Fifty Hikes in Central Pennsylvania: Day Hikes and Backpacking Trips [Paperback]

Tom Thwaites (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1995

This edition of a classic hiking guide to Pennsylvania's heartland features 11 new hikes.

Veteran trailblazer and outdoor activist Tom Thwaites, the author of two other Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes guides to Pennsylvania, has completely revised and updated this guide to the central portion of Penn's Woods. A wonderful area of wild country and wildlife, this region offers a vast network of maintained trail systems, yet is nevertheless lightly traveled. The author has added 11 new hikes to reflect changing trail conditions, and has re-hiked and checked each of the remaining hikes for this fourth edition. Each hike includes a topographical map, information on mileage, rise, and difficulty, and narrative on sights you'll see along the way. 40 black-and-white photographs, 51 maps

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Thwaites is one of Pennsylvania's most experienced and knowledgeable hikers .... gives information that makes the paths come alive. -- David Thompson, News Sun, Newport, PA --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Tom Thwaites is a preeminent authority on hiking the trails of Pennsylvania. An ardent trail builder and maintainer, he is a past president of the Mid-State Trail Association and an active member of the Keystone Trails Association, the Appalachian Trail Conference, the Sierra Club, and the American Hiking Society. He is the author of Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes in Western Pennsylvania, Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes in Central Pennsylvania, and Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes in Eastern Pennsylvania. He lives in State College, Pennsylvania. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 199 pages
• Publisher: Backcountry Pubns; 3rd edition (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881503533
• ISBN-13: 978-0881503531
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,802,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a definite must for any PA hiker, November 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fifty Hikes in Central Pennsylvania: Day Hikes and Backpacking Trips (Paperback)

I only began hiking at the end of September but have done 6 hikes so far. I've done 2 hikes in this book (Bohen Run (#36) Pine Trail and Hemlock Mtn (#41?)), which were my first hike and my most difficult hike respectively. I've also done 4 hikes in Thwaites' Eastern PA book. This author is almost always very precise and descriptive. Even as a beginning hiker I found his text so easy to follow. He points out neat things to check out, side trails, etc. but also leaves some surprises out. Some are good, some are not so good. Sometimes his descriptions leave out things like climbs, which beginning hikers need to know. And some trails are badly blazed or have hunters, which should be noted. Some trails need to be updated. But overall, I can't recommend his books enough. Thoroughly interesting, accessible, and informative. I always feel completely safe with his book in my hands. I still don't see how he did Pine Trail and Hemlock Mtn in only 6 hours though! He must be in great shape! We usually finish about an hour less than the hike time, but that one was difficult. He is definitely the authority on hiking! I hope he keeps writing and finding new trails for us to explore!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Practical, but uninspiring, November 14, 2004

By 

M. Chabot (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 50 Hikes in Central Pennsylvania: Day Hikes and Backpacking Trips, Fourth Edition (50 Hikes Series) (Paperback)

This is a decent book describing the basics of 50 different hikes. The book has two pages of text plus a small map of each hike. The text tells you how long the hike is, provides basic driving directions, and indicates whether the hike is rocky or wet. However, I felt uninspired after reading about the hikes. I was left wondering whether it was really worth a two hour drive for some of these out of the way hikes.

The author does not present this book as the 50 best hikes, only as a list of 50 decent hikes. I would have liked to see color photos, better maps, a better list of what to look for on the hikes, rankings of the most enjoyable hikes, and a numerical rating of aspects such as rockiness, steepness, and wetness, so I could better determine how certain age groups would fair on the hikes.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource--we owe a lot to the author, July 23, 2002

By 

William Ames (State College, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fifty Hikes in Central Pennsylvania: Day Hikes and Backpacking Trips (Paperback)

Tom Thwaites has done a lot for the Pennsylvania trails, and is the father of the Mid State Trail, which is my favorite trail to day hike. This edition of 50 Hikes in CPA is nicely updated from the last edition, and the hikes are all excellent. Dr. Thwaites loves great views, and so do I, and this book will get you to the best of them. One thing I especially like about this book is the careful research that has gone into relating the history of the areas you are hiking in--it's nice to know a little something other than where you are! About the only complaint I have about this indispensible guide is the fact that some of the suggested hikes are quite arduous and long for me. I'm a big guy, so I wear out easily, and this may not apply to you. What I've done, though, is used this book in combination with the MST maps to make my own day hikes with the same destinations. I've also done some of his recomended hikes as overnighters. Between this and Jean Aron's "The Short Hiker" you have a great start on hiking in this area. Kudos to Dr. Thwaites and his efforts!