Coastal Trails of Southern California: Including Best Dog Friendly Beaches

It’s hard to imagine finding a better guidebook for hiking or walking other than Coastal Trails of Southern California. This guidebook by Linda and David Mullally is thorough and user-friendly. It has absolutely everything that would be useful for a hiker or trail walker. Since these are trails along the coast, elevation gains are modest, and most of the forty paths listed in the book are easy to hike. This is not for hikers looking for a strenuous workout but rather the casual hikers or walkers looking for a bit of exercise on vacation.

The authors divide the guidebook into seven areas from Monterey to going south to San Diego County. The authors are dog lovers and point out beaches that are dog-friendly. Five icons will help you to pick from the trails: best photos; family friendly; beach access; dog-friendly and finding solitude. For each trail they included everything for the hikers’ convenience: how to find the trailhead, closest bakeries, eateries, sleeping accommodations and so on, and an excellent map. The book is printed on quality paper stock and includes several photos; appendixes and sidebars make the book even more helpful.