Deepest Valley: A Guide to Owens Valley, Its Roadsides and Mountain Trails

by Genny Smith (Editor)

In eastern California, four hours north of Los Angeles, lies a long, trough-shaped valley bordered on either side by massive mountain ranges. Valley and mountains together form a region of superlatives. Here you will find our highest peak outside Alaska, Mount Whitney; the oldest of all living things, the bristlecone pine; and our deepest valley, the Owens. Completely revised after fifteen years of additional research, this cherished guide is now back in print, thirty-three years after its original publication. The book contains thirty pages of photographs by America's premiere landscape photographers; rare historic photographs; drawings of wildflowers, trees, birds, and mammals, as well as a road and trail map, geologic and mountain drawings, old mining, and railroad maps.

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Brett Warnke]

A great journey along the granite scarp and dried valley, a place of old mines, Paiute, internment camps, and water wars. Useful book for a dramatic valley.

[Tracy]

Owens Valley is one of my Very Favorite Places, and this is the classic guide to visiting that magical place. Deepest Valley has been in print since the early '60s, and because little has changed in Owens Valley since then, even an older edition of the book is a valuable resource. I recently picked up a newer edition than my previous copy and re-read the whole thing. It is full of interesting science and history; it is just a really good read for a guidebook. My favorite thing about the book are the hand-drawn maps and illustrations. They are so well done and incredibly helpful. I particularly like the labeled illustrations of various sections of the range so that you can more easily identify the different peaks. You should not drive up the 395 through Eastern California without this book!