California is an enormous state, so any book that takes the entire state as its subject is somewhat impractical. Even those of us rooted in the state may find it impossible to trek to all the locations listed in this book. A tighter focus would serve readers well. But that's my only criticism of this excellent resource.

This special guidebook is so gorgeously photographed that you may want it for its sheer beauty alone. I know I do! While I don’t get to California often, I’m a veteran armchair traveler, and this lovely volume put me right there on the trails. Consider this as a gift for your California friends or relatives, but keep your copy for California dreaming.

I enjoyed reading this book about the nature walks across California. It's not every trail, but a select few. The ones chosen are easy to moderate in difficulty. They are fairly easy to access, for the most part. I really loved seeing a couple locations I know in this book. (The Humboldt County ones.) I've been to a few of the other sites too, and they are very nice hikes. The author does a good job describing how to find the place, and more. You get to learn about a few wild species you might see on your walk. There may be interesting natural features nearby to see. The text includes great photos that show you some of the amazing sights you might see if you spend time out in nature.

The organization of the book is by region, and then clockwise around the state, beginning in the north. Many of these locations are also birding hotspots. The author is a birder and describes some of the bird species you can see there as well.

Each trail description gives mileage (or mileage for several choices of routes, where it is appropriate). Trail difficulty is described. Elevation gains, accessibility and things you really need to know ahead of time are included. I loved the descriptions of each area. The photos are very beautiful. This would make a good addition to any collection of nature books about California.

Thanks to the publisher, I received a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

California's Best Nature Walks is a well written guide with 32 curated walks in California by Charles Hood. Released 16th Jan 2024 by Hachette on their Timber Books imprint, it's 188 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.

The walks are arranged by geographic area: northern, eastern, central, and southern California. Each walk includes salient info such as difficulty, length, location, and points of special interest. The entire book is beautifully photographed throughout.

The author's commentary includes potential species in the area to view, natural features such as waterfalls and views, and, other info.

This would be a good selection for public or school library acquisition, home reference, or as an adjunct for planning a camping oriented trip to the relevant area.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

California’s best nature walks! But how can they narrow it down to just 32? I grew up on the Southern California coast, and have been fortunate to live in the far Northern part of the State (Humboldt County), the Bay Area, and now the Central Coast (Santa Cruz). Along the way, I’ve hiked for years and still enjoy looking at photos and reading about places to enjoy hiking and other day trip adventures.

This book is divided in four geographic regions which helps to plan trips as well as just providing inspiration. Each walk or hike is described by length and difficulty, and there are some great photos as well. I appreciate being able to read about wildlife and natural features of each area, which will help me plan for the future as well as reminiscing about past excursions.

It’s a great value and a valuable resource as well as being just fun to read. Thanks to Timber Press and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review. Five stars.

This is a nicely compiled list of 32 nature walks, all easily accessible by car, and with a focus on nature (and especially birds since the author is an avid bird watcher). The sites are varied to showcase the full spectrum of California's incredible nature diversity: from singing sand dunes in the South to giant lava tubes in the North. No off-road vehicles necessary and most of the walks are very doable for various levels of fitness.

The book is broken down into four sections of California: North, South, East, and Central. The nature walks were chosen to ensure diversity - each is particularly different than the other and have their own unique special points. Walks include a trip to a channel island, an observatory on top of a mountain, a famous sci fi filming location, even the only man-made disaster that can be seen from space.

This is a full color book beautifully photographed. Each of the four sections comes with a map showing the general location. Then each walk comes with a graphical page that includes the name, location, difficulty, length, and a quick introduction. All the walks are nicely detailed in the paragraphs and pictures that follow so you get an idea of the historical, natural, or cultural heritage of the location.

This really is a great reference and would make a great bucket list to go through leisurely and spend the time getting to know California from the ground level. It is all you would want in this type of book and clearly very lovingly prepared. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

This is a great travel book. It tells you a little about the park. and how to get to the park and trail. The book gives the difficulty level of the trail and how long it is. A description of what the habitat is like and what animals and trees are around. It’s a great guide. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

A great collection of what I would consider some off the beaten path trails (as a Californian). Ready to hit up the list as I'm well traveled but haven't done any of these!

This book is so informative and includes such beautiful photography. This would make a great companion for anyone visiting California to explore the area and learn more about the nature and wildlife.

This book includes mostly easy and shorter hikes and walks that cover the board range of habitats and ecology found around California. Lots of pictures and thorough descriptions will be enjoyed even by people who aren't able to make the hikes themselves.

A great book for anyone wanting to do some walking and hiking/trekking in California. This has come at a great time for me as we are travelling to California next year and can now refer to this book for help in deciding which tracks/walks we might want to do.

The division of the book into North, East Central and South is great as you can refer to these sections easily. All the information you need on each trail is listed in the book along with maps and photos which makes you want to explore more.

A great reference and even a great coffee table book as it has some great photography in it.

Thank you Net Galley and Timber Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Informative and well-organized, this book references a wide variety of nature trails throughout California and provides information about the flora and fauna found at each location. A must-have if you're interested in exploring some new areas or learning more about familiar spots.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

California's Best Nature Walks is a beautiful, comprehensive look at some of the west coast's best hiking and nature trails. It is divided into four sections: Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern. You should be able to easily find trails that are near your area or the area you plan to visit.

Information on each trail includes the length and difficulty, plus the different highlights available. There's tons of information about landmarks (mountains, lakes, rivers), plants, and animals. There are maps and lots of beautiful pictures as well.

This book gives great guidance to the beauty and diversity of nature available in the Golden States. This is a must-have if you live in the area or plan to visit for vacation!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!