Day Hikes on the California Central Coast

This review focuses on the content of the book and does not, except briefly, discuss the format. California's central coast offers some of the most beautiful hiking, and least populated, areas of the state. The region from Monterey to Santa Barbara county also provides four season recreation. Temperatures in the winter are typically only 10 degrees cooler than those found in the summer months and while considerable rain falls in the winter, it is nowhere near as heavy as the temperate coastal rain forests north of San Francisco experience. In all, the central coast region is ideal for year round outdoor recreation and this guide provides a good look at the walking opportunities along the coast. I've done a little more than 20 of the hikes described in this book. Mileage and maps are accurate and driving directions to and from the trailhead are very easy to follow. I personally find the summary of the hikes, found at the beginning of each description, more valuable than the trail descriptions themselves. The latter are a little brief, while natural history and scenic highlights are all found in the former. For the most part, this is a decent book. But hikers who want strenuous distance treks should look elsewhere. Fully half the hikes in this book are 2 miles or less in distance. Many are nearby or within urban settings. County parks, small nature areas, beaches, and coastal bluffs make up the vast majority of trails in this guide. Those seeking longer hikes would do well to look elsewhere. But if you want to get out and stretch your legs as you drive up the coast, this is a great book to take along. You will find lots of small hidden gems among some of California's nicest coastal counties.