Hike the Parks | Redwood National & State Parks: Best Day Hikes, Walks, And Sights

Redwood National and State Parks is not your typical national park. That's quite evident from its name. But when you look at a map of the park located in northern California, it becomes more clear. This is a narrow park that roams and meanders along the Pacific Coast, interspersing national and state parklands. And you need to know that if you're planning to do some hiking there. That's why you'll find the full-page map in John Soares' upcoming book on hiking this park so helpful.

Orienting yourself to this national park is key, as you can enter it at any number of towns, and that's why I like the placement of the map before you dive into any of the hikes Soares describes. Turn the page and you'll find, broken down in segments that you can match up to the map, the author's "Hikes at a Glance." It's a logical layout to help you quickly see both how you might want to enter the park and what hikes of interest can be found near that entry point.

Soares then provides the perfunctory details: what don't you want to miss on your visit, some human history of the area, how the state got equal billing in this "national" park, flora and fauna, how to plan your trip (with itineraries for one-to-three days in both the southern and north regions of the park). He points out the possible campgrounds you can stay in, fees you might be asked to pay, and safety issues pertaining to swimming in the Pacific and walking along the steep cliffs.

From there Soares lays out his hikes, 38 in all. Each entry includes the ubiquitous directions to the trailhead, what maps or GPS coordinates you can use, whether the hike is easy, moderate, or strenuous, and the author's overall impressions that explain why he wanted to include the hike.

The guidebook, due out in June, is 4 inches by 7 inches, a nice size for stashing in your hip pocket once you head down the trail. It is tightly focused on hiking in Redwood National and State Parks. If you're looking for a book that provides a more indepth treatment of the park, with more insights into its natural, cultural, and historic resources, this isn't that book. But if you're looking for a guidebook that provides an overview of the hiking opportunities, and details on 38 of the trails that you could build a long weekend around, this is a good option.