Steven P. Medley

We purchased this book as a souvenir of a family trip out west, including visits to Yosemite, Saguaro, and Grand Canyon national parks. Each two page spread features a beautiful full-page illustration on the right showing an animal in the setting of one of our National Parks. The left hand page has information about each animal and the park, with smaller detailed sketches. For example G is for Grizzly and Glacier National Park. This park name does match the letter of the alphabet, most of them do not. This is a book to savor and enjoy the variety of wildlife and scenery in our country.… (more)

I was hoping not only to read and review this book but also to put it to use while visiting Yosemite. Unfortunately, there has been a terrible fire(s) raging in the area requiring the closure of the park for public safety. Several lives have been lost, including firefighters, not to mention the animal and plant life. While visitors are unable to see the natural wonders within Yosemite, I highly recommended coming back at a later date. This is one of those places not to be missed. Lots of hiking, grand splendors like El Capitan, Half Dome, so many waterfalls, plus the Merced River. Really, there's a ton of things to do in the park. It's no wonder it's always packed with visitors each summer.

And while I was unable to use this guidebook due to those fires, I can review how well the book is put together. This would have been perfect for planning our Yosemite trip! In fact, I had several pages bookmarked as I begin to decide what I wanted to take my kids to see. I often use AllTrails to help determine whether or not to hike in a given area and which trails to take. This book would work well to start with and maybe use AllTrails as a backup because really, this is a guidebook, not a hiking book. It does have a lot of maps, broken down by areas within Yosemite (the valley, South of the valley, North of the valley). Each section offers the best of that area: activities, hikes, camps, gas, food and other lodgings. So if you were wanting more than just a day trip, this would be an excellent place to start and find out what is available in the park.

This guidebook has a lot of beautiful pictures to give a hint as to what is waiting when the reader arrives. I was hoping to visit the Tuolumne Meadows, Mariposa Grove, and Wapama Falls, at the very least. Besides what to explore, it also covers what to look out for, such as dangers with wildlife, poisonous plants and diseases. I would not skip over this section. While it may seem over the top to some, I myself think it's necessary to have all the facts going in, being well prepared. I should have been a Boy Scout. :)

For those who enjoy history, you'll want this book! Eighteen pages (if I counted correctly) cover the history of the park alone. Want to know the reason behind a name, like Happy Isles? It's in the book. Or perhaps you'd be interested in a historical timeline? It lists, in chronological order, the years and history of the park.

So, have I sold you on this book yet? Overall, this is an excellent guidebook and I highly recommend it to anyone planning on visiting Yosemite National Park. The version I'm reviewing is the revised 8th edition. What I love about this book is that the Yosemite Conservancy is continuing to update the book as necessary so it will remain relevant for visitors in years to come. I received a complimentary copy from the Yosemite Conservancy at my request in exchange for my honest opinion.… (more)