My second hiking guide, “Hiking California’s Wine Country” is officially released today! This project took a great deal of effort and I am very proud of how it turned out. I spent April through August of 2014 hiking, GPSing and photographing the trails in Napa and Sonoma Counties. Having grown up outside of Santa Rosa, this was one of the places where I first learned to love life on the trail and appreciate nature in its many different manifestations. The book is a love letter to my hometown.
The book covers 67 hikes in Napa and Sonoma Counties. The area is surprisingly diverse, and it includes high mountaintop trails, paths along large rivers, through vineyard covered hills, rugged coastlines, serpentine deserts and beneath towering old growth redwoods. It is no secret to people familiar with the region, but for those who may not have spent much time in the Wine Country, it may come as a surprise what an excellent hiking destination it is. Though it covers many of the highlights, the book covers only a portion of the possibilities.
For those interested, the book is available at Amazon. If you live in the area, many bookstores are already carrying the book including Copperfields and Barnes & Noble. REI has not stocked it yet but it will be percolating through their system and arriving there soon. As an aside, REI is now carrying my other guide, “Hiking California’s Mount Shasta Region“. I also have copies of both books for sale, if you are in the area and want to pick one up.
If you have not spent much time in the Wine Country, I would strongly encourage you to visit. It is a wonderfully beautiful area, with a surprising amount of history and boat loads of cultural attractions including the obvious wineries. Another great feature is the region’s climate. It can be hiked and enjoyed all year. I am including a small gallery of images that appeared in the book to give you a sense of what the area looks like. I hope everyone has a great time on the trail with this guide!
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