Hikes Around Philadelphia [Paperback]

Boyd Newman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 29, 1997

Want to walk for a leisurely hour or two with the kids? Take them to the Churchville Nature Center, with its re-created Lenape Indian village and children's exhibits. Or would you prefer a more strenuous all-day hike? Try the rocky woods trail at Bake Oven Knob, Bear Rocks, and The Cliffs. Are your interests historical? Visit the more than fifty pre-Revolutionary dwellings at Skippack Creek. Or if you're interested in wildlife, hike Green Lane Reservoir, where 260 species of birds have been sighted. Perhaps you'd simply like to hike from Pennsylvania to Delaware and back again. Then White Clay Creek Preserve is for you. These are only five of the forty hiking trails described in "Hikes Around Philadelphia". All are within an hour and a half's drive of the city. Ranging from 1.0 to 12.6 miles in length, they will take you through dense forests or wide-open meadows, past early farmsteads or a ringing boulder field from the last ice age. You can break your hike with a visit to a restored home or leave civilization behind on an isolated mountain ridge. Some of the trails are gravel or paved, or are canal towpaths, and are quite suitable for young children, older adults, or wheelchair hikers. Others are longer and more challenging, including rugged sections of the Appalachian Trail and the Horseshoe Trail. For each hike Boyd Newman and Linda Newman provide a detailed write-up, a trail map, and directions to the trailhead. They also include information on distance, elevation, probable hike time, surface, interesting features, facilities, disability access, whether hunting is allowed in the vicinity, and availability to public transportation. This format allows you to browse through the book and easily locate the particular hike that appeals to you today. In a concise introduction, the authors not only explain how to get the most out of the book but also give some hints on hiking safety and appropriate clothing and equipment. This handy reference offers: a detailed write-up of each hike easy-to-read trail maps directions to the trail heads information about nearby facilities hikes that are accessible by public transportation details about handicap accessibility lots of other pointers that make planned or last-minute hikes fun and easy for everyone. Author note: 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.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An invaluable guide to forty fascinating hikes within a short drive of Philadelphia --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Temple University Press (June 29, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566395305
• ISBN-13: 978-1566395304
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 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: #812,332 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > Travel > United States > States > Pennsylvania

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.