The best way to appreciate the richness of the desert landscape is on foot. The best dayhikes in and around three desert parks, with accurate maps, photos, and tips on desert hiking.

Fully updated and revised, this guides features 114 hikes of all levels in four California Desert Parks; Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks, and Mojave National Preserve.

Trek the diverse terrain of Southern California, from desert to beach to mountaintop, on an easy stroll or overnight adventure, with this ultimate guide to the 101 best hikes in the Southland. Covers the Santa Monica, San Gabriel, San Jacinto, and San Bernardino mountains, and the Mojave and Colorado deserts. This updated and revised edition of one of our best-selling guidebooks includes 12 new hikes and updated information for hikes from the previous edition. All trips have been rehiked for this update. Each trip includes a map, photos, trail highlights, and symbols to tell you the basics of the trip at a glance. Each map now includes key GPS coordinates.

This guide takes you into the little-known wilds of three central coast counties: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. Each trip lists mileage, difficulty, elevation gain, and a "child rating," and has a route map.

Discover 101 of the best hikes in Southern California, from family outings to 50-mile treks. The Southland is unparalleled for its beauty and diversity. A coastal trail, a desert hike, and a mountain trek are always just an hour or two away. Experience 101 of the region’s best hiking trips with authors David Harris and Jerry Schad. See a spectacular geological showcase cradled between two faults at the Devil’s Punchbowl. Find the ruins of a once grand Malibu mansion, now Solstice Canyon Park. Enjoy the natural hot springs alongside a mountain stream at Deep Creek. Take the guesswork out of choosing a trail that’s right for you. Each entry in this guidebook provides vital information like total distance, elevation gain or loss, hiking time, highlights, and difficulty—not to mention a full description of the route. You can take the entire family on a 1-mile stroll, or challenge yourself with a 52-mile backpacking trip. Inside you’ll find: 101 spectacular hikes, ranging from 1 to 52 miles Essential details such as distance, elevation change, and difficulty Route descriptions and directions to the trailheads Full-color maps and photographs Leave the urban world behind and discover the natural splendor of Southern California—from the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains to the Laguna Mountains and Anza-Borrego Desert, from the Torrey Pines beaches to the summit of San Jacinto Peak.

50 Best Short Hikes San Diegohighlights enough diverse routes in Southern California’s showpiece city for a year of weekly hikes. From sidewalk strolls and historic neighborhoods, to wildflowers and waterfalls, pleasant pastimes and panoramic vistas unfold in this handy guidebook. As the title says, these routes are “short.” They range from less than 1 mile to nearly 8 miles, with an average of 5 miles, each, over all 50 of the hikes. And all lie within 30 miles of San Diego’s central core. Outdoor author and longtime San Diego resident Jerry Schad takes you from the beauty of Del Mar Crest and Beach on the north coast, to the inland Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve. He guides you from walks in San Diego’s Torrey Pines Beach and Reserve, to Rice Canyon in the south and the Hollenbeck Preserve in the east. Beaches, urban settings, nature preserves, and mountain peaks beckon locals to explore their own backyards and visitors to enjoy one of America’s most stunning metropolitan environments. Detailed maps and enticing photos accompany each descriptive entry. Whether you have one hour or all day to stretch your legs, you’ll find yourself turning to this guidebook again and again.

Get Ready for a Lifetime of Awe-Inspiring Adventures In California, backpackers can explore wild beaches, enjoy colorful canyonlands, hike amid stunning granite peaks, relax in wildflower meadows, and circle glacier-clad mountains. Discover 71 of California’s best and most diverse backpacking trips with the expert backpackers and experienced authors of Wilderness Press. Backpacking California details the premier opportunities across the entire state. This fully updated edition describes scenic escapes ranging from one night to two weeks, or 3 to 68 miles. Choose from carefully crafted trips in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Big Sur, Desolation Wilderness, Mount Shasta, Point Reyes National Seashore, the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains, Trinity Alps, Yosemite National Park, and more. Each carefully crafted itinerary offers geographic diversity, beautiful landscapes, and attainable daily mileage goals. This in-depth guide provides all the information backpackers need, including trail highlights, mileage, elevation gain, days on the trail, shuttle distances, required permits, and more—not to mention full-color photographs and detailed trail maps. Plus, ratings for scenery, solitude, and difficulty help you to find the exact adventure you seek. Whether you’re a novice backpacker or a veteran hiker, with this many options you may have trouble deciding where to go first!