Falcon publishes some great guide books, and their hiking series is fantastic. Hiking Lassen Volcanic National Park third edition by Tracy Salcedo is a perfect example, winning a 2020 National Outdoor Book Award.
In addition to this very fine guide to a major Northern California attraction, Tracy also penned Best Easy Day Hikes Lake Tahoe, and she knows her way around a guidebook. Her knowledge and Falcon's proven format go well together. The book covers all the basics up front: history, geology, gear and a comprehensive safety briefing with lions, tigers and bears. OK, no tigers, but lightning!
Camping and trails are illustrated with beautiful color maps throughout, and Tracy gives us her author's picks: 14 hikes in 14 days. How can you not want to visit places with names like the Eye of Vulcan and Bumpass Hell? The latter is not descriptive of what might happen to your delicate derriere, but is actually the name of a guy who burned the crap out of his leg in the area.
The guide is endlessly entertaining and will help you get the most of your time in the park. In addition to her 14 hikes, Tracy also helpfully provides a one week schedule and a bunch of "best of" lists of hikes for history, kids, meadows, waterfalls, you get the idea. Worth every penny if you're planning a trip here, and even if you're not it will help you dream.
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