Rating: 
Summary: California Hiking, 2001-2002 edition, Stienstra & Brown
Review: ...This newest edition definitely meets the authors' wishes to be THE bible of hiking in California...I was initially taken by the physical format: it was two-thirds the physical thickness yet some 100 pages longer because of a slightly smaller, yet cleaner typeface and a better grade of paper. The internal design is far more attractive as well. It's just easier to carry around and more accessible and enjoyable to use.But the more important points are what it contains, how it is organized, and the efforts the authors have made to insure that it is as factually accurate as possible. Whether you know the area (using the grid maps) or the specific trail (using the index) you wish to hike or want help in choosing from the nineteen categories and 180 specific "Best Hikes", or simply want to browse - it couldn't have been made easier to locate the hike that turns you on. Helping you make the final cut are the ratings for each hike: 1-10 for overall appeal and 1-5 for difficulty. Each hike has both general and specific (down to 1/10th of a mile) directions to the nearest parking and trailhead plus special notes of what to look out for, whether permits are needed - where to get them - and what fees, if any are required. It also tells what "User Groups" are allowed (i.e., dogs, horses, bikes, motorized vehicles, wheelchair access etc.). Finally, it gives specific information on where, how, and often costs, of how to obtain trail and general area and topographic maps. I was surprised that a few Amazon reviewers were upset by the lack of such maps within the book itself. As a former publisher myself, it is obvious they have no concept of what an unusable tome this would turn into if that were done - one of those "really nice to have" but "totally impossible" improvements. Now to the all-important question of accuracy: the authors have stated that there were some 2,500 updates and upgrades in this 5th edition. Besides the authors' hiking of "...many thousands of miles of trails" Stienstra has said in his web site ..."My research editor not only checks all the phone numbers, but faxes each galley page I've finished out to hundreds of rangers and fieldscouts for a third check. This is expensive, but it pays off because the public can have confidence in the book, and word gets around that, hey, these are books that you can count on. Other authors and publishers cannot afford this amount of revision work, because their sales don't merit the investment. There's no way around how much it costs to do the work right. Because our sales are high, I don't mind paying the price to make each book the best possible, bar none." I checked out the driving directions to trailheads, which I was most familiar and they were right on the money. There are actually a lot more features which I haven't mentioned, but I must add in closing that the writing style is clear and friendly and exhibits why Tom Stienstra has won so many awards for outdoor writing. After buying it, you won't leave home for a trail hike in California without it - I sure won't! (Note: after almost 40 years living in California I now come back a number of times each year to visit my kids and grandkids and take them hiking).
Rating:
Summary: This book is literally all you need if you love to hike CA.
Review: Awesome book! Very comprehensive, good directions, very accurate ratings for scenery and difficulty. I've used it many times in the SF Bay Area and in several National Parks. It's bulky, but well worth the weight.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice revision of a popular guide
Review: California Hiking by Tom Steinstra and Ann Marie Brown has become something of a Bible to hikers over the years. This edition has some dramatic changes in format from previous versions of the book. Most obviously, the chapters cover much larger sections of the state. Whereas earlier editions used a narrow (and quite artificial grid) to place hikes, the 2003 guide divides the state into 16 chapters, each covering a broad geographical area of the state: from the Northern Redwoods to the Southern Deserts, and everything in between. Other changes include a longer introduction, with hiker safety tips, and the absence of Steinstra's amusing commentary on the Pacific Crest Trail. The latter was too general to be used by through hikers in any event. Finally a few trails were added or deleted. On the whole, the new edition is an improvement over the last version. Placing hikes in a broad geographical area allows for easier planning of vacations. Still, with any guide this comprehensive, there are bound to be some problems: obviously the authors could not walk every trail listed every couple of years. Generally speaking, Tom Steinstra tends to underestimate miles. Local guides I've read and trails I've hiked tend to suggest more than his descriptions denote. Also, Steinstra requires more effort to give a hike a high difficulty rating than Brown does. Ultimately, this book should not be relied upon for detailed information. Things like trail maps and detailed trail descriptions simply have no room in guide this comprehensive. The book is already a bit too bulky. Nonetheless, this book does give one a nice overview of various sections of the state. It is particularly helpful for travel. It can give someone a brief listing of hikes in an area and suggest a productive use of vacation times. People who do a lot of hiking in one particular area, however, would do well to purchase detailed guides that concentrate on a much smaller region. Living in the San Bernardino Mountains, I found little of use in this book. But it was invaluable on my recent trip to Humbolt Redwoods and vicinity. If you travel the state and like to hike, this book is
well worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: Nice revision of a popular guide
Review: California Hiking by Tom Steinstra and Ann Marie Brown has become something of a Bible to hikers over the years. This edition has some dramatic changes in format from previous versions of the book. Most obviously, the chapters cover much larger sections of the state. Whereas earlier editions used a narrow (and quite artificial grid) to place hikes, the 2003 guide divides the state into 16 chapters, each covering a broad geographical area of the state: from the Northern Redwoods to the Southern Deserts, and everything in between. Other changes include a longer introduction, with hiker safety tips, and the absence of Steinstra's amusing commentary on the Pacific Crest Trail. The latter was too general to be used by through hikers in any event. Finally a few trails were added or deleted. On the whole, the new edition is an improvement over the last version. Placing hikes in a broad geographical area allows for easier planning of vacations. Still, with any guide this comprehensive, there are bound to be some problems: obviously the authors could not walk every trail listed every couple of years. Generally speaking, Tom Steinstra tends to underestimate miles. Local guides I've read and trails I've hiked tend to suggest more than his descriptions denote. Also, Steinstra requires more effort to give a hike a high difficulty rating than Brown does. Ultimately, this book should not be relied upon for detailed information. Things like trail maps and detailed trail descriptions simply have no room in guide this comprehensive. The book is already a bit too bulky. Nonetheless, this book does give one a nice overview of various sections of the state. It is particularly helpful for travel. It can give someone a brief listing of hikes in an area and suggest a productive use of vacation times. People who do a lot of hiking in one particular area, however, would do well to purchase detailed guides that concentrate on a much smaller region. Living in the San Bernardino Mountains, I found little of use in this book. But it was invaluable on my recent trip to Humbolt Redwoods and vicinity. If you travel the state and like to hike, this book is
well worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: Great - But ONLY for Day-Hikers!
Review: Excellent, truely the bible for day-hiking, but be advised that is pretty much all you will find. There is very little multi-day hiking listed here...
Rating:
Summary: This is the CA Hiking bible!
Review: Great guide! Best CA hiking guide i know of! It is very thorough and features many little known spots. My only complaints would be as follows: - it would be nice to get just a tiny bit of camping info thrown in. - frequently the authors make little distinction between the crowded trails and the ones you have all to yourself (though you can generally figure this out on your own). It certainly doesn't seem to play any part in their rating system. I've done many of the hikes from this book in Southern Califonia; some of them i didn't think anyone else knew about! One weak spot is Joshua Tree, there are alot of great spots in this park that arn't mentioned in the book. Then again, the good N.P. hikes are easy to find; it's the hard to find spots that make this book valuable. Overall, a wonderfull book. s.
Rating:
Summary: California Hiker's Bible
Review: Here's an overwhelming collection of California hiking trails. Each is rated on two scales. An overall rating from poor to great lets you know if it's worth your time. A scale from stroll to butt-kicker prepares you for the hike. The John Muir and Pacific Crest trails are covered start to finish. Permits and fees are listed so you can arrive prepared. I always check out the trail notes before any adventure. - Outstanding!
Rating: 
Summary: needs editing
Review: I found this book to be too much like an encyclopedia. There wasn't enough depth to the descriptions. I would have preferred a smaller book that described the trails more carefully; one that fit into my backpack for handy reference.
Rating:
Summary: Unreliable
Review: I sadly found many of the directions in the book to be incorrect which turned into long wasted hours on the trail - lost. With this kind of book, the authors should understand they have a responsibility to double check their material for accuracy.
Rating:
Summary: No Maps
Review: I was surprised to open this book and find no maps. This makes it very hard to get oriented once you've found the trail. The writing is too general and bland. I'm sticking to titles that are more pertinent to the region that have more detailed descriptions. I would have preferred more quality than quantity and more photographs.
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