Hiking Yosemite National Park [Paperback]

Suzanne Swedo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000 | Series: Regional Hiking Series

Yosemite National Park, in the heart of John Muir's Range of Light, encompasses almost 1,200 square miles and almost 800 miles of trails through some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery on earth. From the rolling oak woodlands of the western slope to the jagged mountain crest, Yosemite's amazing diversity helps earn the park's place as one of America's most popular destinations and still offers solitude and a genuine wilderness experience for those willing to seek it. In Hiking Yosemite National Park, journey with veteran outdoor writer Suzanne Swedo through groves of giant sequoias and miles of meadows rich with wildflowers and wildlife. Visit the towering domes, booming waterfalls, and jagged peaks thatt inspired some of the greatest artists and thinkers of our century. Swedo is your personal guide through nature's finest classroom, sharing the region's rich history, useful hiking tips, and accurate, up-to-date information. With stunning photos, detailed maps, and elevation graphs, Hiking Yosemite National Park is a long-awaited companion for the hiker eager to fully experience one of our nation's natural treasures.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Yosemite National Park, in the heart of John Muir's Range of Light, encompasses almost 1,200 square miles and almost 800 miles of trails through some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery on earth. From the rolling oak woodlands of the western slope to the jagged mountain crest, Yosemite's amazing diversity helps earn the park's place as one of America's most popular destinations and still offers solitude and a genuine wilderness experience for those willing to seek it. In <i>Hiking Yosemite National Park</i>, journey with veteran outdoor writer Suzanne Swedo through groves of giant sequoias and miles of meadows rich with wildflowers and wildlife. Visit the towering domes, booming waterfalls, and jagged peaks that inspired some of the greatest artists and thinkers of our century. Swedo is your personal guide through nature's finest classroom, sharing the region's rich history, useful hiking tips, and accurate, up-to-date trail information. With stunning photos, detailed maps, and elevation graphs, <i>Hiking Yosemite National Park</i> is a long-awaited companion for the hiker eager to fully experience one of our nation's natural treasures.

About the Author

Suzanne Swedo, director of W.I.L.D., teaches wilderness survival and natural sciences at universities, museums, and organizations such as Yosemite Association and the Sierra Club. She has backpacked the mountains of every continent and led groups into the wilderness for over twenty-five years. Her books include Wilderness Survival, Hiking California's Golden Trout Wilderness, Best Easy Day Hikes Yosemite National Park, and Adventure Travel Tips (Falcon). She lives in Van Nuys, California.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Falcon; 1st edition (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560447265
• ISBN-13: 978-1560447269
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,981,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative!, July 30, 2000

By 

Jennifer Louie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiking Yosemite National Park (Paperback)

This is a great book for both hikers wanting the more popular, "touristy" hikes and those wanting a physical challenge. There are detailed descriptions for all the hikes, and she even breaks down the hikes by her favorite hikes for "high altitude", "photo opps", "waterfalls", "solitude", etc. I found the descriptions pretty accurate. A good book for someone who's not so familiar with all the different types of hikes in Yosemite.

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars hiking book collector, June 22, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Hiking Yosemite National Park (Paperback)

I spend all winter planning my hikes for the summer. I own and have used most of the titles for Yosemite. Hiking Yosemite National Park has most of the most popular trails but two other books do a better job: 100 Hikes in Yosemite National Park and Lonely Planet Hiking in the Sierra Nevada.

My main complaint is the incomplete descriptions, too short and too vague. If you get off the trail you'll run the risk of getting lost because there are no "big picture" maps. A topo is absolutely essential if you want to understand your location.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and concise guide, September 23, 2003

By 

Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiking Yosemite National Park (Paperback)

This is an indispensible guidebook for any hiker who loves Yosemite. I use it almost daily during hiking season and it helps in selecting hikes, planning them, reaching the trailhead and gauging whether a hike will be worthwhile. Each hike contains an accurate, though brief, description of the rigors of each trek. Occasionally I quibble with the authors ranking of a given hike, but usually they are on the mark.

A few cautionary notes: there are no detailed maps in the book, except general maps which introduce the hiker to each specific place. Te map for the John Muir trail, for example, is very basic. Don't expect detailed maps for each hike because there are none. The descriptions of how to reach each trailhead are excellent, unless you have little experience with Yosemite.

My favorite part of the book is that the Touloume Meadows High Country area is not neglected. Swedo has various categories and list the hikes they think are best suited to be placed in every league and the valley floor is not the only area of the park that is stressed .If you spend any time hiking in Yosemite, this book is essential!