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Rating: 
Summary: do NOT buy if you like to tent camp.
Review: 75% of the sites in this book allow RV camping. The title is extraordinarily misleading.
Rating: 
Summary: I found this book very helpful
Review: I am currently planning a camping trip where I would like tent camping to predominate over RV camping. I've read the entire book to find a suitable campground for me and my family and friends. I really appreciate that Mr. Mai rates each campground in the areas of BEAUTY, SITE PRIVACY, SITE SPACIOUSNESS, QUIET, SECURITY, CLEANLINESS/UPKEEP. I have numerous "camping in California" books and I really appeciate the "SITE PRIVACY" information contained in this book. For example, another book I have rates "Montana De Oro State Park" an overall 9 out of 10 which sounds great, but Mr. Mai give this park 2 out of 5 because although the park has many trees to shade it, the limbs of the trees are high and don't offer privacy from other campers. When we camp, we like to feel as if we are the only ones in the park. This book also offers info about bear in the area which I haven't typically found in other books (I want to know that I am headed into an area that's home to black bears - not that I wouldn't take the trip - I just want to be aware.)
Rating:
Summary: Thanks For A Very Helpful Book
Review: I love this book. I've been using it for 3 years. When I decided to take up camping, I didn't know where to start (i.e., where do you go? what do you bring? what happens when you get there? etc.) This book answers all these questions and more. Bill Mai writes in an enthusiastic and pleasant style as he reviews various campgrounds. He gives detailed descriptions of each campground that are informative, helpful, thorough and accurate. He has personally camped at most of the campgrounds he writes about, so his reviews are based on personal experience. I have camped at several of the locations he recommends and have yet to be disappointed. I use this book often not only to find my next campground, but also to peruse the reviews that I enjoy reading and re-reading. I even take it with me to browse while capming, and I've shared it with other campers who spoke of the book very positively and found it very helpful. When I was contemplating going camping, I looked and looked for a book like this, and was lucky to find the perfect camping book.
Rating:
Summary: Thanks For A Very Helpful Book
Review: I love this book. I've been using it for 3 years. When I decided to take up camping, I didn't know where to start (i.e., where do you go? what do you bring? what happens when you get there? etc.) This book answers all these questions and more. Bill Mai writes in an enthusiastic and pleasant style as he reviews various campgrounds. He gives detailed descriptions of each campground that are informative, helpful, thorough and accurate. He has personally camped at most of the campgrounds he writes about, so his reviews are based on personal experience. I have camped at several of the locations he recommends and have yet to be disappointed. I use this book often not only to find my next campground, but also to peruse the reviews that I enjoy reading and re-reading. I even take it with me to browse while capming, and I've shared it with other campers who spoke of the book very positively and found it very helpful. When I was contemplating going camping, I looked and looked for a book like this, and was lucky to find the perfect camping book.
Rating: 
Summary: Gives You a Good Feel for the Campsites
Review: Unlike the other books I've seen on this topic, which generally just give the official info (number of sites, type of plumbing, map of hiking trails), Bill Mai gives lots of incidentals that help you get a "feel" for the camping grounds.Each site is given a 1 to 5 star rating in 6 categories: beauty, site privacy, site spaciousness, quiet, security, and cleanliness/upkeep. That way, you can pick and choose according to what's important to you. Also, he has written a little personal blurb about each one, with anecdotes about, maybe, what kind of animals he saw on the hiking trail or which specific campsite he likes best. Kids' preferences are also taken into account, and the question of what time of year is best to visit. It's true, this is not a backpacker's guide - these campsites mostly all are for mixed groups (RVs, cars, etc.) but Mai's suggestions and the quiet and privacy ratings will most likely help you avoid problems. There are a few camps where you have to hike in, but they are attached to the larger campsites. Mai also wrote the same type book for Northern California, and of course it's available here on Amazon.com, with some useful reviews with further info.
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