Customer Reviews

Highpoint Adventures : The Complete Guide to the 50 State Highpoints

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What a fun concept! Travel around the country to the highest places rather than the best-known places. This book has good information about hiking, plus interesting tidbits about things to do near the high points of each state. The authors obviously enjoy travel, and give really clear descriptions of how to get places. Plus, I was able to "climb vicariously" by reading about their adventures on difficult mountains that I would never try to climb myself.

I had climbed 8 highpoints before I got this book, and have climbed 37 (including repeats of 6 of the original 8) since. The driving and hiking instructions have all been right on the money. On the "repeats", I've found 3 where this book gave me a much better route than I had worked out from my maps. It provides information to legally visit the state highpoints which are on private property. It even lists the highpoints that are wheelchair accessible, which was great when I wanted to take a friend to a highpoint.

I'm sure I'll never climb Mt. McKinley in Alaska, but I really enjoyed reading about the details of climbing it and the tips from the authors, who are obviously very experienced hikers and climbers.

I also enjoy visiting the places of interest that are listed with each chapter. Plus, the little jokes and humorous asides are great fun. I've literally read the book cover-to-cover (not a usual thing to do with a guidebook).

If you are at all interested in visiting the highest elevation in your state or other parts of the country, I highly recommend this entertaining book.

This book is terrific for anyone interested in not only technical hiking/climbing, but those of us who like to see the country and visit interesting places, while hiking also. The sense of humor in this book is great! And, there is a wealth of information that is very valuable. Anyone who travels around the US should own this book and keep it with them while traveling!

I liked the little tidbits of information that come with each chapter. The approach directions are right on, as far as I've experienced, and the hiking directions are good too. I enjoyed the personal anecdotes. That is what this hobby seems to be all about, the experience of getting to the top of each state, not just the hike itself.

Excellent guidebook. Provides everything you need in a few concise pages for each "mountain": Location, directions, summary statistics and comparisons, maps, alternate routes, nearby attractions, and human interest. The hiking distance and vertical elevation charts for each route are instantly helpful. The absence of errors is truly amazing for a book category that is continuously travel directions, distances, and routing. This book is so reliable that I have occasionally gone into the backcountry without procuring the mandatory real map. I own many dozens of mountain guidebooks--this may be the best for quick lookup of needed information! It is even a very convenient page size for fitting into a day pack. The authors have made these journeys a much simpler task compared to the days of the Frank Ashley book.

Wow! The previous edition of this book (the little green book) had good information in it, but this new edition is not only informative, but it's also entertaining, easy to use, and has lots of fun facts and features that make it my favorite book on Highpointing. Graphics and facts at the beginning of each state chapter make it simple to figure out if that highpoint is going to be a drive-up, an easy stroll, a longer hike, or something requiring lots of skill and strength.
The maps are very easy to follow, there are tons of photos, and the advice is really useful.
Outstanding book!

Even if you're not much of a hiker, this book is great fun for traveling off the beaten path across America. The driving and hiking instructions are very easy to follow, and the authors point out interesting and unusual places to stop along the way. I liked reading about the harder mountain climbs, even though I'll never try them myself. I found lots of "highpoints" that I can manage even as a very casual walker/hiker.
There are a lot of funny comments throughout the book along with good advice on keeping safe. I'll check this book whenever I plan a driving trip out of state from now on!

I found this book to be even better than the first one - which I thought was also terrific! The authors - Charlie and Diane Winger - know their stuff. This is not based on book research as much as it's based on first-hand knowledge of the subject. From cover to cover it is jam-packed with all sorts of information that is helpful to everyone, from the novice to the expert. This is a must book for anyone who is planning on a site-seeing trip or a trek up the side of a mountain. I find it useful just to enhance my knowledge of my country. After reading it, I ordered a second copy to give as gift. That individual gave outstanding praise to the authors as well. 5 stars is not enough for this book - I give them a perfect 10!

Highpointing is a great way to see all 50 states and get a little exercise (or a LOT of exercise in some cases), and this book is the perfect guide. I have climbed 22 Highpoints and own 4 Highpointing books. I would definitely consider this my favorite of the 4. I would still recommend owning more than one Highpointing book, but like I said, this is definitely my favorite. This one also seems to be the quickest revised and the best kept up to date. Though I suppose you can always get updates on highpointing very easily off of www.highpointers.org.

Even if you are not crazy enough to attempt all 50 highpoints, enjoy the state-by-state essays. They are filled with good advice and humor. Discover, for example, when you should "... trim your toenails prior to undertaking this hike!"