go there hiking, camping and photographing frequently. This is the book I carry with me to the next interesting point. Although I still go on other places for more detail and other info (like desertUSA.com). I study the distance, elevation gain/loss, attractions, direction, and key points. I highly recommend to anyone who's interested in going there. This is for serious hikers, not armchair readers.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Introduction to some great desert spaces..., March 4, 2006

By 

Peter - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiking California's Desert Parks (Paperback)

A very good general-purpose trail guide to California's desert parks. Fairly detailed, for all it has to cover. If you were hiking one specific park most of the time you might want something a little more in-depth, but with a good topo map and plenty of water, this book will suffice for a lot of trails.

One word of warning: desert hiking and camping is not the same as hiking more well-traveled forest parks. If you aren't experienced with a map, a compass or GPS, run out of water, or otherwise get into trouble, you can run into survival problems very quickly. I strongly advise hiking with a partner, leaving an itinerary, and getting some additional information on desert navigation, equipment, and trip planning. One excellent resource for that extra information is The Ultimate Desert Handbook by Mark Johnson.