"Exploring the Highest Sierra is a broadly accessible introduction to one of the most magnificent regions of the American West, detailing the geology, natural history, and the early explorations of the highest part of California's Sierra Nevada range. It is also an indispensable guide for visitors to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, with abundant maps, photographs, and geologic guides that clearly explain the formation of the awesome natural features before them.".

"The book is illustrated with some 224 early etchings and maps, modern photographs, and diagrams, including 44 maps that incorporate 12 historical charts dating back to the earliest explorations. A series of 15 color maps of the region encompassing the parks, all at the same scale, feature such diverse aspects as the trails pioneered by John Muir, the extent of glacial ice during the Ice Age, and the location of geologic faults and epicenters.

Geologic guides for the region's principal roads and trails define the mileage of all lookouts and points of interest so that the visitor can examine the described features at first hand. The southern half (more than 100 miles) of the John Muir trail lies within the region, and the book includes a geologic guide to this high-altitude wilderness trail."--BOOK JACKET.