Although dated, The Best Whitewater in California by Lars Holbek and Chuck Stanley is a classic guidebook for every river runner. Besides detailing 180 runs, the book will make your river bookshelf pop!

The whitewater ranges from mildly challenging to downright hair-raising, and the descriptions are profusely illustrated with maps, photos, and a sprinkling of whitewater tall tales. In other words, this is the definitive word for California boating in the 1990s.