Best Easy Day Hikes Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

My wife and I have hiked most of the major national parks in the U.S. over the past 20 years. As a result, we have purchased many hiking guide books. We've found that the Falcon Guide series tend to be best overall. Their detailed (but not cluttered) trail maps are always excellent, the elevation profile charts are a huge help, and their standard format across all books makes it easy to go from park to park without re-learning a new system. The Sequoia and Kings Canyon book is no exception. It follows the Falcon standard format and was very useful on our recent trip there. Using this book alone, I was able to select 10 fantastic hikes, and each time I felt like I knew what I was getting into based on the book's rich trail descriptions. I especially appreciated the Highlights section at the top of each trail description. This allowed me to scan the book quickly to find which trails may interest us. Another excellent resource is the "Trail Finder" section which lists the author's favorite hikes based on criteria such as "Hikes Along Streams", "Hikes with Great Views", "Hikes to Avoid if You Don't Want to See Many People." But alas, no book is perfect, and this book (and all Falcon Guides) could be improved as follows: 1. Include an alphabetized index of trail names and other common features such as lakes, mountains, etc. So when a park ranger recommends we try the hike to "Panther Falls", we don't have to flip through 286 pages to find it. 2. Put all pertinent trail information (summary, map, elevation chart) for each hike on a single page so that I can rip that page out of the book and take it with me on the hike.

Just spent a week in Kings Canyon-Sequoia. Took some wonderful hikes and would have been lost without this guide. Its true that the author does not wax poetic about the wonders along each trail but she tells you enough so you can make the decision about whether to take the hike or not. All the technical details and instructions where perfect for the hikes I took. Well worth the money and the only hiking guide I will carry when I visit this area again.

This is an excellent guide to a fantastic and underrated backcountry resource (or short day hikes/tourist trails if you prefer). Trail selection and details are very good and the trail maps and elevation profiles are extraordinary. Unlike most guides there is no hesitation to repeat a map a couple of pages apart if it will be helpful to the reader. The primary drawback of the book is that it lacks big picture planning tools like a map that puts the different sections of the book in perspective. A downloaded trail map from the national park service web site supplements it nicely. Additionally there seems to be more detailed coverage of Sequoia than King's canyon. Overall, however, it was a very helpful guide in planning a fantastic backcountry experience.

I was impressed by the generous fund of information in this book, and even more so when the author explained that she was operating under space and style constraints. If you look at the publishing record, there are many guidebooks that take in all or part of this region (contrary to what Candace Scott states in her review), and the maps and descriptive material in this volume outshine the vast bulk of its competition. This is an essential volume for anyone interested in exploring the mid-Sierra range and, just as the author says, those interested in poetical aspects over practical know-how are always able to consult John Muir, Clarence King and Ansel Adams.