Explore this magnificent desert national parkland and celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mojave National Preserve with this new edition of this comprehensive guide. Great auto tours and suggested hikes help you explore vast sand dunes, volcanic peaks, historical attractions and old Route 66.Experience the wonders of Hole-in-the-Wall, the Mojave River, Kelso Dunes and Mitchell Caverns. Tour the world's largest Joshua tree forest. Follow paths of history to Fort Piute, Kelso Depot, Nipton, Goffs and Zzyzx. Hike the enchanted canyons and intriguing summits of a dozen mountain ranges. Get your kicks on old Route 66.Updated and revised in close cooperation with the National Park Service, this book, the only comprehensive guide to Mojave National Preserve offers a great introduction to this wondrous desert land and plenty of suggestions for follow-up visits.* Engaging auto tours, great hikes, clear maps and directions* Get to know the land-its plants, wildlife, mountains and valleys* Visit mining towns, cinder cones and a visitor center/train depot* Discover the best hiking trails, picnic sites, campsites, and lodging "Mojave National Preserve: A Visitor's Guide is a key resource to begin your exploration and to plan each follow-up visit," notes park superintendent Dennis Schramm in his introduction to the new edition of the book. "Authors Cheri Rae and John McKinney know the Preserve and all of its wonders, and their guidebook will help you discover them for yourself."
John McKinney is the author of 30 books about hiking, parklands and nature, including The Hiker's Way and Hiking on the Edge: Dreams, Schemes, and 1600 Miles on the California Coastal Trail.
For 18 years, John, aka The Trailmaster, wrote a weekly hiking column for the Los Angeles Times, and has hiked and enthusiastically described more than ten thousand miles of trail across America and around the world. The intrepid Eagle Scout has written more than a thousand articles about hiking plus numerous trail guidebooks, including HIKE Southern California: A Day Hiker's Guide and Day Hiker's Guide to California's State Parks.
One of the nation's top hiking experts, John is particularly passionate about sharing the trails of his home state of California. John solo-hiked the entire California coast while pioneering the California Coastal Trail and is the only one to have visited, hiked - and written about - all 270 California State Parks.
When John McKinney says, Take a hike! people do. Many people - hikers and not - credit John's talks and books with inspiring them to hit the trail to a better life. John and his team created The Trailmaster Pocket Guides to share the best day hikes around California, and to give hikers the information they need in an engaging and easily accessible way.
A passionate advocate for hiking and our need to reconnect with nature, John McKinney shares his expertise on radio, TV, online, and as a public speaker. John has been featured or interviewed in major media from the Los Angeles Times to NPR to ABC World News, and appeared on numerous regional talk shows and news programs. Organizations that ask John to share his tips, trails, and inspiring tales include: schools and colleges, churches and retreats, the health and wellness community and conservation and trails organizations.
As John explains it, I've walked a lot of life trails, happy and sad, easy and challenging, and, frankly, more than one path to nowhere. What I've learned along the way I want to share and help others enjoy the benefits of hiking.