Afoot and Afield: San Diego County

by Jerry Schad

The Los Angeles Times has hailed Southern California' hiking guru Jerry Schad's Afoot & Afield San Diego County as "the bible of San Diego hiking." Encompassing the county from Sunset Cliff Park and the Bayside Trail at Point Loma to Fonts Point in the Borrego Badlands, this hiking guide is the "must-have" to explore San Diego's diverse outdoors. The book covers all the worthwhile hiking destinations throughout the county - including the coast, foothills, mountains, and desert - in trips ranging from the short family excursions to multi-day backpacks. This long-awaited fourth edition of San Diego County's most recognized and comprehensive hiking guide has been fully updated and expanded to cover 250 hikes. All new maps.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Travel, Outdoors, Nature

458 pages, ebook

First published April 1, 1986

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The San Diego hiking bible. You need this book!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hiking has become my latest obsession, and this handy guide, known as the bible of San Diego hiking and trekking, is a big help in making my way around the county! The trips are organized into geographic areas (ex: Mountain, Coastal, Desert), and all pertinent information is provided (distance, time, difficulty, ideal season). Rough maps are shown, and the highlights of each hike are described at length. There is a trip for every type of hiker in this book, from low-key coastal walks to multi-day bushwacking adventures. I've made it a life goal to complete every hike in the book, but time will tell whether or not that is a realistic dream or not, as a handful of the hikes are extremely challenging and require significant backpacking experience. I'm currently using an old version of the book, but I plan to purchase the new version as well, since there are many more hikes to choose from. Also included, as appendices, are lists of "best hikes," recommended reading, and park contact information. I highly recommend this book to all adventuring types, and I plan to check out Schad's Orange County version as well.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jerry Schad has been writing these detailed guides to hiking in San Diego for many years. I have several previous editions, and this one is a welcomed addition to the collection as it covers many areas after the Cedar Fire of 2003. Schad profiles the hikes according to difficulty, provides maps and directions, and writes a step-by-step illustration of the experience of walking on each trail.

The book is divided into areas of San Diego County, so that the reader can select a chapter according to which area he/she might choose to travel to that day. Schad also recommends the best season for experiencing each trail.

This is a great book for natives of San Diego County who want to get to know their tourist options as walkers, birders, or hikers. It is also a wonderful tool for visitors of San Diego who would be interested in the outdoors.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could say I've tried all (or even most) of the hikes recommended in this great book, but I find that I just keep going back to the same places that I now know and love. However, I thank this book for guiding me to those canyons and hills in the first place! This is a well-researched, accessible and practical guide to hoofing it around San Diego's natural environment. You don't have to consider yourself a hiker or a runner to get value from this book--there are plenty of simple trails for walking. I highly recommend this book to anyone living in or visiting the San Diego region.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

San Diego is the most lovely and picturesque city to live in, and San Diego County offers a stunning variety of landscapes and geology. This guide is comprehensive, detailed, and encompasses the entire county.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just bought a new copy after my old one went missing. Now seven years old, this edition is getting slightly out of date, but remains the best guide to San Diego hiking trails around. Very clear and helpful, plus you learn a little natural history about each area.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jerry Schad is my hero.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of the hiking trails in San Diego County. I'm going to try to do every hike in the book.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful guide for hiking in this beautiful County.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beginning a series of hikes in the San Diego area. Cowles Mountain today. Doing the northeast approach. I like Schad's guide so far.

[Curtis Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The single most loaned out book in my library.

[JW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rest in Peace, Jerry. Definitive guide to San Diego County hikes.

[Book Wyrm]

The Schad is RAD!

[Ariadna73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice; well documented. The directions to go to the trails are particularly useful. Thanks to this author.

[Cherie Kephart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed, useful, and accurate guide to all the beautiful hiking trails in San Diego. Such a wonderful resource.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The San Diego hiking Bible. A fantastic guide.

[Nikki Eddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bible. That is all. :)

[Emily]

I've been referencing this book to find interesting and challenging hikes. It contains narrative descriptions of each hike with an accompanying text box providing informatiom on difficulty, length, elevation gain/loss and other details. I would recommend this to anyone living in San Diego looking for hikes.