Yosemite: A Complete Guide to the Valley and Surrounding Uplands, Including Descriptions of More Than 150 Mile

I used this and "100 Hikes In Yosemite" on a 10/06 trip. The Schaffer book is good because it fits in a back pocket and has a topo map showing all the trails (but only the valley and southern section of the park). The trail descriptions are good, though brief, and the difficulty ratings accurate. It does not give you elevation gain or trail profile.

This is a very nice resource for someone looking to do a weekend getaway, especially when you have kids. I've been to Yosemite before but this book really helps getting a handle on everything that's available. The part about Hetch Hetchy was nice -- they got some really nice waterfalls over there, and there's not so much of a crowd as the valley itself. I like how Yosemite is a great learning experience for kids too, since you can see with your own eyes of California's geologically violent past manifests itself. The book actually helps turn a beautiful hike into a lesson, too! The maps are very detailed and the trail descriptions are nothing short of excellent. There are some longer hikes included that we obviously can't do, but the shorter ones are accurate down to the t. Five stars through and through!

The 7th edition of this book, like its predecessors, is essentially a guide to the Valley and southern half of Yosemite National Park. Originally conceived as a hiking resource for the old 15' topo maps of the Sierras, this book offers 25 fabulous dayhikes which range from 1 to 16.5 miles. The nice thing about this selection is that you can even experience brief moments of solitude on many of these walks, even on the Yosemite Valley Floor; not an easy trick. With its companion volume to Tuolumne Meadows one has a pretty good guide to the park. Schaffer also throws in 5 nice backpack trips for those who would like to further explore the backcountry. There are, however, many hiking guides to Yosemite. What makes this one stand out is that Schaffer has done more original field research into the geology and topography of the park than virtually all other guidebook authors combined. His conclusions are that the Sierras are far older than previously thought, and that glaciers had only minimal impact in shaping the Valley as we see it today. Rather, the Valley's stunning cliffs are the result of millions of years of weathering and breakage along fault and joint lines. Much of his research is condensed into this volume and following his trail routes is also incidentally a natural history lesson on the origins of this stunning place. For this alone it is worth the read and well worth a five star rating. But this book is also quite valuable for its maps. Schaffer has lent his expertise to the maps in several Wilderness Press titles, including the 3 volume set on the Pacific Crest Trail and the guide to the Tahoe Rim Trail. The map included in this volume is far more accurate than the old 15' topo maps, or even the new 7.5' maps insofar as the trails are concerned. Between the fascinating text and the separate folded map, this book is a bargain and deserves wide readership.

The most enjoyable hours of my life have been spent hiking in Yosemite and this inexpensive little guide is absolutely indispensible for the novice or experienced hiker.The maps are detailed and will give you an excellent idea of what each hike is going to look like. I use it almost daily during hiking season and it helps in selecting hikes, planning them, reaching the trailhead and gauging whether a hike will be worthwhile. Each hike contains an accurate and fairly detailed description of the rigors of each trek. Occasionally I quibble with the author's ranking of a given hike, but usually he is on the mark.A few cautionary notes: there are no photos in the book, and only general maps which introduce the hiker to each specific place. The descriptions of how to reach each trailhead are excellent, unless you have little experience with Yosemite.My favorite part of the book is that the Touloume Meadows High Country area is not neglected, nor the great hikes around Hetch Hetchy. Equally detailed are the fantastic hikes on the Valley Floor. I use this guide when I do my summer hiking in Yosemite and can't reommend it enough. It's a no frills approach, but it's handy, convenient and weighs next to nothing.