Exploring California’s National Forests

The Complete Backcountry Guidebook
Collection

Discover the California the Postcards Left Behind

Everybody knows Yosemite. They’ve seen photographs of the towering redwoods, driven along Big Sur, or stood beneath the granite walls of the Sierra Nevada.

But California’s wild country extends far beyond its famous destinations.

From the fog-covered mountains along the Oregon border to the sunbaked ranges overlooking San Diego, 18 national forests protect millions of acres of mountains, woodlands, rivers, canyons, and wilderness. There are old logging roads that lead to forgotten places, mountain trails that disappear over distant ridgelines, quiet campgrounds tucked among the pines, and entire landscapes that most Californians have never ventured into.

Exploring California’s National Forests: The Complete Backcountry Guidebook Collection is a comprehensive omnibus edition containing all 4 previously published regional guidebooks in the Exploring California’s National Forests series. This single volume brings the complete collection together, organized into 5 parts with consolidated reference material for every forest.

Whether you’re planning a weekend drive, a family camping trip, a fishing expedition, or an extended overland adventure, this book will help you discover what’s waiting beyond the next bend in the road.

Four Regions. Eighteen National Forests. One California.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Explore the rugged Klamath Mountains, the Trinity Alps, ancient forests, wild rivers, volcanic landscapes, and the remote backcountry stretching toward the Oregon border.

THE SIERRA NEVADA – Follow the mountain range through historic mountain passes, alpine lakes, giant sequoia groves, wilderness trails, and some of the most spectacular high-country landscapes in North America.

THE CENTRAL COAST – Discover the Los Padres National Forest, where coastal mountains, oak woodlands, chaparral-covered ridges, remote wilderness areas, and California condor country offer a different side of the Golden State.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA – Venture into the Angeles, San Bernardino, and Cleveland national forests, where pine-covered mountains, deep canyons, historic trails, and rugged backroads rise above some of California’s largest metropolitan areas.

There’s More Than One Way to Experience a National Forest

You don’t need a four-wheel-drive vehicle, a backpack full of expensive equipment, or weeks of vacation to enjoy California’s national forests.

Some of the best experiences begin with a scenic highway, a roadside overlook, or a short walk through the woods. Others require a sturdy pair of boots, a capable vehicle, and a willingness to see what’s on the other side of the mountain.

Inside, you’ll find:

• All 18 California National Forests – Chapter by chapter, organized by ranger district, with contact details up front.
• Scenic Drives and Destinations – Mountain highways, historic sites, overlooks, and gateway communities.
• Hiking, Camping, and Recreation – Trails, wilderness areas, campgrounds, fishing, hunting, and seasonal recreation.
• Off-Roading and Overlanding – Forest roads, backcountry travel, and responsible motorized recreation.
• Maps, Permits, and Planning – Resources for maps, permits, road conditions, and weather hazards, including Santa Ana, Diablo, and Sundowner winds.
• Safety and Stewardship – Wildlife, Wildfire, The Ten Essentials, Leave No Trace, and Tread Lightly!

This is a book for the glove compartment, the campsite, the cabin bookshelf, or the kitchen table where planning the next adventure begins.

California has thousands of miles of forest roads, trails, rivers, and mountain landscapes waiting to be discovered. Some are famous. Most aren’t. And every one of them has a story.