Joshua Tree National Park is the most popular rock climbing area in the world--and for good reason. When other climbing locales are buried in snow, Josh is basking in Southern California sunshine. Thousands of sport and traditional routes on park's distinctive domes offer climbers of all abilities endless variety, from classic, well-protected cracks to delicate friction faces and edgy vertical testpieces. Excellent bouldering abounds, and superb camping in the beautiful, high-desert environment encourages extended stays. Simply put, no climber's career is complete without at least one trip to Joshua Tree, and many people find themselves returning year after year.
"Rock Climbing Joshua Tree West is the first of two volumes that together replace "Rock Climbing Joshua Tree, published in 1992 and 1986. Covering climbs in the western half of the park, completely revised and with thoroughly updated route information, and extensively illustrated, it's the climber's comprehensive and indispensable guide to the area.

A practical guide from an expert camper who rates campsites throughout Texas including location, facilities, activities, sights, layout, fees and cautions. Photos give the flavor and attractions of many of the sites.

As Spanish authorities colonized Alta California, they established 21 Franciscan missions and four forts, or presidios, to bring the native inhabitants of the region under control and to provide for security and defense. Today, the missions and presidios are among California's most popular historic landmarks, and enduring reminders of California's Spanish and Mexican past. For travelers and outdoor enthusiasts who want to experience a taste of all that the area has to offer, this book contains short hikes, biking, and other outdoor recreation opportunities, plus travel information and natural history. It is a fun and fascinating tour of the missions and presidios for vacationers and history buffs alike.
Other books in the "Exploring series include Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Canyonlands and Arches National Park, Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores, Dinosaur National Monument, Florida's Atlantic Coast Beaches, Florida's Gulf Coast Beaches, Glacier National Park, Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Hawaii's Parklands, Mount Helena, Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Southern California Beaches.

Maine has a long and rich history of involvement with outdoorsmen and women. The Great North Woods have long been the destination of choice for residents and visitors alike looking to bag a trophy buck or land a record brook trout. And there have always been sporting camps to cater to the "sports" and guide them on their excursions. However, trends come and go and the outdoor sports of hunting and fishing have had decreasing numbers of participants. As fewer and fewer people have sought game in the north woods, the sporting camps have had to adapt in order to survive. Now people head to the wilderness for biking, hiking, bird watching, kayaking, or simply to experience the tranquility. And Maine sporting camps have met the challenge, offering a wide array of services, from animal and bird watching excursions to wild flower and native plant guided walks. And the services have changed too. Today camps offer everything from gourmet meals and the finest amenities to unheated, unplumbed cabins to give you the true wilderness experience. In this guide, George Smith profiles the 50 or so sporting camps that are still in operation in Maine. He includes interviews with the staff and owners and gives his own experiences staying at each camp. Each entry also includes pertinent information on amenities, services offered, seasons and times of operation, as well as directions. If you're looking to get away from it all in Maine, this guide will help you find the road less traveled.

The BKB travel guide presents everything you need for your short stay in Essen including information on attractive city quarters, addresses for accommodation, shopping and of course entertainment. Highlights include the Philharmonic Concert Hall, Aalto Opera House, Essen Cathedral, the Golden Madonna, Villa Hugel, Museum Folkwang, the Zollverein Colliery, shopping and nightlife in Essen.

This field guide dedicated to wildlife of Yosemite National Park is an information-packed, pocket-sized book that introduces park visitors to the animals, plants, insects and more that reside in Yosemite National Park in a colorful and portable package. Published in cooperation with Yosemite National Park Association, this "Nature Guide to Yosemite National Park "contains full-color photos and easy-to-understand descriptions. Here is the perfect companion guide for the 4 million visitors who travel to Yosemite National Park every year.

Descriptions for nearly 500 routes, selected from the more than 5,000 established climbs in the Southern California area.

Explore the fantastic Horsethief Trail at Grand Canyon National Park with this exceptional guide that includes the route with maps, a regional history, gear and provision recommendations, and a first-aid guide.

There's nowhere quite as cosy or as welcoming as the British pub, and with so many places reinventing themselves as contemporary inns there's never been a better time to stay in one. In conjunction with UK accommodation website Cool Places, this guide features the country's very best pubs where you can stay overnight - friendly, independently run places that serve great food and offer comfortable bedrooms to topple into at the end of the evening. Compiled by Rough Guides founder Martin Dunford and the Cool Places team of regional writers, each featured place has an incisive first-hand review and all the information you need for a comfortable stay - including suggestions for the best things to see and do nearby.

Twenty to thirty episodes from the history of Yosemite National Park, including memorable events, but also featuring lesser-known tales.

Sculpted into graceful contours by countless centuries of wind and water, the Great Sand Dunes sprawl along the eastern fringes of the vast San Luis Valley of south-central Colorado. Covering an area of nearly thirty square miles, they are the tallest aeolian, or wind-produced, dunes in North America, towering 750 feet above the valley floor. With the addition of the enormous Baca Ranch and other adjacent lands, the dunes - originally designated as a National Monument in 1932 - attained official National Park status in 2004. In Sea of Sand, Michael M. Geary guides readers on a historical journey through this unique ecosystem, which includes an array of natural and cultural wonders, from the main dunefield and verdant wetlands to the summits of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Described by explorer Zebulon Pike as ""a sea in a storm"" and by frontier photographer William Henry Jackson as ""a curious and very singular phase of nature's freak,"" the Great Sand Dunes are a nexus of more than 10,000 years of human history, from Paleolithic big-game hunters to nomadic Native Americans, from Spanish conquistadores and transcontinental explorers to hard-rock miners and modern-day tourists in motor homes. Like these successive waves of visitors, Sea of Sand follows the water, analyzing its critical role in the settlement and development of the region. Geary also describes the profound impact that waves of human use and settlement have had on the land - which ultimately inspired the early grassroots efforts by San Luis Valley citizens to protect the dunes from further exploitation. He examines as well the more recent legislative effort led by an unprecedented coalition of local, state, and federal agencies and organizations, including The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service, to secure the Great Sand Dunes' national park designation. Amply illustrated, Sea of Sand is the definitive history of the natural, cultural, and political forces that helped shape this incomparable landscape.

This up-to-date guidebook is just the ticket for campers, hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, birdwatchers, nature photographers, and folks who just like to enjoy the outdoors. It offers all the details to every state and national park, recreation area, national forest, and historical park in Texas. Where appropriate, maps are provided to identify specific campsites within the larger parks, and "at a glance" charts provide a quick and easy way to determine the extent of such amenities as showers, flush toilets, electricity, etc. The unique features of each park or campground are described, as well as the recreation available, be it boating or bird watching. Whether it's for a Saturday getaway or a two-week vacation, this handy book is a great guide to outdoor fun in Texas.