Favorite books for Southwest?

After checking, that 2nd site is americansouthwest.net. You can find tons of info on many sites. Also remembered a book in my collection if you can find it at a bookstore titled HIGH SOUTHWEST by Steve Cohen. It provided lots of info on the 4-corners area. Good luck on your trip.

Not a book; but grandcircle.org provides information on the 4-corners area (300 mile radius) that you can use to get further information from many sites. I think that the site americansouthwest.com (or .org) will provide volumes of information on a number of parks,canyons etc. in a number of states.

My books on the SW revolve around hiking and biking trails, rather than camping itself. A little out of the SW, but one book that you might like is "Colorado Campgrounds: The 100 Best and All the Rest". Sure it describes the popular CG's, but also lists quite a few others. One of the sections on each campground describes the popularity of that CG so you can balance the scenic attributes and CG's facilities with the popularity and privacy of the CG.

You might also check out the books by Moon such as this one for Utah. I find the whole Moon series to be quite helpful in my travels, not just for CG's but lesser known sights to see and places to eat. Check with you local library to see if they have any of the Moon books on hand so you can see what they are like before ordering one.

Another vote, though, for the Desert USA website to help with your trip planning. Maybe start there to find out about the lesser know destinations and then research your camping options from there. For that, I use this Campground Map. Just input the name of the closest town and the map will zoom in showing most of the public and private campground options.

Arizona Magazine is great for that state. Navajo Country is a huge part of Arizona and New Mexico. Utah has two national parks an a State park within ten miles of each other, Arches, Dead Horse Point and Canyonlands. All the Southwest States have great travel and vacation guides available online from state offices of tourism. Of course Grand Canyon NP both North and South rims, Glen Canyon, Bryce and Zion. To many places and books, Google book about places you want to visit.

I like Discovery Channel's Insight Guide "American Southwest." This one has a cultural - historical - natural wonder focus, it is not really about accommodations. For the National Park Service properties, "The Colorado Plateau" by John Murray provides summaries of what is in the part we think of as the Four Corners area.

I also have "Native Roads" and "Tony Hillerman's Navajoland" which are more focused on particular interests, good if you have a match on the interest.

I've not seen any good guides that carry over from these regions into Southern California. Most of Nevada and northern Utah also tend to be handled separately from "the southwest" as the geology, geography, and culture are different. I would look for a guide focusing on Utah as a state, do not yet have one.


Another vote for the AAA "Indian Country Guide Map" as being the best coverage of the region for a tourist.

None of these have anything to do with RVing.

There are some online sources that sell detailed information packages for RV circle tours through the region, out of Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Audience for these are people who fly in to rent RVs, the tours variously planned for a week, two weeks, two months. Search on "southwest RV circle tour" for links, quite a bit of the basic information is free if you want to do the homework to put together your own tours.

GordonThree wrote:
What are some favorite books for RV'ing in the Southwest, namely Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, maybe some of Nevada / Death Valley California... I have Church's Southwest book already on the list.

I'm mainly interested in books that focus on public lands and rustic destinations, rather than resorts with paved parking pads and manicured lawns.

I've carried 2-22 Days in the American Southwest in the last couple of Coaches and love it, along with the Sister 2-22 days in the Rockies.

Out of date - with many of the suggestions no longer available (hotels, restaurants) these books are a great guide for mapping out a trip with a time line. The only other resource that I have found that works for me is the detailed accounts of many of the traveler on this site. Having spent more than just a few nights in this area, I have found the more you dig the better it gets. If you drive a road one way try to drive back in the opposite direction the view is always different. Because of the weather many of these sites are great in the shoulder seasons.

BOL,

The bookstore at area park visitor centers often have good books, including roadside geology books.

Yes, that particular map is a very good one! Also available at Amazon;search for "Indian Country Guide Map."
:)
Lynn

NCWriter wrote:
Not a book, but the AAA "Indian Country Guide Map" is an excellent resource for planning and under you are underway. Available through AAA for members, Amazon and in many book stores in the SW.

Also very hand when you drive by a stunning rock formation and wonder about its name.

Not a book, but the AAA "Indian Country Guide Map" is an excellent resource for planning and when you are underway. Available through AAA for members, Amazon and in many book stores in the SW.

Also very handy when you drive by a stunning rock formation and wonder about its name.

I find this link interesting Gunfighters of Old West and other interesting stuff ElFego Baca being a local favorite :) Do you remember the Disney series about him?