Customer Reviews

75 Hikes in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park (100 Hikes In...)

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

 

 

I bought this book last summer when I decided I wanted to start hiking in Shenandoah (it was about time!). I've used it a few times so far and haven't been disappointed with any hike yet
I've got only two qualms with the book: his trail rating system and some of the details he uses in the description of each hike.
By his trail rating system, I mean that each hike is labeled as "Easy," "Moderate," or "Strenuous," and he uses these terms more to describe trail conditions, like rocky paths, stream crossings, etc, rather than using them to describe the hike as a whole. He may list a hike as "Easy" but when you look at the elevation change, it may be 2,500 feet, which is quite a bit of a change, making for a hike that's really strenuous.
The details he uses in his descriptions are sometimes completely useless. For instance, in the hike I did today, he wrote "There's a rock wall on the right that in late May is covered with light blue phacelia," and later on, "Watch for a huge tulip poplar beside the trail at 2.0 miles." I'll admit my ignorance: I don't know what a phacelia is or what it looks like (and what if it's not May?), and I can't tell a tulip poplar from most other trees, especially when there aren't any leaves on them.
But I guess these are minor things, really. I am pleased with this book and recommend it to anyone wanting a good book with a lot of different kinds of hikes.

We like to have several books to cross-reference hikes. This one contained some nice, short loop hikes we enjoyed, and longer hikes as well.