Backcountry Adventures: Northern California (Paperback)

by Peter Massey (Author), Jeanne Wilson (Author) "If you plan to do off-highway touring, all of these considerations are important, whether you are evaluating the capabilities of your current SUV or looking..." (more)
Key Phrases: zero trip meter, seasonal closure gate, trail commences, Northern California, North Coast, Sierra Nevada (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Don't leave home without it. -- Truck Trend

This massive piece of research is one terrific reference book...The $34.95 book is worth every penny. -- Los Angeles Daily News

To say we'd strongly recommend this book is an understatement. -- Auto Week

Product Description
Part of a multi-award winning series, Backcountry Adventures: Northern California provides information and directions to 2,653 miles of SUV trails throughout the glorious California backcountry while teaching minimal environmental impact travel. The book gives detailed, step-by-step route directions for 152 scenic drives, rated from easy to challenging that take you from the coastal redwood forests to the peaks of the Sierra Nevada. In addition to the enormously detailed trail information, there are hundreds of photos of frontier towns, historic mining operations, old railroad routes, wildflowers, and native animals. Trail history is brought to life through the accounts of Spanish missionaries who first settled the coastal regions of Northern California; eager prospectors looking to cash in during California’s gold rush; and legends of lost mines still hidden in the state’s expansive backcountry. Every trail includes maps, ratings for degree of difficulty and scenic beauty, driving times, distances, and GPS coordinates. The book appeals to virtually everyone who loves the outdoors: campers, anglers, hikers, mountain bikers, snowmobilers, amateur prospectors, sightseers, GPS owners, wildlife seekers, and more.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: Swagman Publishing (August 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930193084
• ISBN-13: 978-1930193086
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #574,827 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Guidebook...Hands Down!, December 11, 2002

By	sabrina (Utah) - See all my reviews

We were wondering if the book could be worth it but we thought we'd give it a try. WOW! This book has everything, I mean EVERYTHING you could want to know as you explore the state (directions, lots of photos, interesting history, info about animals and plants w/pics, rating systems, and GPS coordinates)!!
Love this book. I hope that I can collect the rest of the titles about the other states. My book was fun to take along on the vacation drive but I could see just sitting and reading through it at home!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The be all of recreational fun!, November 8, 2004

By	James J. Wilson "booksfasst" (Sacramento, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book thinking that the inside would be black and white text explanations saying turn left here, go right there. How shocked I was to find out that the whole text is full of glossy pages in full color. This book has it all...history, GPS coordinates, turn-by-turn instructions for the trails, a nature guide, even cross references with other books and software!

This book has become a permanent fixture in my SUV! There is nothing else out there than even compares!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutley FABULOUS!, July 14, 2003

By	Aussie Kelly "skeptical cook" (Texas) - See all my reviews

WOW this was really helpful for giving us something fun to do with the new Jeep Rubicon. Ratings are a great guide. Mostly the trails are pretty sedate - but there are are quite a few hard ones listed to keep the rest of us happy. The history of the area is also interesting. The GPS coordinates are a huge bonus, better than wandering around wondering if you are allowed to be on this trail or not. Definately recommend - it worth the money in savings on wasted fuel - and driver/navigator harmony ;-)