Afoot & Afield: Orange County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide

The "Afoot and Afield" series are great because they are a nearly exhaustive list of trails in the area, and certainly all the major (and several minor) parks. The trails run from the trivially easy to the strenuous, so you can find something for all levels.

This is a very informative and comprehensive guide to hiking in Orange County. There are a very broad range of hikes, from Easy to Strenuous in here, suitable for a broad range of abilities, and each hike is clearly marked regarding the difficulty, length, and terrain. Another feature I like is that the guide gives you information on the trail use and the best times. The trail use tells you whether that trail is good for kids, dogs, mountain bikes, horses, etc. And the best times gives you an idea of what the best time of year is to take that particular hike (e.g. November through May). The maps in the book seem pretty good. They could be better, but I think they get the job done, particularly for experienced hikers. There is an overall map that breaks down the different areas of Orange County, which correspond to different chapters. Then, each chapter has its own map that shows all of the different hikes within that chapter. I would like to see a map of each individual hike, but I suppose that would make the book a lot longer. They do reference USGS maps for each hike that are either optional or recommended. For a particularly difficult or long hike, it would be good to get those maps, but for most hikes, you will be just fine without them. What I really like are the descriptions. Each hike has a narrative that gives you some background on the area, and takes you through each point in the hike. It's very informative and helpful. Overall, this is an excellent book and reference for Orange County hiking. I would highly recommend it for avid hikers, families, and beginners alike. Enjoy!

In my Guide to Dayhiking in Southern California I listed the Orange County Volume of Afoot and Afield as the best in the series. It still is in this new edition, but quite a bit has changed, both in format and layout and in hike selection over the previous two editions. In general, these changes are improvements, and enough has changed that you should buy the third edition even if you have the other two. Most of the changes are along the Orange County coastline where Schad has added 8 new hikes. This is a big plus for coastal walkers and reflects a real commitment on the part of residents of Orange County to preserve their beautiful coastline. The other area receiving lots of additional coverage is the Santa Rosa Ecological Reserve. This place is an absolute hikers' mecca, especially in the spring when wildflowers abound. This edition triples the number of hikes found in previous editions. In terms of layout, maps are a little clearer than previously and pages for each region of Orange County are tabbed. This will surely help in locating nice walks close by. Gone, however, are the little icons that made the Afoot and Afield guides so distinctive. I found these useful in trip planning and was sorry to see them go. On the whole, this is an excellent guide for those seeking a wilderness experience in what has to be one of the most urbanized areas in the Western US. I've done over 1/3 of the hikes described and am looking forward to doing more. This is truly the best of Orange County and this book deserves extended sales.

This is a fine guide to the trails of the regional / state park system of Orange County, Ca.. Included are directions to the trailhead, descriptions of the parks, and a detailed discussion of each trail ( distance, elevation gain and loss, highlights, etc.) This book has many fine photos and provides an alternative to Orange County hikers tired of making long drives to the mountains or deserts.

If you want to learn about interesting day hikes in Orange County this is the book for you. There is a map for each area with several hikes per map. For each hike described there is a time,distance and dificulty rating. Descriptions of each hike are good.