Hiking Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, 2nd (Regional Hiking Series) [Paperback]

Bill Schneider (Author)

Book Description

Series: Regional Hiking Series | Publication Date: May 1, 2005

Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southeastern New Mexico is renowned for its amazing system of limestone caves. Both Carlsbad and the nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park, just across the state line in Texas, are also blessed with spectacular above-ground trails. This thoroughly revised edition is the authoritative and the only comprehensive guide to all of the hiking trails in both parks.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southeastern New Mexico is renowned for its amazing system of limestone caves, but it also rewards those who traverse the aboveground trails with striking desert scenery. The neighboring Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas is also blessed with spectacular trails, offering hidden retreats in narrow canyons and breathtaking vistas from atop huge escarpments. Uncrowded and remote, both parks offer superb hiking in unique environments. Hiking Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks is the only comprehensive guide to all thirty-six trails - both underground and aboveground - in these two national parks. From deep caverns to high peaks and backcountry canyons, these parks provide the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable experience.
Inside you'll find:

desert, subterranean, and backcountry hiking information
hiking descriptions, difficulty ratings, and trail lengths
easy-to-read maps and clear directions
special regulations for camping and horseback riding

Whether you're seeking an underground exploration or a backcountry hiking adventure, let Hiking Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks be your guide.

About the Author

Bill Schneider is the author of twenty books about the outdoors, including Where the Grizzly Walks: The Future of the Great Bear (Globe Pequot). A former wilderness professional in the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, he is the co-founder and former president of Falcon Publishing. He lives and writes full-time in Helena, Montana.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: FalconGuides; 2nd edition (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762725656
• ISBN-13: 978-0762725656
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Food & Lodging > Parks & Campgrounds

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "new" edition not necessarily an improvement, October 3, 2005

By 

bukhtan (Chicago, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiking Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, 2nd (Regional Hiking Series) (Paperback)

I used the first edition (1996) of Bill Schneider's book on hiking in the Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns National Parks with as close to 100% satisfaction as I ever get from this sort of thing. This new edition includes a scarcely modified version of Mr. Schneider's original text, which was direct, accurate and detailed. No problem there. No need for a new edition, but I know how the publishing industry works and am aware, also, of the sense that some readers have that everything needs to be "updated" every year or two. Well, the Guadalupe Reef and the caves under it have not changed very much since the mid-90's. Nor have the trails. So the author's text stands at five star level. Here are the changes you will see in the "current" book, leading me to give it four stars rather than the five I gave the 1996 edition:
1) The 1996 edition had legible photocopies of the appropriate sections of the detailed Trails Illustrated topographic maps for each hike. The new edition has only very rough "contour" maps, with each contour corresponding to about a thousand feet. I don't know for sure because they're not labelled. They look sort of like those old wooden plate relief maps Scouts made for merit badges, sometimes seen in museums in visitor centers. The new maps also lack the trail mileages the T.I. maps had.
2) The graphs that charted elevation change on the hike, mile by mile, have been eliminated.
3) Also, the summary of elevation change over the course of the hike at the beginning of each hike description have been eliminated as well.
These are the substantive changes. Mr. Schneider's original text, pretty much intact, mentions elevation change at various points so information relating to that aspect is not missing altogether. But I now have to recommend that users of this book ALSO buy the Trails Illustrated maps of these parks.
Other changes don't matter so much. The first edition carried a two page piece called "the Grand Creation", about the formation of the caves in the Guadalupe Reef. This was an extract from "Silent Chambers, Timeless Beauty". Now's its gone. But it was just extra weight on the trail, anyway. But you know, I think the NEW edition is heavier!
Finally, not that it matters, and I'm sure that the mistake is not Bill Schneider's, rather that of the person doing graphics for Globe Pequot Press, the photograph on the cover was NOT taken in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, but in Big Bend National Park, I think from the Lost Mine Trail. At least they got the state right.
You're better off with the old edition, but this one will do if you can't get it.
By the way, here's a tip not in the book: Mr. Schneider makes reference to the particular beauty of the Guadalupe Ridge Trail in the early morning; this trail starts on the Scenic Loop Drive in Carlsbad Caverns NP. Keep in mind that the Scenic Loop Drive is GATED, and is not opened till some time between 7 and 8 o'clock. At least when I visited in late 2004. So if you want to get out there early, inquire with the National Park Service ahead of time.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent descriptions and classification of hiking trails, though..., March 21, 2011

By 

Michael Froehls (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hiking Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, 2nd (Regional Hiking Series) (Paperback)

Maybe it is not fair to single this book out, but the problem with the series is that you still need a decent hiking map, like the Illustrated Maps from National Geographic, if you are a serious hiker. Now, this does not mean the guide is not helpful. It is, especially if you want to prepare your trip in advance and try to figure out where to hike, how difficult it would be, what to see on the hikes, etc. I really like how the author classifies trails in his author's recommendations - this makes the selection of trails very easy for each level of hiker. The many black and white pictures are nice, but don't add that much in the age of the Internet where access to color pics is easy and the beauty of the park don't come through that well in black and white. We used the guide and found everything very accurate, though ripped out the relevant pages during longer hikes to avoid carrying the book. Altogether, I would give 5 stars for accuracy and descriptions and the help it provides in planning ahead, but only two stars for usefulness during hikes.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guadalupe Mountain Hiking, February 11, 2008

By 

Azelie Z. Shelby - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hiking Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, 2nd (Regional Hiking Series) (Paperback)

This book was a great resource for a recent hiking trip. It was accurate and informative. The pictures were helpful, but most importantly, it was good hiking information. I would highly recommend this book.