The Sierra Club Guide to the Natural Areas of California

The Sierra Club Guide to the Natural Areas of California

This invaluable sourcebook for the first time makes available detailed information about more than 200 natural areas in California, including federal and state parks and the public domain, where one can go to enjoy quiet, uncrowded, natural beauty. While 95% of the travelers nationwide crowd into 5% of the available parks and recreation areas, literally scores of little-known wilderness sites in California await the outdoor enthusiast. Sites are listed alphabetically within 9 geographic zones, each entry offering a wealth of detail, including:
-- Location: directions from the closest town or highway, and adjacent wilderness areas
-- Physical descriptions: acreage, outstanding natural features, points of special interest, typical weather patterns
-- Wildlife: birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians
-- Flora: major plant species
-- Recreation: camping, hiking, fishing, swimming, skiing and ski touring, horse riding, bicycling, hunting, boating, rafting, kayaking, and canoeing
-- Resources: park headquarters and ranger districts, including addresses and phone numbers, guidebooks, visitor centers
-- Easy reference: symbols tell at a glance the recreational opportunities for each site

California boasts of 1,340 miles of coastline, rugged mountain ranges including the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Range, vast deserts, 30,000 miles of rivers and streams, and a staggering 40 million acres of forest land. Based on original research and on-site surveys, this unique guide opens the state's outdoor resources to all who yearn to discover them.

"Authors John and Jane Perry want to take you away from fresh-air junk food, those well-publicized state parks and trails seemingly bush-deep with tourists and campers."