Hikes Around Philadelphia [Hardcover]

Boyd Newman (Author), Linda Newman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1997

An invaluable guide to forty fascinating hikes within a short drive of Philadelphia.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An invaluable guide to forty fascinating hikes within a short drive of Philadelphia

About the Author

Boyd Newman is a systems engineer with Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Linda Newman is a physical therapist with Keystone Care Therapies, Inc. Both are members of the Keystone Trails Association.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Temple University Press (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566395291
• ISBN-13: 978-1566395298
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,585,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Use Guide for the Greater Phila Hiker, December 6, 2003

By 

Wayne A. Smith (Newark, DE) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hikes Around Philadelphia (Paperback)

This is a great book for those interested in afternoon or day hikes in the Greater Philadelphia area.

The book contains 40 hikes - all within a couple of hours of Philadelphia and most within sixty minutes. Each hike is organized with an easy to read map, distance, elevation changes, time estimates and other capsule information. A one to three page narrative describes the hike in detail, discusses options and points out areas of scenic and historic interest or particular difficulty.

Of particular use are descriptions of disability access and suggestions for hikes with young children. All in all, this is one of the best organized and informative guides I've seen.

1.0 out of 5 stars Has potential but definitely needs updating and editing, June 21, 2008

By 

Panda Bear (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hikes Around Philadelphia (Paperback)

What originally started as a great guide to local hikes, quickly turned into a major letdown. Though I enjoy a nice challenge at times...not just once or twice, but for three of the listed hikes we got lost and/or (as also previously mentioned) stuck in a shrub of a not-so-well-marked path. This book is definitely outdated. And not only that, the directions are not entirely clear (e.g. for the Blue Mountain and Phillips Canyon hike, it is vague that you need to return up the path you came from to continue along the Appalachian trail). So three times a charm; thanks to this book, I will now be investing in a portable GPS for my hikes.

4.0 out of 5 stars Would Love an Updated Edition, February 1, 2008

By 

M. Singleton (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hikes Around Philadelphia (Paperback)

Hikes Around Philadelphia is a great title for novice hikers (like myself). It provides good maps, directions, time/distance estimates, and descriptive narrative about each hike.

I've used it on three hikes and my only complaint is that it needs a new, updated edition. It was published in 1997 and some areas have changed in the last decade. I learned this the hard way half-way through my latest hike on "The Springfield Trail". The author might have been the last person who hiked the full trail. I was nearly trapped in vines and brambles situated between the Springfield Mall and a housing development (that was obviously built after the book was published).

I still recommend the book, but you should double-check the validity of each hike using Google Maps or another source.