Customer Reviews

Hiking and Backpacking Trails of Texas: Walking, Hiking, and Biking Trails for All Ages and Abilities

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If you're simply looking for a "yellow pages" of trails in Texas, this will probably suit you. But if you want any useful information about a particular trail, or any means of comparing trails to help you choose a destination for that next weekend trip, this book is far from adequate.

The maps are abysmally bad. Most have no scale or other reference of distance. Many have a wide variety of line weights and types, signifying various roads, rivers, or trails, but there is no legend telling you what those lines mean... and the symbols are not even consistent between the maps! Obviously, each map was copied from a different source, and no effort was made to redraw them consistently.

The regional maps are worse, mixing a useless numbering system for the trails with an alphabetical table of contents that makes it a three step process to find your way from the map to the trail description (or the reverse).

Most trail descriptions have less than 400 words, mostly consumed by directions to the trailhead and a few details about park fees and rules. There's hardly anything about the unique features, scenery, wildlife, terrain, etc. And worst of all, there isn't any kind of quick reference for the length of the trail, its difficulty, facilities, or anything else (except the contact information for whatever park manages the trail... a quite candid admission that you're not going to find the information you need HERE!)

But I think the most ridiculous part about the book is the pitiful 8-page section in the middle with a total of 24 mediocre-quality color photographs (yes, 24 photos to describe the entire state of Texas)... it makes you wonder why they even bothered.

While this book is intended as an overview of the vast number of hiking and backpacking trails to be found in Texas, it actually manages to provide good basic information on them in only 207 pages. Certainly to cover all the trail in detail, you wouldn't be able to carry the book. The book should be used to find places you have interest in, and then you can obtain a detailed guide to that area.