Customer Reviews

Best Short Hikes in Arizona

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I long ago came to the realization that I would rather do several short hikes than one long one, especially when visiting a new area. Walking this way you come to see more of an area and get a better feel for its landscape and scenic features. So as a frequent visitor to Arizona I always appreciate guides like this one. Indeed, the 'Best Short Hikes' series from Mountaineers Books is simply the best format to explore these sorts of hikes.

This volume does not disappoint. The authors divide the state into 8 regions and devote a chapter to each. Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff receive the most attention, but readers will also find a good selection of hikes in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Grand Canyon (of course) and Petrified Forest National Park. Each hike description includes a nice sketch map of the trail, an elevation profile, and a detailed write up. True to the series name, fully 3/4 of the hikes included are 3 miles or less. Interesting sidebars also provide wonderful introductions to natural and human history in the region. Readers will learn about "Brighty" the mule, the fabled gold mine of the Lost Dutchman, and how to tell a squirrel from a chipmunk. Finally, the book also includes a detailed listing of local campgrounds so that even if you are in the Phoenix area, you can find a way to escape urban sprawl.

With all this going for it, one might ask why this book gets only 4 stars instead of 5. The answer is that the entire western half of the state (Oregon Pipe excepted) seems to have been left out of this book. I was amazed, for example, that the Phoenix section did not include the White Tank mountains, only 20 or so miles west of town. Lake Mead Recreation Area, the mountains around Williams, and my favorite Arizona park, Hualapai Mountain, are all missing. Still, I have walked over a quarter of the hikes the authors recommend and all were wonderful. This is an excellent book and I will use it the next time I travel to Arizona.

We did a dozen of the hikes: Sedona, Seguaro, Pheonix area, and Tuscon area; all well worth visiting. Accurate descriptions. Buy this book.