Customer Reviews

The Rough Guide to Yosemite 1 (Rough Guide Mini Guides)

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

 

 

I initially encountered this book while perusing guides for my upcoming summer trip to Yosemite National Park. Since I began reading it, I have not wanted to put it down. It is a comprehensive, practically encyclopedic yet compact book on everything about Yosemite. I don't know how the author managed to pack so much valuable information into such a small source.

The book begins with important and bare basics: a few introductory pages of beautiful glossy color photographs of attractions in the park, a park map, brief intro, a brief what to see and do guide (including average rainfall & temps for all months of the year), and then a color photograph section entitled 20 Things Not To Miss.

The rest of the book then focuses on well-organized sections with pertinent information on everything from the basics of preparation and travelling with all groups such as children and those with disabilities, to the geology, flora, and fauna of the park. Anyone could figure out which are the best hikes for them and which things they could do in every season just by reading for a few minutes in these sections. What I love most is that there are black and white photographs of park landmarks and influential people, such as John Muir, peppered throughout the book, which further illuminate the awesome landscape and spectacular story of Yosemite. The reader gets to discover interesting gems about Yosemite throughout the book. This book makes it a joy to plan my trip because it takes the guesswork out of planning with its lists of who should bring what (and I have to plan for my entire family).

Whether you love in-depth guides, like I do, with facts and photos about everything, or you just want a really good guidebook to accompany you on your visit to glance at now and then, this is the book for you. This book is recommended for the first-time visitor as well as repeat visitors (unless they know the park like the back of their hands). I think I would buy this book even if I wasn't going to Yosemite - it's that enjoyable and fun to read. Or maybe it's just that the park itself has such an awe-inspiring presence and history that reading anything about it is engrossing.

The Rough Guides offer fairly good travel recommendations for trip planning and the third edition of their Yosemite book is no different. If you want to enjoy a fairly traditional vacation in Yosemite you can find all the contact numbers you need here, as well as descriptions of lodging, bus tours, etc. I was pleased, in fact, to see that the author recommended Green Tortoise and the Yosemite Bug Hostel "Bug Bus" for those seeking group tours. Neat activities for kids, where to find internet access, tips for good pictures, and notes on local attractions (don't forget the Valley Cemetary) round out the first half of the book.

On the other hand, I really was hoping for more of a guide to outdoor activities, and these receive a decidedly short stick in this book. Author Paul Whitfield does offer short descriptions of 50 hikes, but none that you would not find in other guides. Indeed, he claims that if you just walk 20 minutes from your car you will be free from the crowds. Not on many of these trails. Mist Falls, the Four Mile Trail, Yosemite Falls, Panoramic Point Trail, and the climb to Half Dome are all very popular. He does of course include other standard walks: Wampama Falls, Soda Springs and the Wawona Meadow hike. Six backpack trips round out the rest of the book.

The part of the book I appreciated least, however, was the format. The print is tiny, the pages off white, and key information is in tan boxes which give the book a drab look and make it difficult to read for any extended period. It does not have enough plates to make up for the difficult read.

On the whole then, this is a decent book for planning a vacation with, but there are better choices out there. Moon Handbooks Yosemite by Ann Marie Brown is the best of these. A new edition of it is due out this year. For day hikes, I like Robert Stone's Day Hikes in Yosemite National Park and, for shorter walks, Best Easy Day Hikes: Yosemite. The best source for the park as a whole remains Jeffrey Schaffer's Yosemite National Park: A Complete Hiker's Guide. The bottom line on this book then is you can use it for trip planning, but there are better sources out there.

This book has great information. 50 Day hikes, Overnight hikes, maps, park history, gas, supplies, and most importantly, camping areas, both in and outside the park. The book is old so all the pricing is out of date, but the locations are all the same. It's a must have for anyone visiting Yosemite for 3+ days.

This guide is among the many offered to the savvy outdoorsman; however, the Rough Guide has refined it's information to include honest tips and thorough explinations of trails, hikes, food concessions/stores, and ammenities. The rough guide has a great POCKET SIZE which is just as informative for on the trail information. Do not be tempted by other inferior guides, which falsely claim their guides are superlative...The Rough Guide is the only Guide worth owning! A nice, tight guide.

I brought this book on a week-long trip out to Yosemite. I used it mostly for its maps, what to expect in terms of weather and wildlife, and what to do when we left the park. Don't expect a lot of pictures, but there are plenty of maps and most of them are good. I would recommend getting a copy of the excellent National Geographic Yosemite Park map if you plan on spending time in the park, but the maps in this book will do fine for planning or if you're only there for a day or two.

The hiking summary is good - 40+ pages are devoted to hiking in the park. There is an extensive listing of 43 day hikes and 7 sample overnight hikes (options for overnight hikes are almost endless). The book also has chapters for each of three park "sections" - Yosemite Valley, Northern Yosemite, and Southern Yosemite. It deals with accomodations in a separate chapter, where they are organized by areas within the park and then by areas outside the park. The author also briefly discusses areas of interest/attractions outside the park in all directions. I found this to be very helpful, since Yosemite is a 3+ to 5 hour drive from any major airport.

I do disagree with the author on a couple things. He lists Half Dome as a suggested "day hike". This is an extremely strenuous hike - 17 miles round trip - and should not be put in the day hike category (although some people do it as one). I hiked it as an overnight trip and it was exhausting. The author also puts visiting Mono Lake as #11 of the top 18 things not to miss. Because of that I went there and was sorely disappointed - I wouldn't recommend it. It may make for nice pictures, but I would have much rather spent my time in Yosemite itself.

I also thought the glossary needed a little work. I always felt like I was looking for something I'd already read, but I could never find it when I went to the glossary. I'd usually find it flipping through the book or reading a section later on.

Overall this is a decent guide book. I am biased towards Rough Guides, and I bought this without considering other guide books, but it's not the best Rough Guide I've ever used. When I go back to Yosemite I'll look for other guides, as I imagine there's a better one out there. If I could give it 3.5 stars I would, but I thought it deserved more than 3.