Hiking Southern California: A Guide to Southern California's Greatest Hiking Adventures [Paperback]

Ron Adkison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2003 | Series: Regional Hiking Series

Boasting a mild climate, incredible diversity, and thousands of miles of hiking trails, Southern California offers a gem for every hiker. Hiking Southern California is your ticket to rewarding adventures in the backcountry of the southern third of the Golden State, including Death Valley National Park, Mojave National Preserve, the San Gabriel Mountains, and Joshua Tree National Park. This handy guidebook features detailed descriptions of more than 50 classic hikes, with accurate and up-to-date trail maps and all the information you need for planning enjoyable outings year-round. This book describes short, leisurely strolls and demanding excursions of several days. The hikes follow routes varying from gentle, well-graded trails to rugged, cross-country scrambles, including old favorites known to many and obscure routes known only to a few. Surveying the most awe-inspiring scenery in the region, Hiking Southern California will satisfy both beginning and veteran hikers.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Lace up your boots and sample sixty of the best trails southern California has to offer. Experience the area¿s most scenic high-mountain landscape from 11,499-foot San Gorgonio Mountain, explore the world¿s largest Joshua tree woodland in Mojave National Preserve, and discover the fascinating geology of Natural Bridge Canyon in Death Valley National Park.
Southern California offers hikers diverse coastal, inland, and desert mountains; serpentine canyons, colorful badlands, and vast sand dunes; and cool conifer forests, isolated mesas, and dense cactus stands. Veteran hiker and outdoor writer Ron Adkison will introduce you to all this and more.
Inside you¿ll find: up-to-date trail information; accurate maps and elevation profiles; difficulty ratings for each hike; advice on water availability and the best seasons for each trail; tips on equipment, trip planning, and hiking with dogs and children
Whether you are a day-tripper or long-distance hiker, old hand or novice, you¿ll find trails suited to every ability and interest throughout southern California.

About the Author

Ron Adkison, a dedicated naturalist and explorer of wild country, began his outdoor explorations in Southern California at the age of six. After more than 35 years of hiking, scrambling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing, he has logged more than 10,000 trail miles in ten western states (California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah). He has walked every trail in this guide multiple times. Ron shares his enthusiasm for wild places in Hiking Southern California.

Other guidebooks by Ron Adkison:
--Hiking Northern California
--Hiking Washington
--Exploring Beyond Yellowstone
--Hiking Wyoming's Wind River Range
--Hiking Grand Canyon National Park
--Best Easy Day Hikes Grand Canyon
--Hiking Grand Staircase-Escalante and the Glen Canyon Region
--Best Easy Day Hikes Grand Staircase-Escalante and the Glen Canyon Region
--Hiking Northern California
--Best Easy Day Hikes Northern Sierra.
--Wild Northern California
--Best Easy Day Hikes Southern Sierra
--50 Best Short Hikes in Utah's National Parks.
--Utah's National Parks

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Falcon; 1st edition (December 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762711248
• ISBN-13: 978-0762711246
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #923,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ron Adkison, an avid hiker and backpacker, began his outdoor explorations at age six. Since then he has logged more than 12,000 trail miles in ten western states. He has walked every trail in this guide multiple times, to provide precise, firsthand information about the trails, as well as features of ecological and historical interest. When he's not on the trail, Ron and his wife, Nancy, live in the Rocky Mountains of southwest Montana.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Peak Lover's Guide to California Hiking, January 28, 2004

By 

Fritz R. Ward "dayhiker" (Crestline, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hiking Southern California: A Guide to Southern California's Greatest Hiking Adventures (Paperback)

Ron Adkinson has written numerous hiking guides for Falcon Press. One suspects his massive list of publications is really meant to subsidize his true passion: hiking. Not a bad way to live. This particular guide covers much of Southern California and hidden within its pages are some true gems.

Adkin's book is divided into four parts: Death Valley, the Mojave National Preserve, Southern California Mountains, and Joshua Tree National Park. In each area he includes a number of hikes that are classics: beautiful hikes mentioned in many guides and on which you are certain to encounter many people. But the book also contains numerous out of the way gems that you won't find elsewhere. In the mountains section, for example, he includes Pacific Crest Trail rambles along Sierra Pelona ridge and the Scodie Mountains, scenic areas you won't find described elsewhere. Indeed, people hoping to "get away from it all" will find ample opportunity to do so among the pages of this book.

Adkinson has a strong bias towards climbing peaks. You won't find a lot of nature walks in this guide, although he does include a sprinkling of short family hikes (the Cholla Cactus Gardens in Joshua Tree is my favorite). But if you like good views, this is the guide to get. The only reason this book receives 4 stars instead of 5 is for what it does not cover. It is simply unthinkable that a guide to Southern California hiking should exclude the whole of San Diego and Orange Counties. These areas have some beautiful country that deserves coverage in a volume of this scope. Unfortunately the recent (2003) fires destroyed many fine hiking areas (including most of Rancho Cuyamaca State Park) so it is all the more important that modern guides update what is available in this area.

Despite the lack of comprehensive coverage implied by the title this is an excellent book. Get it and enjoy.

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Hiking Guide, April 16, 2011

By 

William - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiking Southern California: A Guide to Southern California's Greatest Hiking Adventures (Paperback)

'Hiking Southern California' by Ron Adkison is as good as hiking guides get. Every time I have used this book, the information has proven to be 100 percent accurate. It is obvious that the author really did walk every mile that he describes in his book. The written information, together with the good maps that are provided for each hike, make 'Hiking Southern California' an excellent choice.