Hiking Idaho [Paperback]

Jackie Maughan (Author)

Book Description

Series: State Hiking Guides Series | Publication Date: March 1, 1997

Idaho is truly one of the last frontiers in the United States. With more actual wilderness than any other state in the union, save Alaska, Idaho offers the unique opportunity to see the North American continent as it once was-wild and mysterious. Hiking Idaho, formerly The Hiker's Guide to Idaho, introduces you to the wonders of Idaho's spectacular backcountry-the hard, pink granite of the Sawtooth Mountains, beloved by climbers; the popular and very accessible Iron Bog and Fishpole Lakes; the Big Horn Crags in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, the largest wild tract in the lower 48 states; and less-explored pockets. In Hiking Idaho, you'll find outings suited to hikers of all levels of experience, ability, and persuasion, taking you to lush rain forests, quiet meadows, and colorful canyons. Seasoned Idaho outdoor enthusiasts describe 100 of their favorite hikes, with the help of photos and maps. The book also presents the latest available information on changes in the land, due to weather-related damage, wildfires, or trail reconstruction. With all that, Hiking Idaho is a valuable source, worth much more than its weight. Save a space in your pack, easy to get to, for Hiking Idaho.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Lace up your boots and sample more than 100 trails in Idaho's vast undeveloped backcountry and wilderness areas. Discover pink granite peaks of the Sawtooth Range, "big tree" country in the Selkirk Mountain rain forest, and Hells Canyon - the deepest gorge in North America. Idaho offers hikers some of the most magnificent and rugged mountain scenery in the Lower 48 as well as peaceful alpine meadows, sparkling lakes, excellent fishing, and the chance to see high-country wildlife. Use this guide for: up-to-date trail information; accurate directions to popular as well as less-traveled trails; difficulty ratings for each hike; detailed trail maps; zero-impact camping trips. Whether you are a day-tripper or long-distance hiker, old hand or novice, you'll find trails suited to every ability and interest throughout Idaho. (6 x 9, 472 pages, b&w photos, maps, charts)

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Ralph Maughan, a professor of political science at Idaho State University, author of a guide to the remote Teton Wilderness, draws on more than two decades of wilderness experience and leadership in such groups as the Sierra Club, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and the Idaho Environmental Council. He was recently honored by the Idaho Conservation League, on the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Wilderness Act, as a wilderness preservation leader.

Jackie Johnson Maughan, an instructor of English at Idaho State University, has published tow outdoor recreation books related to women, poetry, and short stories. She has just completed a novel, and is presently working on a second novel based on the grizzly bear. She has more than fifteen years of wilderness and conservation experience.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: FalconGuides (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156044469X
• ISBN-13: 978-1560444695
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,639,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great information, but not as helpful as it could be., September 29, 2000

By 

Woodworking Widow (Boise, ID) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiking Idaho (Paperback)

The trail descriptions are great. The maps are great. The depth is great.

BUT, there are two things this book is missing that any good hiking book has. Each and every trail description in this book has a 'quick glance' section which lists a quick description, general location, maps, special attractions, difficulty, season and contacts for more information - BUT not trail LENGTH or an estimated time to complete! You have to read the entire description to find the length and probably won't find an estimate of the time required. Sure, this is OK if your friend recommended hike 'X' and you want to look it up. But, it is terrible if you are looking for a hike of, say, 6 miles that you can complete in 3 hours. It's just not readily available - you'd have to read the whole book! Even better, many guides have an index of sorts where you can see this information (and the availablity of backcountry campsites) for all trails at a glance, then go to the specific trail(s) that interest you.

This is what this otherwise great guide is missing. I returned mine and picked up 'Trails of Western Idaho' by Margaret Fuller instead - which does contain this information. Ms. Fuller's book is older (1992 vs. 1995 for this Falcon Guide), but not terribly so. She has some newer revisions for her other quides and I'm hoping this one will be reviced soon as well!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelent for planning backpacing trip iwth kids, March 10, 2010

By 

Sean B (Idaho, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hiking Idaho, 2nd (State Hiking Guides Series) (Paperback)

I used this to figure out a doable backpack trip with kids. It gives details on how ot get ot the trailhead, park, elevation changes along the trail, distance, times of year to go, good map, and a head's up on permits/ fees/ whether fires are alowed, etc.

We had a sucessful trip and plan to use this book for any additional trip to new places. I would've not known where to go without this book. Has tons of trails for day or overnight hikes, loops, out & back, and overnight stays.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No Index?, June 6, 2011

By 

CColeman - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hiking Idaho, 2nd (State Hiking Guides Series) (Paperback)

I gave this book a three just because it has no index. Really? No index? I used another book as a companion to this hiking book called "Backpacking Idaho" by Lorain, which is the most organized and helpful book on Idaho hiking (but longer hikes). The "Hiking Idaho" book was useful for shorter hikes, but not having an index or a summary chart similar to the one in "Backpacking Idaho", made this book hard to use.