Bay Area Hiker: Recommended Reading and Links

North Bay:
• Trails of Northeast Marin County (map), published by Pease Press (order from Pease Press). This map is helpful navigating to parks and preserves, and on the trails.
• Trails of Mt. Tamalpais and the Marin Headlands, by Gerald Olmsted. Note: this map is updated often, so make sure to get the newest one: 10th edition, 2005, on indestructible paper!
• Mount Tam Trail Map, published by Tom Harrison Maps (order from Tom Harrison Maps). Comparable to the Olmsted map.
• Hiking Marin, by Don and Kay Martin (order this book from Amazon.com). This book describes more than 140 Marin hikes, with a map for each one. The descriptions could be plumped up, but the maps are very helpful.
• Secret Waterfalls of Marin, by Michael McCarthy (order these e-books from the Intentional Traveler website). Two volumes of an e-book, in pdf format, are a guide to 35 Marin County waterfalls. Nice photos too.
• Open Spaces: Lands of the Marin County Open Space District, by Barry Spitz (order this book from Amazon.com). A very good guide to MCOSD preserves.
• Tamalpais Trails, by Barry Spitz (order this book from Amazon.com). I'm not the one who coined the phrase "Mount Tamalpais bible," but I have to agree. The only criticism I have is the map does not show topography.
• Point Reyes by Jessica Lage (order this book from Amazon.com). This is a very good guide to Point Reyes, particularly for out-of-town visitors, or folks new to the area. It includes descriptions of the area, lodging options, sections on natural history, a good selection of hikes, and user-friendly maps.
• Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area by Tracy Salcedo-Chourré (order this book from Amazon.com). This guidebook is comparable to the above Point Reyes title; both have very good detailed hikes and some extra information. Missing from Salcedo-Chourré's book is profiles of adjacent parks and preserves not part of Point Reyes National Seashore or GGNRA. This is an unfortunate omission for folks visiting from out of town who might like to explore Samuel P. Taylor State Park or Tomales Bay State Park. Also, bewilderingly enough, this title lacks an index.
• Point Reyes National Seashore: A Hiking and Nature Guide, by Don and Kay Martin (order this book from Amazon.com). Some of this material is duplicated in Hiking Marin, but if you're interested in a small, easy-to-carry guide to Point Reyes, this book has good maps and sparse but helpful guides for all the major Point Reyes treks.
• Point Reyes: Secret Places and Magic Moments, by Phil Arnot (order this book from Amazon.com). This a is very different guide to Point Reyes, focusing mostly on adventurous exploration of obscure shoreline features such as secret beaches, waterfalls, and sea caves. For the most part it's not for the timid, and requires good common sense and the use of tide tables.
• Point Reyes National Seashore Trail Map, published by Tom Harrison Maps (order from Amazon.com). Printed on waterproof paper, this map extends to cover Samuel P. Taylor State Park.
• North Bay Trails, by David Weintraub (order this book from Amazon.com). There a few holes in this book's content, and the maps can be frustrating, but North Bay Trails is a helpful guide for the major parks and preserves of Marin, Napa, and Sonoma.
• The Hiker's hip Pocket Guide to Sonoma County, by Bob Lorentzen (order this book from Amazon.com). This book features a good mix of coastal and inland destinations, with maps of varying quality.
• Great Day Hikes in and around Napa Valley, by Ken Stanton (order this book from Amazon.com). This second edition covers many parks and preserves neglected by the major bay area hiking books. Although a few of the park descriptions are fairly weak, north bay hikers will appreciate the in-depth narratives for such destinations as Mount St. Helena, Skyline Park, and Jack London State Park.

South Bay:
• Peninsula Tales and Trails, by David Weintraub (order this book from Amazon.com). This is a guide to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, with descriptions, maps, and featured hikes for each preserve. Lots of interesting history is included, as well as very good photos (many in color).
• South Bay Trails, by Jean Rusmore, Betsy Crowder, and Frances Spangle (order this book from Amazon.com). Written by the authors of Peninsula Trails, this book is comprehensive, but riddled with typos, and suffers from a nagging, cranky tone in places. Some younger hikers might sense the disjunction of a generation gap. Even so, South Bay Trails' text and maps make for good reading when you're planning a south bay hike.
• The Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Book, by Tom Taber (order this book from Amazon.com). Taber's book, now in the 10th edition, contains a wealth of information, and is particularly useful for finding and hiking the Santa Cruz Mountain's minor parks and preserves. The maps are spare, and some readers may find the book's "extras" somewhat silly and dated.
• Peninsula Trails, by Jean Rusmore (order this book from Amazon.com). Tthis book has been around long enough to reach classic status, and it does cover a lot of peninsula ground, but I am perplexed by the omission of trail descriptions at Memorial Park (which was described in the 3rd edition) and Hidden Villa. The biggest improvement to the 4th edition is maps by Ben Pease.
• Trails of the Coastside and Northern Peninsula (map), by Pease Press.
• Trail Map of the Santa Cruz Mountains (map 1), by the Sempervirens Fund (includes Castle Rock, Big Basin, and Portola Redwoods)
• Trail Map of the Santa Cruz Mountains (map 2), by the Sempervirens Fund (includes Big Basin, Butano, and Skyline-to-the Sea)
• Trail Map of the Southern Peninsula, by the Trail Center (order this map from Amazon.com).
• Trail Map of the Central Peninsula, by the Trail Center (order this map from Amazon.com).

East Bay:
• East Bay Out, by Malcolm Margolin (order this book from Amazon.com). East Bay Out is a lyrical guide to parks of the East Bay Regional Park District. It's not all that useful in getting from point a to point b, but it makes for great reading.
• Mount Diablo (& Surrounding Parks) map, published by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, is invaluable for exploration of Los Vaqueros, Mount Diablo, Round Valley, and more area parklands. This huge weatherproof map could double as an emergeny shelter (kidding, but it's big). Order at http://www.mdia.org.
• Trails of the East Bay Hills (Central Section), by Gerald Olmsted (order this map from Amazon.com).
• Trails of the Easy Bay Hills (Northern Section), by Gerald Olmsted (order this map from Amazon.com).
• East Bay Trails, by David Weintraub (order this book from Amazon.com). This is a good, basic guide to the major east bay destinations. The second edition includes 3 new hikes, greatly improved maps by Ben Pease, and is more practically organized.

San Francisco:
• Stairway Walks in San Francisco, by Adah Bakalinsky (order this book from Amazon.com). This is an ideal book for both San Francisco residents and visitors. It's a fun guide to a diverse spectrum of city walking possibilities, from Telegraph Hill to Lands End. Each walk has a simple map, directions, and accompanying text with all kinds of related facts, but (unfortunately) no mileage markers. Some historic photos and pretty line drawings are included.
• Walking San Francisco, by Liz Gans and Rick Newby (order this book from Amazon.com). If I hadn't been spoiled by Stairway Walks, I'd recommend this book more heartily. To me, Walking San Francisco is a guide best suited to visiting tourists, while Stairway Walks is for locals. Walking San Francisco includes the standard trips through Chinatown, Russian Hill, The Presidio, Lands End, and (somewhat incongruously), one hike in the Marin Headlands. Directions are clear and the maps are easy to read. I much prefer Stairway Walks, since it includes a more diverse list of walks throughout a larger geographical range, as well as rambles through some of the city's hidden wild spots, like Mount Davidson and Glen Canyon. If you're in town for a short time and want to hit all the regular city sites, Walking San Francisco may be the book for you.

Camping
• The Best in Tent Camping, Northern California, by Cindy Coloma with Bill Mai (order this book from Amazon.com).
• The Best in Tent Camping, Southern California, by Charles Patterson with Bill Mai (order this book from Amazon.com).
• Camping and Backpacking the San Francisco Bay Area, by Matt Heid (order this book from Amazon.com). All bay area camping and backpacking destinations are described in this book, which includes park maps for the car and hike-in campgrounds, and trail maps for the backpacking excursions. General trail info helps in planning hikes. I do wish Heid's book encompassed coastal Sonoma County campgrounds like Pomo Canyon and Bodega Dunes, and there are no campgrounds maps, a feature I really miss. Despite those quibbles, this is a great guide for bay area campers who love to hike.
• California Camping, by Tom Stienstra (order this book from Amazon.com)). I refer to this book constantly when planning camping adventures in the state, and find it best used to obtain campground specifics and a general feeling for a place. My problem with the book is that I have a hard time following the driving directions. As an example, when driving to Letts Lake, in the Mendocino National Forest, the directions refer to a series of junctions, and instruct the reader to turn right or left, without ever mentioning the names of the roads. For me, this is the book's biggest shortcoming; it may be impossible to include more detailed driving directions, since each campground profile has a limited amount of space. In any case, for campgrounds way in the middle of nowhere, I always supplement this book's driving directions with either AAA or National Forest maps.

Birds
• Birds of San Francisco and the Bay Area, by Chris C. Fisher and Joseph Morlan (order this book from Amazon.com). A must for beginning birders. Clear, large illustrations and descriptions of all common birds around the Bay Area.
• Birds of North America, by Kenn Kaufman. My favorite all-purpose birding guide; it was recommended to me by a birding hiker on Mount Tam, and he was right -- it's a great book. (Order this book from Amazon.com).
• Peterson Field Guides: Hawks of North America, by William S. Clark/Brian K. Wheeler (order this book from Amazon.com). I have the first edition of this book, so I can't specifically vouch for the 2nd edition, but I've found this field guide to be very useful in my attempt to identify bay area raptors. Many bird field guides have one or two photos of hawks and eagles, but this book features multiple photos and illustrations of bird from above and below.
• National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Western Region, by Miklos D.F. Udvardy (order this book from Amazon.com). Good basic guide.
• Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Western Region, by Kevin J. Colver with Donald and Lillian Stokes (order this cd set from Amazon.com). This 4-cd set is a collection of all major western bird calls and songs. The common bird name is spoken and followed by a series of recorded calls and/or songs. A printed booklet is included in the set. If you're trying to expand your birding world, learning to bird by ear is the way to go, and being able to identify individual bird noises is invaluable. I recommend using the cds in conjunction with a bird field guide -- then you can weed out the birds not found wherever you happen to be (many rare southern Texas and Alaska birds are included on the cds) and more effectively narrow down a search.
• The Backyard Bird Feeder's Bible, by Sally Roth (order this book from Amazon.com). If you like to feed the critters in your neighborhood (including squirrels), this book is a comprehensive guide to feeders and foods. It covers the whole country, so if you live in the bay area you may find yourself disappointed every time the author gushes about cardinals (we don't get cardinals here).
• Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, by Mark Bittner (order this book from Amazon.com). This is much more than a bird book; it's about how caring for a flock of parrots helped the author find meaning in his own life. Bittner describes the parrots so well that at the end I felt I knew them, and was motivated to walk around Telegraph Hill looking for them. What a joyful brood they are! Noisy and colorful, they add to the charm that is San Francisco, as does this book.

Local vegetation
• Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region, by Eugene Kozloff and Linda Beidleman (order this book from Amazon.com). The second edition of this guide is essential for bay area plant indentification. I reach for it constantly, and it never disappoints.
• The Trees of San Francisco, by Mike Sullivan (order this book from Amazon.com). This book is of particular interest for San Francisco residents wanting to identify street trees or choose a tree for a front yard or sidewalk. Sullivan describes the City's trees well, provides addresses so you can visit specimens in person, and the book is nicely illustrated with photos. Tree walking tours are also included.
• Introduction to Trees of the San Francisco Bay Region, by Glenn Keator (order this book from Amazon.com). A perfect guide to bay area tree identification -- I especially appreciate how the author includes where to find different trees.

Edible plants and foraging
• The Flavors of Home, by Margit Roos-Collins (order this book from Amazon.com). Roos-Collins has a really nice and friendly tone, and this book is informative and fun. Personal anecdotes are mixed through straightforward tips for identifying and finding edible wild plants in the bay area. Since The Flavors of Home is illustrated, it's best used in concert with a secondary source containing photos (like the Botanical Data Hosted at the Digital Library Project).
• Edible and Poisonous Plants of Northern California, by James Wiltens (order this book from Amazon.com). For me this book is a distant second to The Flavors of Home, but is does contain valuable info, particularly regarding poisonous plants.
• Edible and Useful Plants of California, by Charlotte Bringle Clarke (order this book from Amazon.com). This book holds a 1978 copyright, and it does show its age: there are more current books with better illustrations. The recipes are simple and feel like throwbacks to the 70's. However, Edible and Useful Plants of California does span the whole state, and includes plants that grown in urban areas, as well as deserts, wetlands, and mountains.
• Stalking the Wild Asparagus, by Euell Gibbons (order this book from Amazon.com). This 1962 book has a limited use for Californians. Illustrations are weak, and many plants described here are not found in our state. Also, contemporary readers may feel a bit sickened to read about eating animals including raccoons and bobcat (to be fair, Gibbons himself felt bad about the bobcat). It its defense, there are plenty of fun recipes, and the book makes for good armchair reading.

California plants and gardening
• The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California, edited by James C. Hickman (order this book from Amazon.com). The Jepson Manual is the classic source for California plant identification. If you are a serious student of wild vegetation, you may want to have this book in your collection.
• Growing California Native Plants, by Marjorie G. Schmidt (order this book from Amazon.com). This guide includes simple line illustrations of some plants, a few color photos, and instructions for choosing, propagating and growing native annuals and perennials.
• Complete Garden Guide to the Native Shrubs of California, by Glenn Keator. I guess this book is out-of-print, which is a shame. I use it often, both in identifying wild shrubs and selecting appropriate natives for gardening.

Trees
• Trees and Shrubs of California, by John D. Stuart and John O. Sawyer (order this book from Amazon.com). This field guide has great illustrations and some photos. It's perfect for hikers striving to learn native trees and shrubs.
• Peterson Field Guides: Western Trees, by George A. Petrides/Olivia Petrides (order this book from Amazon.com). I rarely use this guide now that I have Trees and Shrubs of California in my stable.

Flowers
• Peterson Field Guides: Pacific States Wildflowers, by Theodore F. Niehaus/Charles L. Ripper (order this book from Amazon.com). I don't reach for this book as much, now that I have more useful bay area guides, but it's still a good basic wildflower source.
• Wildflowers of California, by Larry Ulrich (order this book from Amazon.com). Not a guidebook, Wildflowers of California is a collection of stunning photos, and would be a nice gift for flower lovers. The book includes dates and locations for photos, useful information when you're on the hunt for the best blooms.

Mushrooms
• All That the Rain Promises, and More..., by David Arora (order this book from Amazon.com). A pocket guide to western mushrooms and fungi. A great companion for winter hikes, this book is filled with photos and comments from mushroom hunters.

Butterflies
• Common Butterflies of California, by Bob Stewart (order this book from Amazon.com). Beautiful photos, and a good source for bay area butterfly identification.
• Butterflies through Binoculars: the West, by Jeffrey Glassberg (order this book from Amazon.com). A new favorite, this book has very good photos, plus loads of information about butterfly behavior. For example, the author advises looking for anise swallowtails on hilltops (once I read this I had a major "of course" moment, since I often see anise swallowtails at the crest of hills).
• Caterpillars in the Field and Garden, by Thomas J. Allen, Jim P. Brock, and Jeffrey Glassberg (order this book from Amazon.com). Finally, a reference source for caterpillars!
• Field Guide to Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Valley Regions, by Arthur M. Shapiro and Timothy D. Manolis (order this book from Amazon.com).
• An Obsession with Butterflies, by Ahrman Apt Russell (order this book from Amazon.com). A sweet little book packed with little tidbits about butterflies and moths. I particularly enjoyed reading about butterfly behavior, including how butterflies find host plants: they look for familiar leaves, then land on contenders and "taste" the leaves with their feet.

Mammals
• Scats and Tracks of the Pacific Coast, by James C. Halfpenny (order this book from Amazon.com). My favorite field guide to identify animal signs, this book includes details about mammals as well as birds and amphibians. The writing is clear and the illustrations helpful.
• Animal Tracks, by Olaus J. Murie (order this book from Amazon.com). This is the second edition (I have the first). It's a basic guide, with illustrated images of tracks and scat.
• National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals, by John O. Whitaker, Jr. (order this book from Amazon.com). Covers everything from squirrels to grizzly bears.

Insects and Spiders
• National Audubon Society's Field Guide to Insects and Spiders/North America (order this book from Amazon.com). A guide tailored to the bay area would be more helpful, but this guide will help you indentify some common insects and spiders.

Snakes, Reptiles, and Amphibians
• A Field Guide to Snakes of California, by Philip R. Brown (order this book from Amazon.com). I have yet to find a better field guide to bay area snakes. Brown's book contains photos and illustrations, as well as good written descriptions.
• Western Reptiles and Amphibians, by Robert C. Stebbins (order this book from Amazon.com). A good, basic guide.

First Aid
• Wilderness First Aid, by National Outdoor Leadership School (order this book from Amazon.com). Standard first aid info, slanted to outdoor enthusiasts.

Geology
• Geology Trails of Northern California, by Robin C. Johnson and Dot Lofstrom (order this book from Amazon.com). Only a few bay area hikes are included in this book, which spans from the California-Oregon border south to the Carrizo Plain. There are some photos but no trail maps. The writing is lively and informative without a pedantic tone, and details hikes through parks with volcanism, fault activity, caves, fossils, geothermal activity, glaciation, mining, erosional features, rock collecting, and sand dunes. I'll certainly use book for local hikes, but it'll also find a home in my camping reference bookshelf, for future trips to Yosemite, Lava Beds, Lassen, and Pinnacles.
• Geologic Trips: San Francisco and the Bay Area, by Ted Konigsmark (order this book from Amazon.com).

Nature and spirituality
• Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard (order this book from Amazon.com). This Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir is an enchanting treatise on nature and life.

Other books (travel, walking, California-related fiction, and outdoors)
• Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner (order this book from Amazon.com). This classic novel revolves around a family, but the American West really steals the spotlight. Angle of Repose travels through the midwest to Almaden Quicksilver mine, Santa Cruz, Mexico, and more. This book won the Pulitzer Prize.
• Big Rock Candy Mountain, by Wallace Stegner (order this book from Amazon.com). My favorite novel of all time follows a troubled family as they wander through the western states and Canada. In the last years of his life, Stegner, who lived in Los Altos Hills, became an advocate for bay area open space.
• The Complete Walker IV, by Colin Fletcher (order this book from Amazon.com). Excellent reference for all levels of hikers and backpackers. Fletcher has a wicked sense of humor, and the book is lively and packed with info.
• Desert Solitaire, by Edward Abbey (order this book from Amazon.com).
• Blue Highways, by William Least Heat-Moon (order this book from Amazon.com).
• Close Range, by Annie Proulx (order this book from Amazon.com).
• Assembling California, by John McPhee (order this book from Amazon.com).
• Silverado Squatters, Robert Louis Stevenson (order this book from Amazon.com).

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