Hiking the Sierra Nevada

by Barry Parr

Thoroughly updated and revised, this four-season guide samples 140 of the best hikes from every quarter of the range, geared to differing levels of skill and experience.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction

432 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1999

Reviews

[James]

Thoroughly updated and revised, this four-season guide samples 140 of the best hikes from every quarter of the range, geared to differing levels of skill and experience.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to talk about reading a guidebook unless you're really bored or desperate, both of which kind of describe me right now. On the downside, I haven't really had a chance to explore the hikes, which is of course the real test.

This is a really interesting collection of hikes. What makes it different from other hiking books I've looked at is that it looks beyond the usual alpine and sub-alpine treks in the Sierra, and talks about foothill (low-altitude) hikes as well, which makes it more year-round versatile than some other guidebooks.

My particular gripes:
- the book talks about "GPS-compatible" maps and hike descriptions, but I didn't see it in any way.
- most of the hikes are listed as day hikes, which is nice, but it would be nice to delineate which ones are doable (and worthwhile) as overnighters. (There are some "obvious" overnighters but there are quite a few which are the right distance for a mellow overnighter or strong dayhike, and it's not always obvious which can and can't be done).

[Kassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great hiking guide covering the eastern and western Sierra Nevadas from Oroville to Olancha with 96 hikes varying from very short (less than 3 miles) to multi-day excursions not for the feint at heart. I haven't done all of the hikes but the information on those I've trekked was great. I especially like the elevation charts. Highly recommended for anyone looking to explore the Sierra Nevada at their own pace.