Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the outdoorsy people on your list, or the people you want to encourage to be outdoorsy? Then I humbly suggest buying your friends and family members one or more of my Northern California hiking guidebooks, or my book Camp for Free: Dispersed Camping & Boondocking on America’s Public […]

Looking for the perfect gift for the outdoorsy people on your list, or the people you want to encourage to be outdoorsy? Then I humbly suggest buying your friends and family members one or more of my Northern California hiking guidebooks, or my book Camp for Free: Dispersed Camping & Boondocking on America’s Public Lands.

Do you love day hiking? Ever wish you had a cool notebook/journal so you could record all the important details of your day hikes, along with nature observations, your most vivid memories, and the main things you want to remember for next time? Then check out my new book My Day-Hiking Adventures: A Notebook/Journal of […]

Looking for the perfect inexpensive gift for the outdoorsy people on your list, or the people you want to encourage to be outdoorsy? Then I humbly suggest buying your friends and family members one or more of my: Northern California hiking guidebooks Day hiking or walking journals Campground, RV, or boondocking journals Camp for Free: […]

Do you love day hiking? Ever wish you had a cool notebook/journal so you could record all the important details of your day hikes, along with nature observations, your most vivid memories, and the main things you want to remember for next time? Then check out my new book My Day-Hiking Adventures: A Notebook/Journal of […]

Looking for the perfect gift for the outdoorsy people on your list, or the people you want to encourage to be outdoorsy? Then I humbly suggest buying your friends and family members one or more of my Northern California hiking guidebooks, or my newest book: Camp for Free: Dispersed Camping & Boondocking on America’s Public […]

Californians, Americans, everyone: hiking and walking locally during the coronavirus pandemic is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health, as long as you do it locally and wisely. This post discusses why you should still hike and walk, and how to do it in a manner that prevents […]

There are five free-entrance days (no fee!) in 2020 for national parks and national monuments in Northern California. Hike your favorite trails, picnic, explore, and enjoy nature with your friends and family. 2020 Free Entrance Days to Northern California National Parks and Monuments Here are the five days in 2020 that you can save your […]

Looking for the perfect gift for the outdoorsy people on your list, or the people you want to encourage to be outdoorsy? Then I humbly suggest buying your friends and family members one or more of my Northern California hiking guidebooks. Stocking Stuffers My newest book, the all-color Hike the Parks: Redwood National & State […]

I recently bought the Northern California edition of the California Hiking Map, and I’m mightily impressed — tons of trails! In this review I’ll describe the main features of the map, share what I like most about it, and provide one suggestion for improving future editions. What Is the California Hiking Map? The California Hiking […]

Please help me out and write an honest review of one or more of my books on Amazon. How Your Reviews Help… Reviews help people decide to buy, and more reviews means my books rank higher in Amazon searches. Your reviews can be as short as 1-2 sentences (or as long as you want!). You […]

I have several 2019 presentations coming up in Redding, the Sacramento area, and other cities about day hiking and backpacking the beautiful trails of Northern California, from the Sierra Nevada to Lassen Volcanic National Park to Mount Shasta to the Trinity Alps to Redwood National and State Parks. I’ll be discussing my favorite hiking trails […]

Hikers now must buy a lands pass to hike many wildlife areas and ecological reserves managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This post explains which visitors need to buy a lands pass, how to buy it, and which wildlife areas and ecological reserves require it. Updated for 2022. Why Do Hikers Have […]

Looking for the perfect gift for the outdoorsy people on your list, or the people you want to encourage to be outdoorsy? Then I humbly suggest buying your friends and family members one or both of my hiking guidebooks. Where to Buy in Person Your local bookstore may carry both books, and if not, they […]

Autumn is a great season for hiking the mountain trails of Northern California, especially at the peak of fall color. Here are the pros and cons of autumn hiking, along with some advice. (Some of this advice also applies to spring backpacking in Northern California.) Hiking Northern California Mountains in Autumn/Fall 2022: Pros

I’m proud to announce the arrival of the fourth edition of the all-color 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California! I have been hard at work on this completely revised and updated edition since 2015 and I’m very pleased with the results. Mountaineers Books, my publisher, did an outstanding job of editing my writing and hiring expert […]

I have several presentations coming up about day hiking and backpacking the beautiful trails of Northern California. I’ll be discussing my favorite hiking trails (with lots of pictures, of course), and I’ll be telling a few tales of the trail. I’d love to have you come to one and introduce yourself! Format of the Presentations […]

My new guidebook Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions is now widely available throughout Northern California! You can buy it at many bookstores and outdoor stores, and at the usual online sources like Amazon. This is my home territory, where I grew up and where I’ve hiked all my life. I’ve walked […]

I’m excited to announce that my two new hiking guidebooks are now available for preorder! Do it now and you’ll be among the first to get them. Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions Available May 1 I have an extensive description of the book here on the website, including a list of […]

I just launched a Facebook page where I highlight details of hiking trails in Northern California and important tips, updates, and news items. Like Northern California Hiking Trails on Facebook Here’s the link: Northern California Hiking Trails And there’s also a Facebook icon and link in the sidebar to the right. Want to See All […]

Day hike or backpack to the twin summits capping Snow Mountain Wilderness for expansive views of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and much of Northern California. 2020: Snow Mountain Wilderness Trails Closed Due to 2018 Ranch Fire through all of 2020 In 2018 the Mendocino Complex Fire, which included the Ranch Fire, burned through much […]

Want to go hiking or backpacking in your favorite wilderness, national park, or state park in the western United States, but you’re not sure of the smoke conditions and the air quality because of all those summer wildfires? This post will help. I list nearly two dozen ways you can find out what’s happening in […]

I’m very happy to announce that I’ve recently signed contracts with my publisher, The Mountaineers Books, for a fourth edition of 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California and an expansion of 75 Hikes in California’s Mount Shasta and Lassen Volcanic National Park Regions into an entirely new book. 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California, Fourth […]