Customer Reviews

Day and Overnight Hikes: Shenandoah National Park

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I am a seasoned hiker but this was my first trip to the Shenandoah National Park and I needed a guide book for hiking. The book is teriffic!! It offered all types of hikes -- from the easy to backpacking trips. The descriptions of the hikes was great. I also appreciated the detailed instructions on where the trailhead is located. Highly recommended