From wave-cut rock cliffs and sea caves to gravel beaches and coastal dunes, California's coastline provides visitors with unparalleled topographical variety and great intellectual challenge. What forces shaped such an extraordinary landscape? Miles O. Hayes and Jacqueline Michel have been mapping the coast of California since the 1980s as part of a larger initiative to protect coastlines around the world from hazardous oil spills. A Coast to Explore is the culmination of their work. It details the geological evolution of central California's coast from Bodega Bay to Point Conception, including the effects of erosion during El Nios, the impacts of tsunamis, the birth of the San Andreas Fault system, and the formation of spectacular raised marine terraces. Key ecological concepts are described for each of the major subdivisions of the coast. Through diagrams, maps, full-color photographs, and satellite images, A Coast to Explore takes readers on a fascinating journey of discovery so they can better understand this most remarkable and varied of coastlines.