Customer Reviews

Moon Handbooks Yosemite

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I wish I had had this book when I first went to Yosemite a decade ago. It would have saved a lot of time and gotten me and my wife to more of the true highlights in the area. This book covers everything from the best trails to the best dining options in and near the park. It lists all the campgrounds in and around the park and notes which require reservations and which are available on a first come-first served basis. And of course it includes a lot of natural and human history in the park region. The book also features some nice full color maps.

What I particularly like about this guide is the organization. Each section (recreation, lodging, camping, etc) is subdivided into various park regions: Yosemite Valley, Hetch Hetchy, Wawona, Tioga Pass and the Eastern Sierra. As a result, readers have a clearer picture of all that Yosemite National Park has to offer. After reading this book, I will be exploring more of Hetch Hetchy on my next visit in early April. This guide is simply the most comprehensive look at Yosemite and is a must for planning vacations around.

Before I visit a national park I go to the library for a pile of books to help me plan my trip. With a visit to Yosemite in mind I did just that and came home with a very nice collection including "100 Hikes...", "The Rough Guide to Yosemite" and Ann Marie Brown's "Yosemite" guide. While all of these books have great content, Ann's was far and away the most approachable and the one I bought to dog ear and write copious notes in without guilt. I'm so glad I did.

The book is well-indexed making it super easy to find what you need, the maps are great and the descriptions of the surrounding area are a bonus. Ann provides readers with well-thought out itineraries geared toward meeting your needs based on how much time you have to visit the park (from a day to a week) and your primary interests (from hiking to bagging waterfall pix). She also supplies solid advice regarding what to do if your on your own or travelling with a family.

Clearly Ann knows what she's writing about. Her first hand experience will help you find the motivation you need to get out of the car (or off of the bus) and on to the trails to drink in the beautiful and wonderful place that is Yosemite.

This book was one of a few I used to plan and experience Yosemite. Time and time again I pulled this book out over the others as the writeups and descriptions were always correct. The little added extras on each place made the experience even fuller. I love knowing about the history and little fun facts about a hike or a place to eat or stay. I would recommend this to anyone going to Yosemite for the first time or 500 time. Her list of additional references also was handy and I continue to grow my library. I have used her reference guides in the past and was always happy with the information. The waterfalls guide is like a checklist for my weekend activities. The one thing that I did like better in other references was the color maps and highlights, it made it easier to reference things in the book.

Moon Travel Books presents a spectacular and thoroughly updated, 256 page, second edition on Yosemite National Park. Beginning with 10 pages of color coded maps of Yosemite and a breathtaking color photo of Yosemite Falls, Yosemite packs a plethora of detailed information into an organized, easily accessible format. The first five chapters cover Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Glacier Point, Tioga Pass and Tuolumne Meadows, Hetch Hetchy, and the Eastern Sierra, including Lee Vining, Mono Lake and North, and June Lake and Mammoth Lake. Each of these chapters is divided into sections on exploring and recreation. The final four chapters are about Lodging, Camping, Dining, and Knowing Yosemite. There is a vast list of suggested reading and several pages of internet resources, in addition to tips for travelers, notes on the history of Yosemite and its place names, and much useful and specific information on the flora and fauna of Yosemite National Park. Specific information bytes or special tips are highlighted and blocked to set them off for the eye of the reader. If your plans include a trip to Yosemite, Yosemite is a "must buy" travel guide. Even if you just want to learn more about Yosemite and indulge in some armchair dreaming of travels in Yosemite, this is a great resource, guidebook and dreamweaver.

I bought this book based on the opinions of the previous reviewers. They were absolutely right. I spent 2 days at Yosemite and due to the massive size of the park (1,200 square miles) it would have been impossible for me to get a good tour of Yosemite without this guidebook. I found this book quite useful, from reading about the geology/history of the area, lodging to descriptions of the intensity of the hikes. The book also provides some helpful traveling tips as well suggestions for additional reading. It's a very comprehensive guide.

Found this book to be very accurate. A must for a last minute traveller like myself. I went in the height of the summer with no accomodation secured which was a bit worrisome but had intended to hit up the "first come, first serve campsites". When we arrived at Yosemite, we first went to the visitor centre who proceeded to tell us that only 2 campsites had availability, neither of which were where we wanted to stay. We decided to try a different campsite which was highlighted in the book and it was only 1/2 full at 1pm (although later filled up). If we didn't have the book, we would have been crammed in a less desirable site. Furthermore, the person serving us at the information centre did not appear to have seen alot of Yosemite and could not give us personal experiences. The guide book was valuable in this regard as the author clearly has spent a substantial amount of time in Yosemite. This is the book I would definately recommend to future travellers going to Yosemite National Park.

Two chapters in this book saved me a lot of time and money. The travel strategies chapter help me to plan a trip to Yosemite at the last minute during the peak season. The lodging and camping chapters were far better than other guides giving me many more options and describing them well. I recommend this book.

I used this book on a recent trip to Yosemite. It is brief telling you just what you need to know. The advice was excellent. It reminds me of Rick Steves books for Europe but not quite as good. I would recommend this book to anyone going to Yosemite. I'll be looking for other Moon Handbooks for other American destinations now.

As a "senior citizen" I was disappointed that little in this book was directed to those of us who can no longer hike for miles in the mountains. I wish there had been more attention devoted to those of us with limited endurance.