Day and Overnight Hikes: Shenandoah National Park [Paperback]

Johnny Molloy (Author)

Book Description

Series: Day and Overnight Hikes | Publication Date: May 28, 2007

This book presents classic Shenandoah National Park hikes, such as Rose River Loop and Whiteoak Canyon, but also lesser known trails that offer solitude and equally scenic sights –– such as Lost Cliffs and Furnace Mountain.

This detailed guide offers both day and overnight hikes, depending on the interest and skill level of the hiker. Each day and overnight hike contains four key elements to help readers plan and enjoy the perfect trip: GPS-based trail maps, GPS-based elevation profiles, directions to the trailhead, and trail descriptions.

Designed to fit easily into a back pocket, this guide leads hikers and backpackers to sites of exceptional beauty and solitude.

Editorial Reviews

Review

: “…superior organization, format and maps. Particularly handy for planning purposes are elevation profiles for each path and a nifty graphic of key items such as scenery, highlights, suitability for kids and more. The Free Lance-Star

“…sharp trail directions.” Bristol Herald Courier

About the Author

Johnny Molloy is an outdoor writer who averages over 100 nights in the wild per year backpacking and canoe camping throughout the U.S. He has written numerous books and articles for magazines and websites.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Menasha Ridge Press; 3rd edition (May 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897326342
• ISBN-13: 978-0897326346
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent guide book, January 11, 2011

By 

Kathleen Church "Kathy Church" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Day and Overnight Hikes: Shenandoah National Park (Paperback)

I've hiked more than half of the day and overnight hikes listed in this book, usually the ones that offer the most solitude. I really enjoyed the way the author listed common variables such as length and difficulty, as well as more obsucre variables like solitude and trail condition (although trail condition can change quickly, so don't put too much weight on that variable). When it came to length and solitude level, I felt like the author was spot on. I had some minor disagreements with some difficulty levels, finding a few hikes to be slightly more difficult than listed.
In conjunction with the author's description and a detailed topo map, it was easy to follow the directions and find my way to an excellent water source and campsite every evening. After reading the route description I felt like I really knew what I was getting into, and there were no surprises.
I live in Arizona now and sorely miss my days hiking and backpacking in SNP. I'm buying the updated version of this book and planning to hike the area again in the fall.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good resource, October 3, 2008

By 

Brian OSULLIVAN - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Day and Overnight Hikes: Shenandoah National Park (Paperback)

Good resource for planning hikes in SNP. Good maps & elevation profiles, although I wouldn't wander too far from Skyline Drive without a more detailed map like those offered by the Potomac Appalchian Trail Club.

3.0 out of 5 stars A mediocre hiking guide for a very great park, January 26, 2012

By 

Eusebius - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Day and Overnight Hikes: Shenandoah National Park (Paperback)

The other reviews of this book are very positive, but for me, this book simply didn't cut it as a hiking guide. Pros, cons, and what resources you should use instead:

Pros:
The guide does introduce some off-the-beaten path areas of the park that many people don't visit, such as Lost Cliffs, Furnace Mountain, etc; the author is clearly knowledgeable about the park. The author also suggests creative ways to repackage popular hikes, such as doing Compton Peak from Jenkins Gap rather than Compton Gap, etc.

Cons:
For starters, this guide has poor maps. Many other hiking resources provide topographic maps to accompany trail descriptions; the trail maps in this book are fairly useless, as they give no information about the terrain on any given hike. There are also very poor trailhead directions; although many of the trailheads are stated to be at a certain gap or parking area, it would be much more helpful if milepost numbers on Skyline Drive were given, since Skyline Drive has very many gaps and parking areas and overlooks. Also, elevation gain is often not provided for many hikes. The hike times given by the author also tend to underestimate the amount of time necessary for these hikes- although certainly some hikers can hike 3 miles an hour in varied terrain, many can't, and it's irresponsible for the author of a guidebook such as this to suggest 3.5 hours for 9 mile hikes.

What's better?
Many things! For starters, Henry Heatwole's Guide to Shenandoah National Park; although it's no longer in print, you can find it online at <...>. Hiking Upward is another free online resource that gives you very good information about hiking in the park. The Falcon Guide to hiking in Shenandoah is okay, though not necessarily better than this guidebook.