Opportunities abound for hikers and equestrians in Big Sur Country, its adjacent state parks, coastline, and public beaches. Here is the guide to exploring 260 square miles of wilderness.

Author Barry Parr describes the region along spectacular Highway One, from the parks, lore, history, and scenic riches, giving strong emphasis to the many day-hikes both from the coast and interior roads, and lesser emphasis on selected backpacking routes mainly in the Ventana Wilderness.

Big Sur is an awesome stretch of spectacular coastline in Central California. The Santa Lucia Mountains quickly rise over 5,000 feet from the ocean. This magnificent landscape begins near Carmel at Point Lobos State Reserve and extends 75 miles south to Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County, just south of the Monterey County line. The steep coastal mountain range and rugged shoreline isolate the Big Sur country, which maintains an unspoiled, rustic charm and relaxed, leisurely pace.This completely revised and updated edition of Day Hikes Around Big Sur includes 99 great day hikes along the coast and throughout the interior mountains. Hikes, which take from one hour to all day, range from easy beach strolls to strenuous mountain climbs with panoramic coastal vistas. The diverse terrain is a hiker's paradise with a well-designed trail system of more than 300 miles. The network of trails venture into the beautiful canyons and across the slopes and peaks, offering unparalleled views of the mountains merging with the coastline. Along Highway 1 are endless views of the scalloped coastline and the deep blue Pacific. Awe-inspiring bridges span numerous creeks and deep canyons. Highlights along the miles of trails include isolated beaches, eroded coves with tide pools, rugged marine terraces, redwood and Monterey cypress groves, shady canyons, waterfalls dropping into mossy glens, lighthouses, and vertical cliffs with crested ridges.Statistics, accurate driving and hiking directions, and numerous maps make these hiking adventures stress free. Dog admission information is included. Most trails can be accessed from Carmel Valley Road or Highway 1, including many beach access points.Companion guides include Day Hikes Around Monterey and Carmel and Day Hikes On the California Central Coast.

A poignant masterpiece of wrenching personal expression from the acclaimed author of On the Road “In many ways, particularly in the lyrical immediacy that is his distinctive glory, this is Kerouac’s best book . . . certainly he has never displayed more ‘gentle sweetness.’”—San Francisco Chronicle Jack Kerouac’s alter ego Jack Duluoz, overwhelmed by success and excess, gravitates back and forth between wild binges in San Francisco and an isolated cabin on the California coast where he attempts to renew his spirit and clear his head of madness and alcohol. Only nature seems to restore him to a sense of balance. In the words of Allen Ginsberg, Big Sur “reveals consciousness in all its syntactic elaboration, detailing the luminous emptiness of his own paranoiac confusion.”

This detailed guide to hiking and backpacking in Big Sur provides the latest information on the trails, roads, camps and beaches, plus all of the area's state parks and wilderness areas. Original.

In the classic nature work, The Yosemite, the great American naturalist, John Muir, describes the Yosemite valley's geography and the myriad types of trees, flowers, birds, and other animals that can be found there. The Yosemite is among the finest examples of John Muir nature writings.The Yosemite is a classic nature/outdoor adventure text and a fine example of John Muir nature writings. In this volume, Muir describes the Yosemite valley's geography and the various types of trees, flowers and animals that can be found there. John Muir (April 21, 1838 - December 24, 1914) was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is a prominent American conservation organization. The 211-mile (340 km) John Muir Trail, a hiking trail in the Sierra Nevada, was named in his honor.[2] Other such places include Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, John Muir College, Mount Muir, Camp Muir and Muir Glacier. In Scotland, the John Muir Way, a 130 mile long distance route, was named in honor of him. In his later life, Muir devoted most of his time to the preservation of the Western forests. He petitioned the U.S. Congress for the National Park bill that was passed in 1890, establishing Yosemite National Park. The spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his writings inspired readers, including presidents and congressmen, to take action to help preserve large nature areas. He is today referred to as the "Father of the National Parks" and the National Park Service has produced a short documentary about his life. Muir has been considered 'an inspiration to both Scots and Americans'. Muir's biographer, Steven J. Holmes, believes that Muir has become "one of the patron saints of twentieth-century American environmental activity," both political and recreational. As a result, his writings are commonly discussed in books and journals, and he is often quoted by nature photographers such as Ansel Adams. "Muir has profoundly shaped the very categories through which Americans understand and envision their relationships with the natural world," writes Holmes. Muir was noted for being an ecological thinker, political spokesman, and religious prophet, whose writings became a personal guide into nature for countless individuals, making his name "almost ubiquitous" in the modern environmental consciousness. According to author William Anderson, Muir exemplified "the archetype of our oneness with the earth", [ while biographer Donald Worster says he believed his mission was "...saving the American soul from total surrender to materialism." 403 On April 21, 2013, the first ever John Muir Day was celebrated in Scotland, which marked the 175th anniversary of his birth, paying homage to the conservationist. Muir was born in the small house at left. His father bought the adjacent building in 1842, and made it the family home.

CLICK HERE to download two free hikes from 100 Classic Hikes in Southern California * Southern California natue in the full-color guidebook it deserves * 100 of Southern California's best hikes * At-a-glance tables help you select the hike that's right for you Southern California isn't just beaches and Hollywood. There are great trails to explore and this guidebook will help you find the hike that's right for your time, fitness, and interests. This region is a paradise for hikers, offering diverse landscapes: mountains, forests, deserts, and coastlines with many trails to explore. This hiking guidebook covers Death Valley, Pinnacles Monument, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, the southern Sierras, Tronna Pinnacles, Mojave National Preserve, the Santa Lucia Mountains, the Central Coast, the San Rafael, Santa Ynez, and the Sierra Madra Mountains, Channel Islands, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Angeles, San Bernardino, and Cleveland National Forests, Anza Borrego State Park, and Joshua Tree. As a bonus, 100 Classic Hikes in Southern California also includes a few trails north of the 37th parallel -- the White Mountains, Yosemite, and the eastern Sierra. Handy features in the guide include topographic maps, elevation profiles, sidebar tips, and a hikes-at-a-glance chart to help readers find the hikes they want quickly and easily.

Seasoned outdoors authors Tom Stienstra and Ann Marie Brown know the best hiking trails in Northern California. This brand-new guidebook leads beginner and expert hikers alike to the best trails the northern part of the state has to offer. Complete with detailed regional maps, hiking tips, difficulty and quality ratings for each hike, Moon Northern California Hiking provides hikers with all the necessary tools to head outdoors.

No ordinary guidebook, Sierra High Route leads you from point to point through a spectacular 195-mile timberline route in California's High Sierra. The route follows a general direction but no particular trail, thus causing little or no impact and allowing hikers to experience the beautiful sub-alpine region of the High Sierra in a unique way.