Award-winning author, naturalist, and conservationist Tim Palmer presents the world of California rivers in this practical and inspiring field guide. Loaded with tips on where to hike, fish, canoe, kayak, and raft, it offers an interpretive approach that reveals geology, plant and wild life, hydrologic processes, and other natural phenomena. Palmer reports on conservation with a perspective from decades of personal engagement. More than 150 streams are featured, 50 riparian species are illustrated, and 180 photos show the essence of California’s rivers. Palmer brings a natural history guide, a recreation guide, and an introduction to river ecology together in one illuminating volume; it belongs in every river lover’s book collection, boat, and backpack.

Tim Palmer is the author of 20 books on nature and the environment. For 35 years he has explored and written about California rivers. He’s the recipient of Friends of the River’s Mark Dubois and Peter Behr Awards, and the National Wildlife Federation’s Communicator of the Year Award.

“An excellent little guide, this is one book you won’t want to leave home without if you plan on river rafting, hiking, or a fishing trip.”—Bookloons.com

“Here’s the definitive field guide on the Golden State’s rivers. . . . Whether you fish, kayak, or just enjoy exploring on foot the banks of these waterways, this is a book you will want to have at your fingertips.”—Salinas Californian

“Palmer brings a natural history guide, a recreation guide, and an introduction to river ecology together in one illuminating volume; it belongs in every river lover’s book collection, boat, and backpack. . . . Anyone exploring California rivers will want this book!”—Birdbooker Report

“Tim Palmer invites us on a journey of California as told by rivers. There is a wealth of knowledge about rivers and their natural history in these pages; but there also runs a deeper current of love for these flowing waters and a fervent hope that we will become better stewards of these resources. Reading this book will open readers’ eyes and lead them to the rivers.”—Jack E. Williams, Senior Scientist of Trout Unlimited

“Rivers are the arteries of California and this book puts your fingers on the pulse. This beautifully illustrated and thoroughly researched guide gives you specific details you need to know to fully appreciate California’s rivers—where to go, when to visit, and what treasures to look for. This guide will change the way we see the state and will lead readers on some great adventures.”—John Muir Laws, author of The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada

"Tim Palmer's guide offers a terrific addition to any paddler's bookshelf, and it gives us the information and inspiration we need to go see, experience, and know about these great places that are laying at the doorstep of every Californian."—Charlie Center, whitewater kayaker and co-creator of the film, The Last Descent