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by U.S. Forest Service

$47   

This full-color atlas contains 103 topographic maps covering the entire Los Padres National Forest. Shows roads, trails, streams, campsites, peaks, and major landmarks. Also contains black and white aerial photos adjacent to each map. Scale: 1" to the Mile. Each map is 8.5x11 inches. An invaluable tool and a great deal!

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by Ray Ford, 2006

$8  

This durable, waterproof map shows the front-country trails above Santa Barbara and along Paradise Road in the Los Padres National Forest. The back side of the map features a hiking guide with trail notes, distances, and difficulty levels, plus things to know and a list of what to bring on your hike. Features several in-town walks plus more than 30 trails originating in San Roque Canyon, Mission Canyon, Rattlensake Canyon, Cold Spring Canyon, Hot Springs Canyon, San Ysidro Canyon, Romero Canyon, and the Mountain Crest. Folds to about 4x7 inches.

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by Bryan Conant, 2005

$8  

Located just North of Santa Barbara and within a few hours drive of Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, and Bakersfield, the San Rafael Wilderness is the main hiking, backpacking, and equestrian destination within Santa Barbara County. This durable, waterproof map covers all of the wilderness as well as much of the surrounding area including a large portion of the Dick Smith Wilderness, Little Pine Mountain, the Santa Ynez River Recreation Area, Figueroa Mountain, Upper Oso trailhead, Nira trailhead, La Brea Canyon, Colson Canyon, Madulce, Indian Creek trailhead, Cuyama Valley, the mountains above Santa Maria. Folds to about 4x7 inches.

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by Tom Harrison Maps, UPDATED IN 2007

$8.95 $8  

This durable, waterproof topo map features the entire Sespe Wilderness in Ventura County, the second largest wilderness area in the Los Padres National Forest. Includes shaded elevation, hiking and bicycling trails, campgrounds, trail camps, and popular features like the Sespe Wild & Scenic River, the Gene Marshall - Piedra Blanca National Recreation Trail, Pine Mountain, Pothole Trail, Red Reef Trail, Rose Valley, hot springs, waterfalls, and others. Folds to about 4x7 inches. Updated in 2007.

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Big Sur & Ventana Wilderness Map

by Wilderness Press

$9.95 $9  

Find your way around Big Sur with this four-color topographic map showing every major road, trailhead, and trail in the northern Los Padres National Forest, including the Ventana Wilderness and Silver Peak Wilderness. Also covers the adjacent Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Andrew Molera State Park, and Lime Kiln State Park. Notes campgrounds and trail camps, and includes detailed insets of Pfeiffer Big Sur and Julia Pfeiffer Burns state parks. Waterproof. Folds to 4" x 9".

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by Hugh Margerum & David Powdrell, 2005, 120pp.

$17.95 $15  

Intended to be taken on the trail, this field guide features photographs and descriptions of 54 plants most likely to be encountered on any venture into the coastal ranges of the Los Padres National Forest. The photographs are arranged by flower color, with clear, short descriptions of each plant in non-technical langauge to aid in easy indentification. An ideal companion for students, hikers, or the amateur naturalist of any age; this book will further an appreciation for the year-round natural beauty we are fortunate to have in our own backyard.

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A Flora of the Santa Barbara Region, California

by Clifton F. Smith, with photos by Dick Smith

This book is the only annotated catalog of the native vascular plants of mainland Santa Barbara County, adjacent related areas in Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties, and four nearby Channel Islands. Illustrated with line drawings. The flora of the Santa Barbara region represents a transition between the cooler, moister northern California coast, the deserts and drier mountains of southern California, and the Sierran forests. The region is rich in plant communities, and for more than fifty years, Clifton F. Smith has studies the flora of this region, gaining a deep understanding of its botanical heritage. In this book he shares with the professional and the wildflower enthusiast alike his unmatched knowledge of the flora of every hill and dale and dune of Santa Barbara County, including much of the Los Padres National Forest.
 

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by Karen Telleen-Lawton, 2006, 127pp, signed.

Set in the foothills above Santa Barbara, Canyon Voices explores the joyful and uneasy relationship between humans and nature, the rivaling recreational and economic desires of the human community, and competition in nature itself. The book unfolds through the eyes of people who understand it deeply on diverse levels. A geologist, a monk, a botanist, a historian, a hang glider, a stream ecologist, an artist, and others reveal the many ways to comprehend a natural space. Personally signed by local author Karen Telleen-Lawton and featuring the famed artwork of Ray Strong.

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by Jan Timbrook, with botanical watercolors by Chris Chapman, 2007, 272pp.

$27.95  $19 

From islands off the shore of Santa Barbara to the chaparral-covered mountains of what is now the Los Padres National Forest, the land of Chumash is an area of great biological richness and variety. Living intimately within this land for more than nine thousand years, the Chumash developed an intense and sophisticated relationship with the plants around them, collecting and processing nuts, seeds, berries, roots, leaves, twigs, shoots, and wood. Covering both historical and contemporary uses of plants, this book celebrates the variety of plants and the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the people who have always known them best.

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by Michael McFadden, 2000, 112pp.

$34.95 $20  

From the Topa Topa Bluffs to Sespe and Matilija Creeks, the Ojai Valley is known as the gateway to the Los Padres National Forest. This book features nearly 100 photos by local photographer Michael McFadden, who for over ten years has explored the Ojai Valley and surrounding mountains and valleys with his camera in search of the eloquent light that graces these landscapes. Combined with these photos are the prose and poetry of talented local writers in celebration of this wonderful place.
 

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by John Nielsen, 2007, 288pp

$14.95 $12  

From the inside cover: "Flying on wings nearly ten feet wide from tip to tip, these birds thrived on the carcasses of animals like woolly mammoths. Then, as humans began dramatically reshaping North America, the continent's largest flying land bird started disappearing. By the beginning of the twentieth century, extinction seemed inevitable.... The giant bird with 'one wing in the grave' appears to be recovering, even as the wildlands it needs keep disappearing. But the story of this bird is more than the story of a vulture with a giant wingspan - it is also the story of a wild and giant state that has become crowded and small, and of the behind-the-scenes dramas that have shaped the environmental movement." As told by John Nielsen, environmental correspondent with National Public Radio who grew up in the small town of Piru along the southern boundary of the Los Padres National Forest, this is a fascinating tale of survival.
 

 

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Conifers of California

by Ronald M. Lanner, 2007, 288pp.

Conifers of California is the first book entirely devoted to the state's native cone-bearing trees and shrubs. Richly illustrated with both botanical art and photos, it serves as a natural history and field guide. It is winner of a "Special Mention Literature Award" from the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries. Includes 54 original, full-page watercolor botanical illustrations; 165 color photographs; 54 color range maps; and 2 keys to coniferous genera.


 

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by Robert Stone, 2003, 184pp.

$14.95 $13  

From the back cover: "the comprehensive, essential guide to day hiking in this beautiful, captivating area. An excellent collection of 82 day hikes accommodates every level of hiking experience. Highlights include oceanside bluffs, tidepools, sculpted gorges, waterfalls, rock outcroppings, mountain ridge trails, stunning overlooks and some of southern California's best scenery." Includes hikes from Ojai, Carpinteria, Summerland, Montecito, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Valley, and Gaviota. Over half of the hikes in this book are in the Los Padres National Forest.
 

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by Robert Stone, 2006, 288pp.

$16.95 $14  

From the back cover: "includes 128 day hikes throughout this central California coastal county. These trails take the hiker along the scalloped Pacific coastline to secluded coves and tidepools, to rocky promontories along the chain of volcanic morros, through wetland sanctuaries, and up cool interior valleys. Highlights include waterfalls, bluffs, sand dunes, lakes, rivers, swimming holes, canyons, extraordinary rock formations, and panoramic views. Many hikes are found in or near the college community; most are located in undeveloped tracts of land, state and county parks, and national forests which are home to an extensive network of hiking trails.
 

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by Robert Stone, 2003, 184pp.

$14.95 $13  

From the back cover: "a comprehensive guide to 82 of the best hikes in this scenic and unique area. Hikes span from the Pacific Coast to the forested interior mountains, accommodating all levels of hiking experience. Highlights include waterfalls, swimming holes, tidepools, fern-filled canyons, extraordinary sandstone formations, and mountain-to-coast hikes with panoramic views. Each hike includes a summary of its highlights, a map, and concise driving and hiking directions." Includes many of the same hikes as Day Hikes Around Santa Barbara, plus additional hikes in Ventura County including the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
 

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by Robert Stone, 2003, 184pp.

$14.95 $13  

From the back cover: "includes 80 unforgettable hikes along the spectacular coastal headlands. An excellent cross-section of hikes accommodates every level of hiking experience, from easy beach strolls to crested mountain ridge trails. Highlights include isolated beaches, tidepools, redwood groves, canyons, numerous waterfalls, lighthouses and outstanding panoramic views. Undoubtedly, these hikes include some of the best scenery in Big Sur."

Includes 21 hikes in the Los Padres National Forest, plus many others in the area's five state parks and other cliffside trails. All hikes can be completed in a day.
 

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on Feb 19!

by Richard Halsey, 2008, 192pp.

$19.95 $16  

This is the only readily available book that describes in detail California's most extensive plant community - the chaparral.
Fire ecologist and teacher Richard Halsey not only provides the basics of chaparral natural history, but also how wildfires are fought, what we have learned about them, and why it is important to reconnect with one's surroundings. Also included is a color photo identification section with 64 of the most common southern California chaparral plants and animals.

It is an essential book for anyone living in California because it explains why it is important to understand the region's natural environment as well as how best to prepare for the next wildfire.

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by Analise Elliot, 2005, 323pp.

$19.95 $16  

From the back cover: "California's Big Sur country stretches from Carmel south to San Simeon, and from the Pacific Ocean east to the Santa Lucia Range. Yet few venture far from the 90-mile stretch of rugged coastline along Highway 1. Hiking and Backpacking Big Sur invites you to explore the region's many trails in 75 of the finest trips, including popular destinations such as Sykes Hot Springs and Andrew Molera and Pfeiffer Big Sur state parks, as well as lesser-known gems such as the impressive Salmon Creek Falls and the remote Ventana Double Cone."

Includes day hikes and longer backpacking routes in Big Sur, the Ventana Wilderness, and the Silver Peaks Wilderness, plus precise details on trail facilities, easy-to-read topographic maps, natural and cultural history, plant and animal communities, and a helpful guide to services along Hwy 1. Over half of the hikes in this book are in the Los Padres National Forest.
 

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Introduction to California Chaparral

by Ronald D. Quinn & Sterling C. Keeley, 2006, 322pp.

$19.95 $15  

From the back cover: "Millions have seen California Chaparral - a soft bluish-green blanket of vegetation gently covering the hills.... This complex ecological community of plants and animals is...a quintessential part of the entire California landscape. It is home to many wondrous organisms: Fire Beetles that mate only on burning branches, lizards that shoot blood from their eyes when threatened, Kangaroo Rats that never drink water, and seeds that germinate only after a fire. Useful both as a field guide and an introductory overview of the ecology of chaparral, this concise and engaging book provides a better understanding of how we might live in harmony, safety, and appreciation of this unique ecological community." This guide identifies chaparral's common plants, animals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects; features 80 color photographs, 57 black and white illustrations, and 2 maps; and explores the role of humans and fire in chaparral, covering the placement and design of homes, landscaping, and public policy.

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Mines, Murders & Grizzlies: Tales of California's Ventura Backcountry

by Charles F. Outland, 1998, 151pp., paperback (out of print)

$40  

The late historian Charles Outland has gathered the best bits of Ventura County's frontier legacy, weaving them into this light-hearted and entertaining book. Relive the history of familiar places in the Los Padres National Forest like Rose Valley, Mutau Flats, Cobblestone Mountain, and the historic mining site of Lexington near the confluence of Piru and Lockwood creeks. A recurring theme in the book is the fate of the last Grizzly bears that roamed the Ventura backcountry in the early 1900s. This book is now out of print. A collector's item - only 1,500 copies of this printing were made.

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The Natural History of Big Sur

by Paul Henson and Donald J. Usner, 1996, 416pp.

$27.50 $22   

From the back cover: "Each year millions of people visit the rugged California coastline and wild mountains known as Big Sur. Finally, here is a book that is both a natural history of this beautiful region and an excellent guide to its extensive public lands. The first section introduces the area's geology, climate, flora, fauna, and human history, while the second section describes selected sites, trails, and features of interest."

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Oaks of California

by Bruce M. Pavlik, Pamela C. Muick,
Sharon G. Johnson, and Marjorie Popper, 2006, 184pp.

$24.95 $20  

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by John Moir, 2006, 272pp, hardcover

$24.95  $19  

From the back cover: ""Return of the Condor is a riveting account of one of the most dramatic attempts to save a species from extinction in the history of modern conservation. Return of the Condor chronicles this epic story. We meet Jan Hamber, the biologist who made the agonizing decision to capture AC9, the young male who was the last living wild condor; Carl Koford, the brilliant scientist whose flawed conclusions delayed a captive-breeding program until it was almost too late; and two of the condors whose survival was critical, including AC9 himself. There is tragedy and triumph in their stories. Today, condors are more numerous and far easier to see than at any time in the past century, and their expanding territory is home to millions of Americans. For America’s 52 million birders and anyone who cares about saving our natural heritage, this inspiring story shows what happens when we commit ourselves to working with nature instead of against it."

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by Steve Edwards, 2000, 220pp.

$20.00 $18  

From the back cover: "Santa Barbara and Ventura counties have long been known as sublime tourist areas, but the rock climbing and bouldering along California's south-central coast are just beginning to attract the attention they richly deserve. From the sweeping walls of the Echo Cliffs to the awesome overhangs at the Owl Tor, from classic problems at Painted Cave to the vast boulderfields atop Pine Mountain, the many routes and boulder problems described in this book will appeal to a wide range of tastes and abilities. Written by one of the area's leading activists, Rock Climbing Santa Barbara and Ventura provides first-hand information to more than 50 scenic and uncrowded climbing areas not to be left off your tick-list."

Includes over three dozen climbs in the Los Padres National Forest.
 

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by Raymond Ford, 2001, 221pp.

$12.95 $12  

From the back cover: "From Carpinteria to Gaviota, from the beaches to the crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains, Raymond Ford's Santa Barbara Day Hikes gives you everything you need to know to enjoy hundreds of hours of great day hiking - and all within an hour's drive of Santa Barbara." Includes maps, directions, trail info, nature notes, and natural history for 79 trails, half of which are in or near the Los Padres.
 

Currently out of print.

by Raymond Ford, 2001, 224pp.

From the back cover: "From the crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains to the interior of the back country, Raymond Ford's Santa Barbara Mountain Biking guide gives you everything you need to know to enjoy hundreds of hours of great riding - and all within an hour's drive of Santa Barbara." Includes maps, directions, and descriptions of 61 rides in the front country, the mountain crest, Gaviota, upper and lower Santa Ynez River, the Santa Ynez Valley, and Figueroa Mountain.
 

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by Brad Monsma, 2004, 155pp. HARDCOVER (now out of print - a collector's item at the paperback price!)

$24.95 $19  

From the inside cover: "Sespe Creek, the last undammed river in Southern California, flows through some of the wildest territory in the state to its mount less than fifty miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. A mostly roadless expanse of chaparral and mixed forest, in many places nearly inaccessible even on foot, the Sespe is the untamed heart of Southern California.... In The Sespe Wild, Monsma shares his exploration of this unique and fantasic region. His attention ranges from the physical Sespe, examined on foot or by kayak, to the subsurface geology that shaped it, and the impact of Spanish and then American settlers. He also considers the Sespe through the eyes of some of its nonhuman populations - the nearly extinct condors, the vanished grizzlies, the mountain sheep, the threatened steelhead trout, the red-legged frogs. Through the metaphor of the river, he ponders the tensions between preservation and management of wildlife and wilderness, the ecology of fire, the connections between species, and the almost miraculous ways that the Sespe has escaped the fate of other southern California streams."
 

 

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by E.R. "Jim" Blakley & Jeanine Moret, 2004, 49pp.

$10.95 $10  

This guide describes the historical and natural features of the most scenic section of Highway 33 - the San Jacinto Reyes National Scenic Byway - on its route through the Los Padres National Forest. Travel the "San Jacinto Reyes National Scenic Byway" with famed forest historian Jim Blakley, whose commentary along the way interweaves landscape, anecdote, and natural history into a thoroughly enjoyable journey.
 

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by David Powdrell & Hugh Margerum, 2005, 103pp.

$29.95 $28  

This highly popular book features stunning photographs and information on 42 of the most common wildflowers found along the hiking trails above Santa Barbara. Features California wild rose, Indian paintbrush, lemonade berry, morning glory, rose snapdragon, purple sage, poppies, canyon sunflower, fiesta flower, lupine, and others.