Joshua Tree: The Complete Guide: Joshua Tree National Park (Color Travel Guide)

This book, and the others the author has written, is as much interesting book as it is guide book about Joshua Tree NP. It's actually worth reading because of the information about the park, its history, geology, plants & animals, etc. The actual pages are glossy and the photography is quite good, so the "feel" of the book is superior to the mass-market output from publishers like Lonely Planet and Moon. If you're looking for a "50 Hikes" type of book with lots of detail about each hike and/or a "how to" guide for multi-day treks across the desert, this might not the book you need. But this book does call out about 2 dozen hikes that I would consider generally day or half-day hikes--many with an uncluttered, easy-to-read topographical map on a full page. By comparison the Falcon Guide maps generally don't represent topography (but they're still good), while the Moon and LP maps are nearly worthless, IMHO. So, to sum up: If you're planning a trip to Joshua Tree NP, this book is pretty good.

Outstanding book. I am already in love with Joshua Tree NP, and I haven't been there yet. (We leave in two weeks for a five NP trip.) The pictures are the most beautiful I've yet to see in a guidebook: they tell the entire story. I've taught both secondary and college writing classes, and I'll vouch for the extraordinary skill of James Kaiser to hook readers. He's an excellent story teller: just read his CONGRATULATIONS piece at the beginning of the book, and you'll see the evidence. It's difficult to make guidebooks entertaining and educational, and he does both perfectly.I couldn't put it down, and I can't wait to order another book by Kaiser. A true artist! Passion in every picture and word.I love the layout: extremely professional and artistic. I recommend this book to anyone, even if you can't get to the park. It's better than most travel magazines, so well worth your money. The reviewers who are disappointed in the lack of hiking information are missing the point: for hiking, buy hiking guides. For a complete picture of all aspects of this national treasure, trust Kaiser to introduce you in style!

Got the Kindle edition and read it on the flight out to LAX for my visit to J Tree National Park. A comprehensive overview of the history, geology and biology of the park. I reserved a 5th star because it's sadly light on hiking information; but it turns out that the trail "system" in the park is vestigial anyway. You're just as successful picking a location and trekking off-trail. I picked up another book in the Visitor Center - 40 Great Day Hikes or something - and that was how most of those hikes were described ("start in the parking lot and head up the wash towards the pass"). There are some well-worn trails, like Ryan Mountain and 49 Palms Oasis, but really the park is so vast and generally the terrain is easily traversed that trails are a bit irrelevant. Get a decent GPS with topo maps so you know where you are and how to get back home, then just go explore this amazing place. But read Kaiser's book first for the "big picture!"

I've been to Joshua Tree National Park more times than I could count, but I wanted to know a bit more like fun facts, the park's history or just possible spots that I have yet to discover. This book definitely did that for me and was a lovely read for when we had some down time. I also let a few of my neighbors borrow the book in which they planed out there whole stay!The maps are easy to read, and all the best spots are organized well (finding them on a map is cake). I also loved the little suggestions about what a "Perfect day in Joshua Tree" would entail AND the suggestions on where to best watch the sunset. I'll definitely be buying Jame's other books to guide me when I go to new national parks.

This book is a wonderful compilation of history, geography, flora, fauna and travel information. You can get some of this information online but not all in one place. Really helped me plan out our trip.

As a rock climber, I have visited Joshua Tree hundreds of times over the past 25 years. This comprehensive book gives me so much new and interesting information. I recommend it for one time visitor and long time visitor.

I needed a book to take out into the desert with me at JTNP in late March. This book looked promising as I only wanted to take one book with me. Once I got out in the desert, I realized the lack of detail on the maps was putting me in danger of getting lost. And I had left my much more detailed book on hiking trails at home, thinking this book looked like it would cover all my bases. I think the author did a good job of a basic overview of the park with some nice photography; however, for someone who likes to explore, this book lacked important details. I ended up staying on well traveled trails and not using the book.

Terrific guide! I loved the maps -- on the inside cover and on each section, so you have both an overview and detailed. The "Top 5" listings were very helpful in identifying the perfect hike given area of the park, time constraints, and level of ability. The photographs are great, very colorful. The text is sufficiently interesting to make it worth reading even if you don't plan to visit the park. I hope James Kaiser will branch out and write a comparable book for the Mojave.

Very helpful and thorough guide - hit all the needed information for a great trip! Good local insights.