South Bay Trails: Outdoor Adventures Around the Santa Clara Valley

Rating:
Summary: A jewel that's not out of date yet
Review: Even though this book is rather old, it has complete coverage of the South Bay parks, so far I haven't found anything out of date, and it has features you don't find in other hiking books. Besides distance, time, elevation, and good maps, there's an appendix in the back that groups trails according to season (e.g., shady trails for summer), length, view, history, bicycles, wheelchairs, children, and so on. An extremely useful handbook!

Rating:
Summary: Contains tons of useful information
Review: This book contains everything you'd want in a trail guide. It's up to date, with the latest edition being 1999. It has extensive maps and clear descriptions of how to get to trailheads, where to park and how much you'll have to pay when you get there. It includes lesser-known as well as popular areas. Finally, the trail descriptions are clear and useful. If this book doesn't inspire you to get out on the trail, nothing will.