Fodor's Travel Intelligence The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West

by Fodor's Travel Publications Inc.

Expanded   Highlights include deeper coverage of outdoor adventures like hiking and rafting in the National Parks of the American West. 

Illustrated  Rich full-color features help travelers to the National Parks of the West make the most of top experiences, from white-water rafting on the Colorado River and understanding Yellowstone's geothermal features to choosing a historic lodge and stargazing. The illustrated field guides to wildlife and geology make identification a snap. 

Indispensable Trip Planning  This book is not only indispensible on the ground; it also makes choosing a park simple. Thirty-seven United States western national parks are divided by state in the What's Where section so it's easy to decide which parks to see together. Nine customizable driving tours do the work of planning a road trip. The Best of the National Parks section breaks down the parks by themes, such as parks for day trippers, for spotting wildlife, and for inspiration. The new Outdoor Adventures section lists the best parks for hiking, rafting, rock climbing, and camping. Everything needed to plan a visit is here, from information on discount park passes and what to pack to tips for families and photographers. Each National Park has a convenient overview with highlights and practical advice for getting around, plus information on activities, dining, and lodging in and around the park. 

Discerning   Fodor's National Parks of the West offers savvy advice and recommendations from local writers to help park visitors make the most of their trip. Fodor's Choice designates our best picks, from hotels to activities, while "Word of Mouth" quotes from fellow travelers provide valuable park insights.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference

920 pages, Paperback

First published February 24, 1998

About the author

Fodor's Travel Publications is a United States-based producer of English-language travel guides and online tourism information. It was founded by Hungarian Eugene Fodor in 1936.
Fodor’s was acquired by Random House in 1986 and sold to Internet Brands in 2016.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the previous edition which was dated and worn out. This book is great for an overview of each park. I use it extensively for trip planning and it's quite helpful. Beware that it does not always give the best information on campgrounds and related places to overnight. For example, missing the best campground, by far, in Death Valley is a nearly unforgivable sin. It also fails to mention many, many other terrific campgrounds - it wouldn't be difficult to include them - but whatever -
Again - this is great for overviews but be sure to check out campground information with fellow travelers and the NPS personnel.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked this book out from the library to use to do some research for an upcoming trip. I have been to many National Parks in this region and find the information provided to be accurate and practical. I am thankful they included parks in Canada such as Jasper, Banff and Waterton Lakes. It makes sense as Waterton Lakes is the sister park to Glacier in Montana. Overall, this book is incredibly helpful and I decided to purchase my own copy to take on future NP trips.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This publication has been extremely helpful in planning our Utah Road trip. I especially valued the information regarding hikes and the accommodations throughout Utah. We will be going to all of the Mighty Five NPs and having used this book, I think we are prepared.

[Missa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive tour guide with great recommendations for week-long travel expeditions to see all the important sites. Highly recommended.

[Nichole]

Gave me some good ideas of road trip itineraries. Standard guidebook otherwise.

[J.S.]

I'm one of those people who like to know where I'm going and what to see while I'm there. I don't go overboard researching every single thing about the place, but I try to do a little homework beforehand. I especially like maps and try to see the sights along the way whenever we're travelling. So, I was pleasantly surprised with this travel guide on National Parks of the West since we've managed to see a number of them in the last few years and still have a bunch on our list to see.

At over 900 pages this is a nice hefty book and a good choice to keep in the car but maybe not a backpack. It's loaded with great pictures and comments, many of them apparently submitted online by ordinary travelers - which is a nice touch. The beginning includes a lot of good info such as the history of the parks system and tips for visiting, safety, stargazing, and just picking which ones to visit. There are some great sections that list specifics such as best parks for hiking, camping, inspiration, families, bears, etc. Following that are the 38 individual parks profiled, each including useful information like average monthly high and low temperatures, getting around, why to visit, etc. And I think this is a good guide for those who are making a very quick trip or just to get you started. And even though it's crammed with information, if you're like me this won't quite be adequate, especially for big parks like Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite.

My complaints are minor, and I don't mean to nit-pick, but I think they're worth mentioning:
* Maps: the maps are pretty small and frequently cross over the center of the book, leaving an annoying gap. Fortunately you'll get a nice big one from the friendly ranger when you pay your admission at the gate.
* Directions: last year we visited the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest (AZ) and had only our AAA guides. But AAA gave specific time-saving directions depending upon *which way* you were traveling on I-40 (check the map - it was more useful than you might think), but nothing of the sort here.
* What's Nearby: nice feature, but sometimes seems uninformed and selective. No mention of Dead Horse Point State Park (UT) which is practically across the street from Arches (UT) and definitely worth seeing. (I also remember reading - maybe on the NPS website - that Arches is best to see at sunset, whereas Dead Horse Point and Canyonlands are better in the morning light, but other than some vague "tips" it's not clear).

Also, the Arches section starts with a picture of Landscape Arch (from a nice angle that's different from the usual perspective) but the blurb calls it Delicate Arch (oops! - any other such mistakes?). So use this guide as a good place to get started, but do yourself a favor and do a little homework beforehand.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have several books on national parks of the West and this is hands down my favorite. I live in Arizona and love long road trips. I've visited all of the "big" national parks and most of the smaller ones; and even some that are completely off the beaten path (Capitol Reef, for instance). I've found this Fodor's guide to be the most inclusive. It's very well organized and easy to find what I need. It has sections on points of interest in the parks, and lodging and restaurant options outside the parks as well. I absolutely love the "can't miss" POIs recommended, and the recommended hikes are always awesome. There are so many interesting things I would have missed if I hadn't had this book along (for instance, the Pioneer Register in Capitol Reef NP). I like that they suggest things to see based on how much time you have to spend in each park. I especially love the suggested road trip sections.
The one thing I wish it had is a section on national monuments as well. Even if it were a separate edition.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've found this book very handy both for traveling to the parks and dreaming about traveling to them. Plus, I love this quote found on page 3: "To the body and mind which have been cramped by noxious work or company, nature is medicinal and restores their tone. The tradesman, the attorney comes out of the din and craft of the street and sees the sky and woods, and is a man again. In their eternal calm, he finds himself." Thank you Mr. Thoreau.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously didn't read this cover to cover, but it was super helpful for our trip to Moab! It had recommended hikes, what you really need to see if you only have a day, and excellent maps. It even had a section on recognizing dehydration and how to cure it, which came in handy!

[Meredith]

Glacier National Park is calling ...

[Amy C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciated that this book had the Candian parks as well. There are a couple of recommended trips at the beginning of the book that look really interesting.

[MsBrie]

2016 version. Provides important details such as which airport to fly into. Also includes hikes, listing their difficulty level. Plan on picking up this book again in future years!