Yosemite National Park: A Complete Hikers Guide [Paperback]

Jeffrey P. Schaffer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2006

Virtually every single trail in Yosemite National Park is described in this classic guidebook, together with the scenery and natural history found along each trail. View the soaring granite cliffs and waterfalls of Yosemite Valley, or take in the breathtaking vista from Glacier Point. Explore the impressive groves of giant sequoias and hike the spectacular, glacier-carved backcountry. The major trails leading into the park are also described in equal detail—trails in the Emigrant, Hoover, and Ansel Adams wildernesses. Also included is the most up-to-date, topographic map available of Yosemite and vicinity, showing over 1000 miles of trails, all of them personally hiked by the author or his assistant.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeffrey P. Schaffer made his first backpacking trip in a 1962 traverse of the Grand Canyon, at age 19. The following year the climbing frenzy seized him, which lasted until about 1972, some 200 roped ascents later. In that year he began working on his first book for Wilderness Press, The Pacific Crest Trail. Between then and the late 1980s, he was the sole or principal author of 12 guidebooks, and had mapped about 4000 miles of trail for his books and 15' topographic maps. Wilderness Press books authored or coauthored by Jeff include Hiker's Guide to the High Sierra: Yosemite, The Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California, The Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California, The Pacific Crest Trail, Vol. 2: Oregon and Washington, , Desolation Wilderness and the South Lake Tahoe Basin, The Tahoe Sierra, and The Geomorphic Evolution of the Yosemite Valley and Sierra Nevada Landscape.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Wilderness Press; Fifth Edition edition (June 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899973833
• ISBN-13: 978-0899973838
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #74 in Books > Travel > United States > States > California

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good guide, not for the novice, August 5, 2006

By 

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

This review is from: Yosemite National Park: A Complete Hikers Guide (Paperback)

I agree with Fritz's review: this is not a book for casual hikers, but fit day hikers and dedicated backpackers. I've enjoyed all of Schaffer's previous guidebooks and this is perhaps his best offering yet. The book is loaded with details and the separate map attached to the rear page is excellent. Schaffer gives detailed descriptions of each hike, directions to the trailhead and most importantly, trail conditions. Almost all of the trails in Yosemite are in excellent shape, but occasionally, one encounters rocky terrain, boulders or other obstacles.

The only criticism I have is that the hike descriptions are sometimes *too* detailed. The author likes to describe various "side routes" which clutter up the book. He often spends 5 pages on a 10 mile hike and the book occasionally bogs down with simply too much information, much of it superfluous. There's also brief sections on skiing, boating and other activities which do not belong in a hiking book. Finally, the original edition was written in 1972 and though it's thoroughly updated, some readers might balk at such an "old guide.

Still a detailed book for experienced hikers.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Backpacker's Guide to the Park, July 3, 2006

By 

Fritz R. Ward "dayhiker" (Crestline, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Yosemite National Park: A Complete Hikers Guide (Paperback)

Most hiking guides to Yosemite cover the main trailheads that are easily reached by road within the park. They offer numerous day hiking opportunities and generally include a smattering of local and natural history. This book, however, is not a typical hiking guide. The 83 routes described here are long treks covering many miles of backcountry. The average hike in this book exceeds 15 miles in length, and 5 are loops or one way treks that cover more than 50 miles. Taking the recommended side routes will add even more distance (and often elevation gain) to your trek. So, while this book does mention some of the shorter walks in the park (the Tuolomne Grove trail, for example) it is primarily written with backpackers and extremely fit dayhikers in mind.

That said, however, almost everyone with an interest in natural history should get this book. Schaffer has done more original research into the geology of Yosemite than anyone else. His startling conclusion is that glaciers have had only minimal effect on the creation of the valley as we see it today. Instead "mass wasting" (more commonly called rockfall) along joints within the rock created most of the valley formations before the glaciers even arrived. Evidence for this claim is scattered throughout the park and almost every hike Schaffer describes treats readers to some of it. Indeed, many hikes are included precisely for their geological features. Schaffer does an excellent job explaining the significance of these to his readers. So even if you are not planning to hike the "Rancheria Mountain - Tiltill Valley Loop" (Trip 12) with its 24,080 feet of elevation gain and loss over 53 miles, you will still gain a greater appreciation for the history and development of this spectacular region. For this alone, the book is well worth the price.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars No route maps, September 14, 2008

By 

Kekoa Proudfoot - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Yosemite National Park: A Complete Hikers Guide (Paperback)

I'm going to second the other reviewer who said that this book is pretty useless because it has no route maps. It's true, and as a result it's really hard to pick a few spots you'd like to visit and then find a route in the book best gets you to those spots. It's kind of a shame because the book is otherwise very detailed and descriptive. It's just very hard to use because there's no way to visualize where a given route goes without reading through all of its text.