Channel Islands National Park

The Channel Islands should not be missed by people who are self reliant and interested in nature. Great trip for kids of school age!

Nice photographs and some cursory descriptions, but lacks in depth information on the Channel Islands! If you want a nice brochure, this is just fine.

Very basic with limited information . A Quick read.

Received the book earlier than expected even tho it was Christmas time. The book was in better shape than I had hoped for so that was a nice surprise. I am very pleased.

Great and fast service.

great

Channel Islands National Park is one of the least visited lands administered by the National Park Service. This is not because they are unworthy of attention. Called California's Galapagos, these islands feature hundreds of endemic species of plants and animals. Although ranching over the last 100 years damaged the ecosystems of these unique places, all of the islands are making a fine recovery. Here you can meet an island fox, the smallest native fox on the planet, see literally thousands of seals and sea lions, and hike among some of the rarest pine trees in the world. Of course the main impediment to doing these activities is the isolation from the mainland, which is precisely the reason these island feature the unique landscapes they do. Even the closest islands are an hour boat ride from the populated cities along California's coast, and remote islands like San Miguel and Santa Barbara are hours away, and only rarely accessible as commercial tourist boats only occasionally them. But this coffee table book will give you some nice photography and a description of each islands unique features. It is not, of course, a substitute for visiting the Park, but it will help you relive memories of your stay, and plan future visits. And that is all you can ask of a coffee table book. Plus, buying one supports a good organization, the Western Parks Association. So, if you need an inexpensive coffee table book to remind you of where you would rather be, consider this one. Decent book, decent price, decent cause. Enough said.

This book arrived promptly and in fine condition. It wasn't quite as definitive a guide to hiking the Channel Islands as I'd hoped, but it's pretty good and definitely will be useful background.