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Utah & the Canyon Country

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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We feature a handpicked selection of travel guides, maps, literature, books on art, nature and culture, designed to help you get more out of your travels to Utah & the Canyon Country. Order an essential package, and we'll ship any additional items for fr

Essential Reading

Item EXSWU176. Buy these 4 items as a set for $53 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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Moon Handbook Utah

Moon Handbook Utah

by W. C. McRae

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 507 PAGES

A practical guide in the Moon series, packed not only with travel necessities (hotels, restaurants, sights), but also with a good overview of history and destinations throughout Utah. (USW552, $19.95)

A Naturalist's Guide to Canyon Country

A Naturalist's Guide to Canyon Country

by David Williams | Gloria Brown

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 188 PAGES

A compact field guide to the wildlife of the high desert of the Colorado Plateau and the nine national parks of the region. Williams includes an overview of the history, geology and ecology of the high desert along with basic information on identifying common plants and animals. (USW289, $22.95)

Desert Solitaire

Desert Solitaire

by Edward Abbey

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 303 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

One of the great works on the value of the desert, eloquent and laugh-out-loud funny. Although Abbey writes specifically about his experiences as a ranger at Arches National Park outside Moab, Utah, his message is universal. (DES02, $7.99)

Recreational Map of Utah

Recreational Map of Utah

by GTR Mapping

  • MAP

A very good fold-out map of Utah at a scale of 1:800,000 showing topography, parks and wilderness areas, cities, towns and roads. (SWU48, $3.95)

 
Arches National Park Map 211

Arches National Park Map 211


by Trails Illustrated

  • MAP

A map of Arches National Park at a scale of 1:50,000. (USW163, $11.95)

Bryce Canyon National Park Map

Bryce Canyon National Park Map


by Trails Illustrated

  • MAP

A detailed map of Bryce Canyon at a scale of 1:37,000. (USW143, $11.95)

Canyonlands National Park Map

Canyonlands National Park Map


by Trails Illustrated

  • MAP

A durable, topographic map of Canyonlands National Park, Utah, at a scale of 1:62,000. (USW164, $11.95)

Glen Canyon/Capitol Reef Map


by Trails Illustrated

  • MAP

A detailed topographic map of Glen Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks. (SWU57, $11.95)

Moab South Map

Moab South Map


by Trails Illustrated

  • 2004
  • MAP

Designed for mountain bikers and hikers, this colorful topographic map of Moab and surroundings, at a scale of 1:72,500, shows bike trails, roads and mileage. (SWU140, $11.95)

Southwestern Utah Map


by Utah Travel Council

  • MAP

A map of southwestern Utah at a scale of 1:375,000. (USW124, $4.95)

Zion National Park Map

Zion National Park Map


by Trails Illustrated

  • MAP

A detailed map of Zion National Park at a scale of 1:38,000. (USW144, $11.95)

Falcon Guide, Hiking Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks

Falcon Guide, Hiking Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks


by Tamara Martin | Erik Molvar

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 246 PAGES

In addition to useful trail descriptions, maps and safety techniques, this practical hiking guide to Zion and Bryce National Parks gives an overview of the area's natural history. (USW138, $16.95)

Hiking Canyonlands and Arches National Parks

Hiking Canyonlands and Arches National Parks


by Bill Schneider

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 226 PAGES

A comprehensive guide to the hiking trails and backcountry roads of Canyonlands and Arches, published in cooperation with the National Park Service. (USW154, $16.95)

Moon Handbook Zion and Bryce

Moon Handbook Zion and Bryce


by W.C. McRae

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 298 PAGES

A practical guide to traveling and hiking in Utah's Zion and Bryce National Parks, with shorter sections on nearby Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Escalante. (SWU181, $17.95)

Under the Banner of Heaven, A Story of Violent Faith


by Jon Krakauer

  • HISTORY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

Krakauer's engrossing account of murder among the Mormon fundamentalist community. More than just a true crime story, it's also a history of the Mormon faith and its disparate sects in the American West. (SWU149, $16.00)

Zion National Park


by Tiffany Taylor

  • HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 127 PAGES

Utah native Taylor dedicates this pictorial history of the National Park and its early pioneer settlers to her grandfather, who was a park ranger in Zion. The book includes 200 historic photographs and 15 removable postcards. (SWU289, $21.99)

Beyond the Hundredth Meridian, John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West

Beyond the Hundredth Meridian, John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West


by Wallace Stegner

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 438 PAGES

The classic, Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of explorer John Wesley Powell by the great Wallace Stegner, first published in 1954. It's both an adventure and an insightful look at the politics of development in the American West. (USW78, $17.00)

The Bassett Women

The Bassett Women


by Grace McClure

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1985
  • PAPER
  • 247 PAGES

The story of a pioneering family in eastern Utah, drawn from interviews, historical documents and memoirs. "Queen" Anne Bassett and her family were a resilient group who endured the harsh life of settlers in eastern Utah. (USW350, $14.95)

The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons

The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons


by John Wesley Powell

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 397 PAGES

The classic tale of adventure and exploration of the rivers and canyonlands of the Colorado Plateau, originally published in 1875 -- and still terrific reading for any traveler to the Grand Canyon. (USW80, $16.00)

The Last Cheater's Waltz, Beauty and Violence in the Desert Southwest


by Ellen Meloy

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A naturalist's travels through the desert Southwest of her youth, reflecting on native peoples, landscape and ecology. Meloy explores Los Alamos, Trinity National Historic Landmark, and White Sands Missile Range -- including the impact of the laboratory and bomb testing on the environment. (USW292, $17.95)

Basin and Range


by John McPhee

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 216 PAGES

McPhee's illuminating account of travels in the company of geologist Kenneth S. Deffeyes along Route 80 from Utah to California. (GEO13, $15.00)

Bryce Canyon, The Story Behind the Scenery


by John Bezy

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 64 PAGES

A concise guide to the natural history of Bryce Canyon, accompanied by full color photography. (USW587, $11.95)

Cadillac Desert, The American West and Its Disappearing Water

Cadillac Desert, The American West and Its Disappearing Water


by Marc Reisner

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 582 PAGES

A definitive history of water development in the American desert -- and a now-classic chronicle of wrong-headed policies and misadventures controlling the great rivers of the West. (USW246, $18.00)

Pages of Stone: Geology of Western National Parks and Monuments, Grand Canyon and the Plateau Country

Pages of Stone: Geology of Western National Parks and Monuments, Grand Canyon and the Plateau Country


by Halka Chronic

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 158 PAGES

An informative guide to the geology of the Colorado Plateau, some of the most ruggedly beautiful land in the southwest. With mostly black-and-white photographs, maps, diagrams and glossary. (USW380, $19.95)

Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert

Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert


by Terry Tempest Williams

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

A series of lyrical, thoughtful essays on the power and beauty of the Red Rock Wilderness of southern Utah, including Grand Staircase, Canyonlands, Glen Canyon, Moab and the Great Basin. (USW398, $15.00)

Roadside Geology, Utah

Roadside Geology, Utah


by Halka Chronic

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 325 PAGES

Designed for the roadside traveler, this series explains in detail the geologic history of Utah as seen through the car window. A great introduction to basic geomorphology and how the dramatic landscapes were formed. (USW30, $20.00)

Run, River, Run: A Naturalist's Journey Down One of the Great Rivers of the American West

Run, River, Run: A Naturalist's Journey Down One of the Great Rivers of the American West


by Ann Zwinger

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1984
  • PAPER
  • 317 PAGES

An account of travels on the author's beloved Green River, which runs from western Wyoming to eastern Utah before joining the Colorado. (USW394, $18.95)

The Redrock Chronicles, Saving Wild Utah

The Redrock Chronicles, Saving Wild Utah


by T. H. Watkins

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 176 PAGES

A natural and human history of the Colorado Plateau, and most specifically southern Utah, illustrated with photographs. Watkins explores the complex geology, human settlement and modern issues concerning the region. (USW267, $31.95)

Zion Canyon, A Storied Land

Zion Canyon, A Storied Land


by Greer K. Chesher

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 96 PAGES

Chesher, a park ranger and longtime resident of the region, brings a personal and in-depth perspective to Zion Canyon, examining its geological wonders, ecology and the interplay between the landscape and its human settlers. (USW502, $14.95)

A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians

A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians


by Robert Stebbins

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 533 PAGES

The definitive field guide, with a special section on Baja's endemic species. (FG08, $22.00)

Canyon Country Wildflowers

Canyon Country Wildflowers


by Damian Fagan

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 152 PAGES

This comprehensive field guide covers 190 of the most commonly encountered wildflowers, shrubs and trees of the Four Corners area. (USW155, $19.95)

National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southwestern States: Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah

National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southwestern States: Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah


by Peter Alden

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 448 PAGES

A compact photographic guide to the wildflowers, trees, mosses, butterflies, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals of the American Southwest. (SWU14, $19.95)

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America


by Jon Dunn

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 576 PAGES

From Alaska to Baja California, Nova Scotia and Florida, this guide is the veteran's choice for birding anywhere in the United States. Tabbed for easy access, the color range maps in this sixth edition are outstanding. (FG09, $27.95)

Southwestern Desert Life

Southwestern Desert Life


by Raymond Leung | James Kavanaugh

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2000
  • PLASTIC CARD

A pocket-size, fold-out guide to the life of the desert southwest. (SWU43, $5.95)

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Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.