Parks & Campgrounds Books - Page 12

Anza-borrego Desert Region: A Guide to State Park & Adjacent Areas of the Western Colorado Desert

Lowell Lindsay, Diana Lindsay

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Fifth Edition is the Best Yet. 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 14 people found this review helpful.

For someone who really enjoys mountain trails, I seem to spend a lot of time in the Anza-Borrego Region. This ever-growing state park and surrounding public lands offer some of the best off season recreation in southern California and one cannot find a more comprehensive guide to the area than this book by Lowell and Diana Lindsay. With a huge map, sharp photos, and new updated GPS coordinates (using UTM and traditional lat/lon locations) this book is simply a must have for anyone who wants to spend time in the southern deserts.

Like previous editions, and unlike most Wilderness Press books, the focus of this guide is off-road vehicle travel and auto-touring. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the adjacent BLM lands (and Ocotilla Wells State Vehicle Recreational Area) cover such a large area that auto touring is simply the best way to explore the region. (The "Desert Driving Techniques" section of the introduction is almost mandatory reading for any would be RVers. The authors' humorous descriptions of what happens to weekend road warriers are plenty sufficient to keep me and my little chevy out of many of the areas they describe.) Still, the guide does feature many nature walks and dozens of longer hiking options, including a few backpacking trips. It also lists the many camping opportunities in the region.

Finally, like all Wilderness Press Books, this one is heavy on natural and cultural history. Readers will be treated to the story of Pegleg Smith and his legendary lost gold mine, the destruction of Oh My God hot springs, allegedly for health reasons but actually a concerted effort by citizens of Salton City to rid the area of nudists, the history of Ghost Mountain and poet Marshall South, and a description of the recent (September, 2004) flood of Borrego canyon that uprooted hundreds of Palm Tress (the bowls of which can still be seen some 20 feet above water level) and forever changed the canyon. This all makes for enjoyable reading and adds immensely to one's appreciation of the desert as you explore it. I cannot recommend this guide highly enough.

Editorial Review:

The most trusted guide to the Anza-Borrego region completely covers more than 1 million acres of desert lands with comprehensive road and trail logs with UTM coordinates, natural history, regional and locator maps, and GPS waypoints.

Includes separate folded plastic map that is normally sold separately.

Frommer's Yosemite and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (Park Guides)

Eric Peterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Well-organized, succinct and useful. Not comprehensive. 4 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

This guide is very succinct, affordable, and accessible. It's not at all comprehensive, yet is still one of the most useful guides to the region due to its brevity and organziation. Plus it covers both Sequoia/Kings Canyon and Yosemite.

Planning: A nice job is done. There is a lot of detail on roads into the parks and hotels, information lacking in the more specialized hiking guides. It covers most of the big park highlights you don't want to miss if you're only visiting the region once or twice. This is not the sort of guide that will tell you where to find solitude and remote regions. It is also one of the best guides to have if you don't want to rough it the entire trip. I like to space long backpacking treks with a visit to a nice restaurant-this guide offers a lot of variety on this end. The same goes for hotels, if you're not into backpacking or looking for a place just after getting on/off a plane.

Hiking Trip Descriptions: Pretty minimal. This book spotlights the more popular trails but does a fairly decent job of highlighting don't miss items.

Maps: Non-topographic but highly readable. The printing is crisp and highly readable. Useful for planning short day trips.

Overall this is a pretty useful guide. As the price is great you can easily buy this to supplement a more specialized hiking guide and map. Note that Frommer seems to put out a new edition every couple of years. I don't think very much could have changed, so an older edition will do just fine.

Editorial Review:

Frommer's Yosemite and Kings Canyon/Sequoia is packed with all the facts, tips and descriptions you need to have perfect park vacation, in a pocket size guide: The most memorable natural wonders, from majestic Yosemite Falls to Kings Canyon's towering sequoias. Great places to stay in and near the parks, ranging from historic lodges to family-friendly motels plus a complete campground guide for each park. A fully illustrated nature guide to help you spot and identify condors, bobcats, wildflowers, and more. The best hikes, from ranger-led interpretive walks to challenging backcountry overnights. Detailed, accurate park and trail maps.

Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Danny Palmerlee, Beth Kohn

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Yosemite's granite domes, sweeping vistas and graceful waterfalls amaze visitors, while giant trees tower over Sequoia & Kings Canyon. Whether you want to sit among flowers in Tuolumne Meadows or scale the heights of Half Dome, gear up with this top-selling guide to these well-loved national parks.

Detailed Itineraries - explore Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon with over 20 great itineraries, plus trips to Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest and the rustic Gold Country

Best Hiking Routes - includes 53 of the most enjoyable hikes through valleys, around lakes, up peaks and into the backcountry with easy-to-use charts and topographic hiking maps

Family Friendly Options - information on education programs, campfire talks, ranger walks and the best kid-friendly hikes in our special Kids & Pets chapter

Adventure Ideas - covers rock climbing, mountain biking, swimming, horseback riding, rafting, kayaking, skiing, sledding, volunteering and much more

With 2000 hours of in-park research and over 400 miles of trails hiked, our authors offer sound advice for visitors

Hiking Death Valley National Park: 36 Day and Overnight Hikes (Where to Hike Series)

Bill Cunningham, Polly Cunningham

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Fine Chapter of a Larger Book 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Death Valley is the second most visited national park in California after Yosemite. I am absolutely amazed by this figure every time I visit Point Reyes National Seashore, Sequoia, and the rest of California's spectacular parks. Nonetheless, there is stark beauty to be found in the desert, and Death Valley has more of it, and the history to match, than just about any other place. Indeed, Death Valley is often a top vacation destination for many European tourists who have never experienced a true desert.

If you want to experience Death Valley, currently the largest national park outside of Alaska, driving tours are an important start. There is a lot you can see from your car. But if you really want to experience the park, hiking is your best bet. From short walks along Salt Creek and the historic Harmony Borax Mining Flats, to longer excursions up desert canyons, Death Valley has a lot to offer. This book by Bill and Polly Cunningham details 36 trail routes all with detailed descriptions and decent hypsometric relief maps to guide you on your way. They include some of the classic hikes in the park and a few challenging cross country routes.

If you are planning to visit Death Valley, this is a nice little book. But to really get a feel for the southwestern deserts of California, you would be well advised to get the authors' Hiking California's Desert Parks. This book is simply a reprint of the chapter on Death Valley found in the latter. So, if you are just planning a visit to Death Valley, by all means get this guide. But if there is even the slightest chance the experience will turn you into a desert rat, then be sure to get their more comprehensive volume.

National Geographic Road Atlas - RV & Camping Edition

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Disappointing atlas 1 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

This atlas is typical of others in that it gives good views of individual state roadways. The problem is that it is supposed to be an RV atlas, showing campgrounds throughout the states. It does show 3-5 campgrounds per state, but woefully inadequate to be of any use to RV travelers. Stick with Trailer Life and Good Sam's atlas if you want useful RV info.

Editorial Review:

The RV & Camping Atlas is targeted to the millions of active RV and car camping enthusiasts throughout the US and Canada. This essential guide is the most comprehensive atlas of its kind, featuring 3700 state-by-state RV park and campground listings from the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds (ARVC). Each listing includes contact information, and each of the 3700 RV parks and campgrounds is shown with a colored icon on the maps in the Road Atlas. Also highlighted are 36 popular scenic drives from across the U.S. and Canada, 22 National Park profiles, and State and Provincial Park listings. The National Geographic Road Atlas RV & Camping Edition has 272 pages, is spiral bound, and protected with a hard plastic cover to ensure it will last throughout all your adventures.

Ultimate Hotel Design

Aurora Cuito

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

An Excellent Addition to Your Library! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This book offers a serious, well-informed, insider view of the hotels currently at the avant-garde of interior designing. Many of the properties illustrated represent "la creme de la creme" of the hotel industry in the past decade; and least to say are well worth staying at.

I would particularly recommend this fascinating book to the experienced traveler who takes pride in indulging him or herself in an ambience of exclusiveness and inspiration. A must have!

Editorial Review:

This sumptuously illustrated, beautifully produced book takes the reader on a visual tour of more than sixty of the world's most outstanding hotels. Divided equally among metropolitan and resort hotels in North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East and packed with hundreds of color photographs, Ultimate Hotels is a must-have for anyone interested in distinctive style, service, and design in accommodations. 7A lavishly illustrated tour of more than sixty of the world's most outstanding metropolitan and resort hotels. 7A must-have for anyone Interested in distinctive style, service, and design when staying abroad or away from home.

The Best in Tent Camping: Georgia: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos

Johnny Molloy

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great resource and starting point; get out and see Georgia! 4 out of 5 stars.
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.

This book needs to have an online counterpart. The dearth of good (objective!) camping information online in this part of the country can be frustrating.

This book fills in the gaps for tent campers who need some details on the multitude of camping spots in Georgia, written by someone who had the time to actually visit many of them. This is perfect for busy professionals like myself who often have no idea where to start, and can't waste a free weekend on a campsite that may be subpar.

Molloy fills in the gaps for you with a rubric of important criteria, all from the standpoint of the casual camper who appreciates a quiet, beautiful setting to enjoy. This is information that doesn't really exist elsewhere, so if you camp in the state of Georgia, it's an absolutely essential reference. Seasoned campers with their own favorite spots may have slightly less of a use for this book, but even then one might find a gem that had been previously overlooked.

This work loses a star because the overall map and legend lacks an easy way to identify which star on the map is which campsite, without thumbing back through the table of contents. This made it slightly harder to see which campsites are in which area at a glance. Overall, a very useful reference.

Hint: Take the book along with you camping in your vehicle or duffel bag. Scribble your own notes in the margin regarding the campsite you visited, best places to park, nearest gas station, etc. Make it your own personal reference as well!

Editorial Review:

Whether it’s rafting down the Chattooga River, hiking along the Bartram Trail, or sea kayaking around Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia is chock full of opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts of all abilities. Written to steer campers away from concrete slabs and convoys of RVs, The Best in Tent Camping: Georgia profiles the state's most scenic and serene campsites, from Amicalola Falls State Park, starting point for the Appalachian Trail, to the windswept dunes of Cumberland Island. Each of the 50 sites is rated for beauty, noise, privacy, security, spaciousness, and cleanliness. Also included are details on facilities, reservations, fees, and restrictions, as well as an accurate, easy-to-read map and suggestions for nearby recreation and sight-seeing.

Hiking Mount Rainier National Park, 2nd (Regional Hiking Series)

Heidi Schneider, Mary Skjelset

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

comprehensive and useful 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This is the second edition of a guidebook that I previously called "the best guidebook for hiking (as opposed to climbing) Mount Rainier National Park". That's still true.

The book covers pretty much every official trail in the park, from quarter-mile long interpretive loops to the 90 mile round-the-mountain Wonderland Trail. The book is organized geographically, and includes a table of lists which show trails organized by features (such as easy trails that go to waterfalls, etc.).

Surprisingly it does not contain an alphabetical index, which makes it hard to look up trails or places if you only know their names and not their locations. (For instance, the cover shows a wonderful view of Myrtle Falls, but I was unable to find out from the book how to actually get there! I had to be able to recognize that the view of the mountain was from the Paradise area, and then the falls were shown on one of the Paradise area trail maps.)

It has been some time since I last read the first edition of this guide, but I remember it being quite personal, with descriptions of what the authors saw when they were actually there. There is nothing like that in this edition -- there is no sense that authors actually travelled to Mount Rainier. The writing style seems very professional but unfortunately also very dry.

I spend most of my time in Mount Rainier going off the trails and up to the many peaks that are in the park -- and this book is useless for that purpose. It doesn't even tell you about such easy unofficial trails as Knapsack Pass or Third Burroughs Mountain. To get information like that I recommend Beckey's Guide, Smoot's Climbing Washington's Mountains, and Goldman's 75 Scrambles. (Or my own Seattle Scrambles website.)

But it is an excellent resource for what it does cover: official, maintained hiking trails in Mount Rainier National Park. Each trail is described with a qualitative overview, a detailed description of the hike, a list of points of interest, a map, and a table of vital statistics like the estimated hours it will take to hike the trail and the official source of information on current trail conditions.

(The maps show some topographical detail and some trail detail, but they are not really replacements for serious topo maps. They do show UTM coordinates, but they don't say which datum they are using. The maps probably do suffice for summertime, good weather use -- when you are unlikely to lose the trail as long as you stay on it.)

The book also has some chapters in the back covering things like "leave no trace" ethics, dealing with cougars and bears, how to hike in springtime snow, and subjects like that. Nothing in any great detail, but it could be useful information.

For the person who wants to explore the official hiking trails of Mount Rainier, from the popular to the obscure, this is the book I would recommend.

Utah's National Parks: Hiking, Camping, and Vacationing in Utah's Canyon Country : Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands

Ron Adkison

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good, but trying to cover too many areas 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This was a decent guide book, but it really tried to cover too many parks at once. It seems like it covers more family type day hikes and not a lot of backcountry and backpacking trails. We used it to plan hikes in Zion National park and Canyonlands - Needles District. The book recommended a hike in Canyonlands National park that did turn out to be awesome (Chesler Park/Elephant Canyon to Druid Arch).

We also used it to plan a hike to the Subway in Zion. In this case, I wish it had given more detail, as we ended up a little over our heads on this hike. The water was a LOT higher than we expected based on the pics we had seen and information we had. Apparently, the water levels tend to be higher in April due to snow runoff. If the book had given more information, we probably would have never attempted the hike at that time of year to begin with. Oh well, I guess you live and learn, right?

In conclusion, I would recommend this to anyone who is planning to visit one or more of the parks for a short period and wants to hit the hightlights. If you want a more in depth hiking trip to one of the parks, I would recommend getting a more detailed guide book specific to that park.

Editorial Review:

Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands offer remote and unspoiled wilderness and perhaps the finest backcountry recreation in the nation. Detailed descriptions of 125 hikes, ranging from brief strolls to demanding, cross-country backpack treks. All are shown on topographic route maps.

The Best in Tent Camping: Tennessee: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos (Best in Tent Camping - Menasha Ridge)

Johnny Molloy

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A must for anyone camping in TN 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book is excellent. The author lives in East Tennessee and has spent untold hours in the woods of this state. His detailed account of each campsite is a wonderful resource for those wanting to go camping away from it all. He details many sites which I would not have known exist if I hadn't bought this book. The layout of is great, with a 1-5 star rating of each campsite's privacy, spaciousness, quiet, security, and beauty. Also included is a (semi) detailed map of the campsite itself.
I like his candid writing: he is not afraid of PC, and so if he likes or dislikes a site, he will come right out and say it, even indicating which sites are his personal favorites in the book.
I own one more of his books, and any time I camp in another state, this will be the first authority I check, because of his ability to steer you in the direction of nature and not just some commercial campsite.

Editorial Review:

From river wetlands in the east to weathered mountains in the west, camping in Tennessee has never been better. The Best in Tent Camping: Tennessee is a guidebook for tent campers who like quiet, scenic, and serene campsites. It's the perfect resource if you blanch at the thought of pitching a tent on a concrete slab, trying to sleep through the blare of another camper's boombox, or waking to find your tent surrounded by a convoy of RVs.