Books and Maps

Before getting into the guides to the climbing routes of Yosemite, I do want to mention one instructional book that may prove useful to people coming from home areas where they're not used to climbing 12 or 20 pitches in a day.

Michael Frye, Photographer's Guide to Yosemite

Yosemite is home to over 1300 species of flowering plants and over 1400 "taxa". Only a handful of these are non-native and most of those are found only below 6,000 feet. Furthermore, because of the elevation range in the park and its near environs, flowers are in bloom somewhere from March through September.

There is no shortage of hiking guidebooks to Yosemite, that's for certain. Again, picking one is somewhat a matter of taste. The truth is, I usually choose my hikes by poring over maps, but there are a few books that are notable for their utility or interest.

I've picked some of my favorite books. It's still a long list and far more books than the casual visitor would ever purchase, but there are these things called libraries, and I know some people couldn't care less about flower books or hiking books or any given category. So I've broken then out to help people find their bliss. If you have a book to suggest, a book to unsuggest or a category, please mention it in the comments.