Customer Reviews

Touring California and Nevada Hot Springs, 2nd (Touring Guides)

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

 

 

We've used the guide extensively, with generally good results, so my hesitation between giving two or three stars eventually resolved in a more generous direction. Clearly, an admirable amount of work went into the guide; however, there are several frustrating deficiencies. First, it's maddeningly disorganized, with chapters arranged in a completely geographically-challenged manner. For example, no one would ever refer to Big Sur as the "Point Sur" region, and certainly Mono Hot Springs - incomprehensibly included in this section - is nowhere near either Big Sur or Point Sur. Saline Valley is similarly omitted from the Death Valley section and incomprehensibly placed elsewhere. The book is rife with problems of this sort. Second, descriptions of the springs, while generally adequate, vary erratically in detail and are more often than not prosaic. Finally, as other reviewers have pointed out, the book omits a great number of wonderful springs, at least in California. So it's a helpful guide - I'm grateful to have it - but is certainly not comprehensive.

Length:: 0:52 Mins

Matt. C. Bischoff has clearly and concisely listed all the great hidden and publicly known hot springs in Nevada and California. It's a great regional hotsprings guide.

I found this book to be generally pretty useful. My only real issue is that there are quite a few hot spring gems that I'm aware of in CA and NV that aren't featured in this book. I did a recent tour of the Black Rock Desert area in Nevada and I passed several spectacular hot springs that weren't listed in the book. I have also backpacked in to some hot springs in the southern CA area that weren't described.

If you're looking at doing a hot spring tour in NV and CA it might be worth looking into getting some other guide books (in addition to this one) or doing more research online or elsewhere. Once again this book did do a great job of describing in great detail how to get to some very out of the way places, but there are other springs that are well worth exploring that aren't mentioned.

There have been many guides covering this subject in the past but this one is really the benchmark. Matt Bischoff includes interesting history, and geology notes for his subjects. I have visited a few of his springs listed in the book and found his descriptions to be complete and factual. His maps area really good too, as anyone who has searched for a hot spring just based on someone's verbal directions knows, they can be darn hard to find. Good job, Matt!

This book will take you to the well known and well hidden hot waters in Cali. I have hit several, but have yet to venture to Nevada.

Used the book, but the hot springs were just to far away. Everything in California is far away. You have to have a lot of time to find these places. The book is good and the only one that really shows you where these hot springs are.

Awesome book. Very good shape, good price And I didn't have to leave home! Quick shipping too.
Thanx, Gene

Comprehensive, directions can be a little difficult to understand, but didn't use it in the field. THERE ARE NO COLOR PICTURES. All science, hiking, nature, and filed guide books should all have color pictures, in my opinion. It just makes finding things easier. Overall, eh.