The Plants of the Pacific Crest Trail: A Hiker’s Guide to Southern California

Identify the plants you’ll see growing right next to you on the trail!

Quickly find, identify, and learn about the amazing range of plants growing along the Southern California stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s easy with The Plants of the Pacific Crest Trail, the first book of its kind, organized by type, color, and trail section. Over 1200 color photos and lively, accessible descriptions make your outing memorable. Did you know that you can see the world’s biggest pinecone along the PCT? Or discover a plant that smells like cheese? Whether you’re enjoying a day hike, exploring with your family, or setting out on the trek of a lifetime, you’ll forge a deeper connection with nature through the beautiful plants on display mile after mile.

Dana York received his M.S. in botany from California State University, Fresno, and his B.S. in forest/natural resource management from Cal Poly Humboldt. For over 30 years, he has worked on floristic and special-status plant species surveys throughout California and Oregon, on both public and private lands, discovering new plant species in the Oregon Cascade, Klamath, and Sierra Nevada ranges. He teaches botany workshops on the Mojave Desert, Sierra Nevada, and Klamath Mountains. Dana lives with his family in Arcata, California. Follow him on Instagram @pct_botanist.

James M. André, a lifelong Californian, began hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in the late 1970s. While completing his undergraduate and graduate work in plant ecology, taxonomy, conservation botany, and rare plant population biology at UCLA, CSU Humboldt State, and UC Davis, Jim was employed as the Forest Botanist at Inyo National Forest, and since 1994 he has served as Director of the University of California’s Granite Mountains Desert Research Center. He also enjoys backpacking, cycling, baseball, beerology, storm-chasing, writing, theater, woodworking, and most of all, hanging out with his family.