Santa Monica Mountains Trail Guide


Book Description

Discover the magic of the Santa Monica Mountains! "Consult the Santa Monica Mountains Trail Guide and just moments later you'll know where to go for a fun outdoors adventure," declares author John McKinney. "These mountain trails will uplift your spirit." Santa Monica Mountains Trail Guide is a collaboration between author John McKinney, former Los Angeles Times hiking columnist and author of 20 books about hiking and Tom Harrison, California's premier mapmaker, long admired for his easy-to-read and accurate maps of the state's parklands. The only range to bisect a major U.S. city, the Santa Monica Mountains boast a splendid scenic diversity with fine trails leading through woodlands, canyons, foothills and mountains. John McKinney's proven trail accounts, along with Tom Harrison's trusted maps will help you select-and take-a quality hike you're guaranteed to like. Santa Monica Mountains Trail Guide features: Colorful stories, clear maps, easy-to-follow directions Best hikes for waterfalls, wildflowers, mountaintop vistas Best hikes for families, friends, out-of-town guests Nature walks, moderate hikes, all-day adventures Enjoy hikes on classic trails and brand-new pathways in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, plus all you need to know about the trails in Will Rogers, Topanga, Malibu Creek, Leo Carrillo and Point Mugu state parks. Saunter to the M*A*S*H movie and TV location near the magnificent gorge sculpted by Malibu Creek, hike a length of the majestic Backbone Trail that extends 65 miles across the mountains, chill-out at waterfalls in Temescal Canyon and Zuma Canyon, enjoy fabulous wildflower displays at Nicholas Flat and at Malibu's Charmlee Park.




Three Magical Miles


Book Description

One of the most fascinating historical areas of Los Angeles, the Cornell area - home of the Three Magical Miles - is where hundreds of movies have been shot, remnants of a 1950's race track curve in the tall grass and a future president had his horse ranch. This is the only known area in Southern California where a general store, post office and one-room schoolhouse still stand and are in use today.




Day Hiking Los Angeles


Book Description

• 125 of the best trails throughout the Los Angeles metro area • Easy-to-use, well-organized guide to hiking in the greater Los Angeles area • Hikes feature ocean views, waterfalls, coastal canyons, native grasslands, rocky peaks, desert wildflowers, and more In Southern California, the city of Los Angeles alone covers more than 500 square miles. Yet beyond the freeways and suburbia, there is a surprising amount of hikeable green space and wilderness. This new guide details trails in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the world’s largest urban national park stretching from the Pacific Coast right into Hollywood itself; the Santa Susana Mountains in Los Padres National Forest; Angeles National Forest, including the San Gabriels and Mount San Antonio, the highest point in Los Angeles County; the striking desert landscape of Antelope Valley; the Santa Ana Mountains; portions of the San Bernardino Mountains; Chino Hills State Park; and slivers of green space and city parks such as famed Griffith Park.




Wild LA


Book Description

Los Angeles may have a reputation as a concrete jungle, but in reality, it’s incredibly biodiverse, teeming with an amazing array of animals and plants. You just need to know where to find them. Wild LA—from the experts at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County—is the guidebook you’ve been waiting for. Equal parts natural history book, field guide, and trip planner, Wild LA has something for everyone. You’ll learn about the factors shaping LA nature—including flood, fire, and climate change—and find profiles of over one hundred local species, from sea turtles to rare plants to Hollywood's famous mountain lion, P-22. Also included are day trips that detail which natural wonders you can experience on hiking trails, in public parks, and in your own backyard.




The Tortilla Curtain


Book Description

The lives of two different couples--wealthy Los Angeles liberals Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher, and Candido and America Rincon, a pair of Mexican illegals--suddenly collide, in a story that unfolds from the shifting viewpoints of the various characters.










Hiking the Holy Mountain


Book Description







Hiking on the Edge


Book Description

Until John McKinney agreed to take his epic hike, no one had ever walked along the edge of the state to determine if a California Coastal Trail was even possible. Were the beaches passable at low tide? Could the bluffs be traveled without arrest for trespass? Could a trail be found through the rugged coastal mountains?The intrepid trailblazer found the answers to these questions-and to more profound ones that never occurred to him until he was on his challenging journey of discovery.Near and dear to his heart, are theunforgettable people he met along the way, including the founding father of whale-watching, backcountry rangers, nuns praying for mercy for the redwoods, and for us all. A saga, a celebration, a comedy, and a lament, this narrative ranks with the classics of California travel literature. "In spectacular prose both gentle and awe-inspiring, John McKinney tells the grand tale of the California coast like no one before him has done, leaving us on the edge of our seat throughout this entire collection. The stories themselves all end up serving as the first-ever map of the trail, and yet they become something far greater than the sum of the many destinations he describes, however rare and pristine and raw they may be: Hiking on the Edge is written by a true artist, written while wandering along the true edge of existence, exceeding all expectations and preconceived ideas, including his own, while looking into the great unknown." -Thomas Rigler, Executive Producer, City Walk and California Coastal Trail (PBS)