Customer Reviews

Yosemite, The Complete Guide: Yosemite National Park

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bought this book back in March for a trip in early May. At the time, there was only one review, but I bought it anyway as it was the most recently published guide available.

Wow - the day it arrived, I sat down and read it front to back. The history of the park, the geology, the history of the Native Americans who lived on the land ... I was so impressed that it was more than just a "camp here" and "eat here" kind of guide.

What this book has over the others out there:
- The most gorgeous photos. It made me giddy with excitement to go and see those places for myself!
- a small but helpful section with pictures of the most common wildlife and plantlife that you encounter in the park (ended more than one debate about "what flower is this?!")
- Information about the native tribes' names and legends for the features in the park, or other important history of a particular place, highlighted in boxes set off from the main text.
- A sizeable section on the High Sierra Camps and hikes around them. Absolutely made me want to do the whole circuit (maybe next year...)
- This guidebook was clearly a labor of love for the author. This wasn't compiled from a bunch of staff travel writers ... it was written by someone who obviously knows the park extremely well and has chosen to highlight only the best parts, to give readers the best experience in Yosemite.

Why this might not be the book for you:
- There are no compass markings on the detailed mini-maps. This bothered others in my group more than me.
- Very few details on lodging. Not a problem for me, as I already had accomodations booked, and the lodging choices in the park are few anyhow, but this book is better for planning your TRIP, not your STAY.
- The descriptions of the hikes are kind of vague. If you are going to Yosemite to back-country hike, this isn't the book for you. If you want the best day (or 2-day) hikes, he hits the great ones. I was relieved to see how well-marked they are once you're on the trail.

I thought this guidebook was absolutely cream of the crop. So did my mother and sister-in-law - they each wanted to steal it from me and keep it as a coffee table book! (I bought them each a copy once we returned home)

A great general information/guide book for Yosemite.

I highly recommend this book for everyone. If you haven't been to Yosemite before, you get high quality photos of what is to come and some great general trail information to help plan your trip. If you have been, it is still a good buy as it is more than just a trail guide. The first 100 pages provide history and geology of the area and are a quick but fun read. In my opinion, it is just a great overall book to own. I plan to purchase the author's books about other National Parks in the future.

I also purchased the Moon book for Yosemite. It has more details on hikes, but for the average vacationer, I think this book is better.

I have several Yosemite Park guidebooks, but I am always looking for something new and different. This book has given me some images of the park that I have never seen in any of the other books or during my online research.

Because I do a lot of photography and hiking in the park, I feel this book is better suited for basics, general information, history, animals in the park as well as the flora and fauna.

This book certainly augments the other books I have on Yosemite and I am glad I purchased this book.

It also gives me personally, so great ideas on taking photos in the park that I had not thought about prior to this.

With regard to hiking, I would purchase the Falcon Guide, Hiking Yosemite National Park, because it really gives you indepth information about each trail.

I purchased several books on Yosemite and found this one to be the
easiest to read and most useful.

I bought this book based on the reviews, but am not happy with it. I am trying to plan a trip and need more logistical information than colorful photographs and trail maps at this point. Technically I guess they feel justified in calling it "complete" because they mention everything at least once. There is no depth though. Planning a trip to Yosemite requires in depth knowledge of the logistics and options available for lodging, for example. You won't find it in this book. Get the Moon Guide to Yosemite instead...I'll probably bring both books on my trip, but I won't have a use for the "Complete Guide" until I'm settled in, putting on my hiking boots, and choosing a trail for the day....

This is a wonderfully written, easy to follow guide book to Yosemite. If you have not already been there you will surely want to go and you will know exactly what to do when you get there. Superb photography too.

The quintessential Yosemite book! A must for every visitor. James Kaiser exposes his readers to the true essence of the park like none other. His words and photos are truly captivating.

I can't say enough about this book - it is the BEST EVER Yosemite guide! If you only have money for one guide, I recommend this one. We are going to Yosemite on vacation this spring, so I bought several books, many of which have good information. But I LOVE this one - not only good information, but stunningly beautiful photographs! I am going to buy a second copy of this for the other couple who are going with us. It will be a valuable resource while we are there, but also a lovely souvenir memento of our trip for years to come.

I was fortunate enough to participate in a Yosemite backpack with the author while he was doing some of his research for this book. I can definitely verify the accuracy of the information. A beautiful park, covered beautifully. James certainly knows how to capture the essence of every place he writes about and photographs!
Thanks for another great book! I'll definitely be adding it to my collection.

This book was such a great resource for our trip to Yosemite! The guide is very easy to navigate, the info is invaluable, the maps are awesome and the photos are just breathtaking! This book really made our first trip to Yosemite a memorable one. We will be bringing it back with us next year!