Hiking Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, 3rd: A Guide to the Parks' Greatest Hikes Author: Bill Schneider | Language: English | ISBN:
0762778601 | Format: PDF
Hiking Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, 3rd: A Guide to the Parks' Greatest Hikes Description
About the Author
Bill Schneider has spent forty years hiking trails all across America. He has written twenty books and hundreds of magazine articles on wildlife, outdoor recreation, and conservation issues. He lives in Helena, Montana, and works as a publishing consultant and freelance writer. For more details, go to www.billschneider.net.
- Series: Regional Hiking Series
- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: FalconGuides; Third Edition, Third edition (February 5, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0762778601
- ISBN-13: 978-0762778607
- Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
My family and I just got back from Canyonlands and Arches National Parks and used this book to determine which trails we wanted to take while visiting these two wonderful parks. The book offers detailed and very accurate information about each of the trails including their difficulty, the length, where to find the trailhead, a description of the trail as well as a map showing other trails nearby that you might want to connect together to make a larger hike. Colored pictures are included for each trail. For the longer hikes, a mileage guide is included which tells you where you'll reach either part of the trail (ex: 0.1 miles: Junction with Upheaval Dome Overlook trail, turn left. 1.5 miles: Start steep descent, etc). This is of great value in that you may find that it's taking you longer than expected to complete the trail and it might be in your best interest to turn around instead of proceeding. It also helps in pacing yourself during the hike, as well as being helpful if you only want to see something specific on the trail and not complete the entire thing. This was the case on one of the trail in which we only wanted to see one of the arches, but not do the entire trail. Of course, it's a great indicator of ensuring you're still on the trail.
There are a wide assortment of trails - some very short and some long, which can be turned into overnight hikes. The author does a great job at pointing out how you can combine hikes to make them longer if you choose.
The size of the book is slim which makes it great for throwing in your backpack. There is also a map of both parks showing where each of the trails is located to help in planning your day(s).
Falcon Guide books do a fantastic job! We've used them in other parks as well.
Unless you are one of those lucky people who live in Moab or Green River, you probably have to travel a ways to visit Utah's slick rock country. You will also want to make the most of your outdoors time while you are there. And that is where this guidebook comes in. Yes, you can do a driving tour of the park, and if your idea of driving includes off road travel in 4wd vehicles, this book can definitely help you. But the best way to see Arches and Canyon Lands is on foot and you will certainly want to leave your car for a little while. And that is the big benefit of this Falcon Guide. It includes many hiking options for all levels of hikers, from beginners and those with disabilities, to extended backpack routes on ill defined trails, and everything in between.
Every hike, from the shortest half mile loops to the longest 20 mile routes include a color sketch map, GPS trailhead coordinates, significant waypoints along the trail, and often show color photos of the region so you can judge for yourself is this is a hike you need to take. Detailed driving directions, a large area map, and natural and archeological features round out the text. Although some of the trails are suitable for backpacking, day hikes receive the bulk of the attention. This makes sense because most park users have only a couple of days to experience the parks, but virtually all major geological formations and ecosystems are represented by the trails in this book. Readers should note, however, that a fair number of these trails can only be accessed by high clearance vehicles.
Finally, this book does offer a lot of "other" details to help plan trips. Essential contacts, such as parks and natural history associations are listed.
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