Top Trails: Los Angeles: Must-Do Hikes for Everyone

by Jerry Schad

Book Overview

From the Santa Monica Mountains to Angeles National Forest, from Orange County to the San Bernardino and the San Jacinto Mountains, Southland hiking guru Jerry Schad describes the -must do- trails in the greater Los Angeles area. The highly visual, easy access guidebook includes a range of trails for all levels and abilities suitable for walking, hiking, running, and mountain biking. Each trail has a custom map, -don't get lost- trail milestones,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0899976271
• ISBN13: 9780899976273
• Release Date: August 2010
• Publisher: Wilderness Press
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Few Complaints, overall good

Of the three hiking books I have, this is the best. The other two I have are "Hiking Southern California" and "Afoot & Afield in Los Angeles County." The hikes listed in this book are pretty good. However, the author doesn't rate them (such as 1-5 stars), which would be convenient. Yes, this rating would be subjective, but since the author is knowledgeable enough to write a book on these hikes, I think his rating would be worth including and would assist in choosing which hikes to do. The most useful pages in picking out a hike are the area summary pages, which list hike type (loop or out & back), distance, difficulty (1-5), among many many other important features of a hike. To find hikes that you can see trails for on the map but are not explicitly listed in this book, check out localhikes . com, which is a nice supplement. The maps are lacking on that site, meaning this book and that site complement each other well. On another note, if you do get this book, be sure to read the Camping/Permits section at the beginning of the book. An investment of $30 to get an annual National Forest Adventure Pass is worth the hikes in these areas.

Most Comprehensive Sequoia Hiking Guide

This book accompanies the author's "Kings Canyon National Park: A Complete Hiker's Guide" For those who aren't aware, Kings Canyon (north) and Sequoia (south) are basically one big park. The two books are the most comprehensive guide to the trails in these two parks. Moreover, the book also has some excellent and useful tables in the appendix that detail the length of the trip, whether it is a loop vs. out and back, elevations... For those serious about this region, these are necessary. Two things could improve these books for future editions: 1) The maps are not very clearly printed. It is good that they are topographic USGS-style maps, however the contrast is poor and smudgy. Anyone doing these hikes ought to have a high quality fold-out map from Trails Illustrated or Tom Harrison anyway. Future editions should consider a higher-contrast less detailed map, or two-tone illustration as in the Lonely Planet guides. 2)Together, the two books are over 600 pages long. Clearly at this size they are less than suitable as backpack material anyway. The author may consider expanding them to include cross-country routes for class I/II hikes, as the Roper/Secor/Arnot books have little competition on this angle.

Not for the Casual Walker

Mike White's contribution to the Top Trails series has some spectacular hikes. People who are heavily into the sport will really enjoy the book. Included are hikes up Mt. Rose, the highest peak in the Tahoe basin and long segments of the Tahoe Rim Trail. But this book is not for the faint of heart. Most of the route descriptions in the book exceed 9 miles and several exceed 15 miles. Moreover, these miles involve considerable elevation gain. White does include some shorter walks. The Tahoe Meadows Whole Access Trail is the best of these. Sugar Pine Point also receives some much deserved attention. But the bottom line is that you will need to be in excellent physical condition to fully appreciate what this book has to offer. So if you enjoy strenuous all day treks that offer stunning scenery in return for your efforts, this is the book for you. But if you want a guide to the many pretty nature trails that surround Lake Tahoe, you will have to look elsewhere. Moreso than other books in the Top Trails series, this book is for serious hikers that like to push the limits of their endurance.

Most of the Best Hikes in and around Los Angeles

I'm always happy to find another book by Jerry Schad. I have used his trail guides to enrich my life in Southern California for many years. He is an established Wilderness Press author and was the natural choice for the Los Angeles edition of the new "Top Trails" hiking series.The purpose of the "Top Trails" series is provide a list of "must do" trails in various regions of California. Editor Joseph Walowski conceived the series and provided a very useful schema for locating trails and assessing their difficulty. People looking for an easy stroll, a strenuous workout, or child-friendly outdoor locations will find this guide very useful. By and large, Jerry Schad's selection of hikes meets the goals of the series. He includes nice waterfalls, easy (and not so easy) peaks, and terrific bike paths. Also, there was surprisingly little overlap with Schad's '101 Hikes in Southern California.' Even hiking enthusiasts will find something new here.Readers should be aware of a couple of flaws in the text. On page 9 Schad says that there are no trail quotas for any of the hikes in the book. While generally true, that statement does not apply to the Vivian Creek trail up San Gorgonio Peak. The Forest Service issues only a limited number of permits and weekends can be booked for more than a month in advance. On a broader level, this book really does not do the San Bernardino National Forest trails justice. Schad includes only 3 hikes in this region. Many more deserve mention. The Grandview Point Trail and Gray's Peak Trail near Big Bear are among the most scenic trails in Southern California. Taquitz Peak and the Desert View Nature Trail on Mt. San Jacinto also deserve inclusion in a book like this. To Schad's credit, however, no one will be disappointed by any of the hikes he listed. Get the book and have fun.

Presenting a wealth of useful facts

Compiled and organized by Mike White, Sequoia National Park: A Complete Hiker's Guide is a handy resource offering customized topographical maps for each of the 62 Sequoia National Park hikes it features, as well as extensive information concerning wilderness permits, camping options, climate information, and much more. Sequoia National Park is confidently recommended as an excellent companion guide presenting a wealth of useful facts for getting the most out of a hiking vacation or expedition.