Books

Over the years I’ve found several books helpful at understanding the geology of the SF Bay Area (and other locations for our multi-day trips). Here are a few I recommend, including places to acquire them new, used, ebook versions, and from libraries.

• Used books: Links to abebooks.com, a great source for used books from independent bookstores and booksellers around the country (and world).
• New books: If I can connect you with the book publisher directly, that’s where the link will take you. You may also find new books on the abebooks.com listing.
• ebooks, when available, will usually be available through a library.
• Library: I’ll link to WorldCat, which has most libraries included in their database. You can also look up the book directly at your local library.

Most of these books start with a chapter or two introducing the general geology of the area.

Greater SF Bay Area

• Geology of the San Francisco Bay Region (2006)
  • By Doris Sloan, another UC Berkeley geologist. Doris has created a complete guidebook with many photos, maps, diagrams, and other tools for understanding our local geology. I highly recommend this book.
  • New, used, or library.
• A Streetcar to Subduction (1984)
  • By Clyde Wahrhaftig, a UC Berkeley geology professor who never learned how to drive a car. This book is quite old, and many of the destinations have been radically changed/built on, but it’s a great example of early geology guidebooks for the Bay Area. If you’re looking for just one book, I’d recommend Doris Sloan’s book, but this book is a great piece of history.
  • New, used, or library.
• Geologic Trips; San Francisco and the Bay Area (1998)
  • By Ted Konigsmark who has created seven trips with details of the geology you’ll see along the way. I’ve converted many of these into my day hikes.
  • New, used, or library.

California and Beyond

• Roadside Geology of Northern and Central California (2000)
  • By David D. Alt and Donald W. Hyndman. The Roadside Geology series identifies rock outcroppings you can see and stop at on highways and byways throughout the region. Each chapter focuses on one highway, and gives mileage markers for stops it identifies. The original version was published in 1975 (and you can still find older versions used), but I hear the 2000 edition is worth purchasing over the earlier versions.
  • New, used, or library.
• Shaping the Sonoma – Mendocino Coast; Exploring the coastal geology of Norther California (2017)
  • By Thomas E. Cochrane, includes an 85-mile Highway 1 Road Log for a self-guided geological tour. If you love Highway 1 between Bodega Bay and Point Arena, this book if for you.
  • New, used, or library.

Other destinations for our multi-day trips

Death Valley

• Death Valley Rocks! (2024)
  • By Marli B. Miller. In addition to a great overview of Death Valley geology, this book has 2-3 pages going deeper into forty different geologic destinations.
  • New, used, or library
• Geology Underfoot in Death Valley and Eastern California (2022)
  • By Allen Glazner, Arthur Gipps Sylvester, and Robert P. Sharp. This book guides you through about 30 hikes or rambles through the valley. There is also a 1997 edition, but from what I’ve seen the current edition is worth the upgrade.
  • New, used, or library
• Hiking Death Valley: A Guide to its Natural Wonders and Mining Past (2016)
  • By Michel Digonnet. More of a hiking manual than a geology one, this book still includes plenty of information about the geology. I often use it to find a hike, then look at other books for more details about the geology along that hike.
  • New, used, or library
• An Introduction to the Geology of Death Valley (1990)
  • By Michael Collier. This brief book is published by the Death Valley Natural History Association. It’s a 60-page introduction, and buying it helps support the DVNHA, so that’s a good thing. It’s a good introductory book.
  • New, used, or library

Other great books

• Geology of National Parks (2003)
  • By Ann Harris and Ester Tuttle. I have the third edition of this book (1975), and it goes into great depth of over thirty national parks. I haven’t seen the updated editions, but I suspect they are as good as the edition I have.
  • New, used, or library
• Pages of Stone; Geology of Western National Parks & Monuments (1986)
  • By Halka Chronic. Book 2, “Sierra Nevada, Cascades, & Pacific Coast,” does a good job covering the geology of 16 national parks in the western USA. This black and white book has a few color pages inserted, giving us a sense of how publishing was done in the 80s.
  • New, used, or library
• Scenic science of the national parks (2020)
  • By Emily Hoff & Maygen Keller. Subtitled “An explorer’s guide to wildlife, geology, and botany,” this book covers 60 national parks and monuments in a way that is accessible to both older children and adults.
  • New, used, or library

Great publishers

• Mountain Press Publishing Company. A great source of educational books, here’s a link to all their geology books. They have taken over production and distribution of the “Roadside Geology” series and also distribute the “Geology underfoot” and “Rocks!” series. From their website, “Mountain Press Publishing Company is an independent publisher located in the northern Rocky Mountains in Missoula, Montana. Founded in 1948, Mountain Press publishes nonfiction books on geology, natural history, and the history of the western United States for children and adults.”