A Naturalist's Guide to Hiking the Grand Canyon

Travel

Aitchison, Stewart

United States

PRENTICE/HALL

Exhilarating photographs of America's breathtaking national treasure capture the exceptional details of the canyon's most impressive spots and complement a detailed travel journal about the site.

A Wilderness Called Grand Canyon

Science & Math

Random House Value Publishing

A detailed guide to more than 100 of Arizona's best hikes, revised and updated.

Hiking Arizona

Sports & Outdoors

GRUBBS, BRUCE

Hiking & Camping

Falcon Pr Pub Co

The desert islands in the Sea of Cortez are little known except to a few intrepid tourists, sailors, and fishermen. Though at first glance these stark islands may appear barren, they are a refuge for an astounding variety of plants and animals. While many of the species are typical of the greater Sonoran Desert region, some are endemic or unique to one or two islands. For example, Isla Santa Catalina is home to the world’s only rattlesnake that has lost its ability to grow a rattle. Other islands host nesting birds, such as Isla Rasa, a tiny, flat flow of basalt lava that attracts nearly half a million elegant and royal terns and Heermann’s gulls each spring. The Desert Islands of Mexico’s Sea of Cortez is one of the few books devoted to the biogeography of this remarkable part of the world. The book explores the geologic origin of the gulf and its islands, presents some of the basics of island biogeography, details insular life—including residents of the intertidal zone —and provides a brief outlook for preserving this area. More than a simple guidebook, Aitchison’s writing will take both actual and armchair travelers through a gripping tale of natural history. Like the rest of our fragile planet, the Sea of Cortez and its islands are threatened by humans. Overfishing has eliminated or greatly diminished many fish stocks, and dams on rivers that once flowed into the gulf prevent certain nutrients from reaching the sea. The tenuousness of this area makes the book’s extraordinary photographs and the firsthand descriptions by a well-known teacher, writer, and photographer all the more compelling.

The Desert Islands of Mexico’s Sea of Cortez

History

Americas

University of Arizona Press

Naturalist's San Juan River Guide

Pruett Pub. Co

In 1879, 230 settlers in southwestern Utah heeded the call from leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to pull up stakes and move to the distant San Juan country of southeastern Utah. Their year-long journey became one of the most extraordinary wagon trips ever undertaken in North America, their trail one of peril, difficulty, and spectacular vistas. Beginning in Cedar City, Utah, this trail crosses today’s Dixie National Forest, skirts Bryce Canyon National Park, bisects the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, crosses the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and comes close to Natural Bridges National Monument on its way to Bluff, Utah. Though the trail that these devoted pioneers broke across raw frontier was used for several years afterward, no highway was built over most of the route because it was deemed too rugged for modern vehicles. In addition to the historical value of the story of these pioneers, this guide includes road logs, maps, and hiking trails along the historic trail. It also points out fascinating natural history along the way, making A Guide to Southern Utah’s Hole-in-the-Rock Trail a significant reference for a variety of readers.

A Guide to Southern Utah's Hole-in-the-Rock Trail

University of Utah Press

Discusses the biology and geology of the Grand Canyon, describes its ecological systems, and looks at the native plants and animals

Voyageur Pr

An excellent resource.... It has a list of guided tours, information on lodging and campgrounds, a map highlighting scenic stops, complete with fascinating natural and human history of the area. Outdoor and Travel Photography

A Traveler's Guide to Monument Valley

Engineering & Transportation

Automotive

"The Grand Canyon," available again in paperback, shows the elements of color, contour, and immensity of the Grand Canyon. Stewart Aitchison details the area's biology and geology, taking readers from the Sonoran-type desert at the bottom of the Grand Canyon to alpine tundra at the summit of the nearby San Francisco Peaks. 
Aitchison details the area's natural and human history, and also introduces readers to the variety of plant and animal communities that reside there. Previously published as "A Wilderness Called Grand Canyon." 
Also recommended: "Yellowstone," "Washington: The Spirit of the Land." 
Pictorial Discovery Guides from Voyageur Press provide focused coverage of popular destinations, landmarks, and heritage sites. Pictorial Discovery Guides offer an appealing combination of expert yet down-to-earth text and memorable color photography.

Grand Canyon

Dietrich, Dick

Europe

A compelling argument in words and photographs for wilderness preservation.

Wilderness Areas of the Colorado Plateau (Plateau, Vol 60 No 4)

Museum of Northern Arizona

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