Customer Reviews

Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park: Including Indian Peaks

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This is a superior guide for anyone seeking an "off road" experience in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) -- the only way to really see the park's wonders. The authors have first hand experience on the trails, discuss the terrain, the turns, the animals, flowers, and habitat. For the novice or less experienced hiker, this book will give you everything you need to hike in confidence. It will help you select the best trail for your time and effort level. This book will tell you "what's up ahead," so if you're an explorer first, the surprise is limited to the beauty not the unexpected. However, if avoiding uncertainly is your goal (and a good one in the mountains where weather is unpredictable and trerrain and altitude can be challenging) this is The Book. Without this book a hiker to Mills Lake, for example, might not know to look for the cairns that mark about 100 yards of obscured trail over the glacial rock just north of the lake.

For the more experienced outdoorsman and those familar with the park, the book provides a touch of naturalism and environmental science that makes an informed reference or overnight backpacking trip. I've selected a number of trails to hike in the park based on this book's descriptions and recommendations and NEVER been disappointed. I am planning a one-week excursion across the park for the summer of 2000 and will have this book in my backpack. This book is money well invested.

Let's get something out of the way. If you are visiting RMNP for just a day or two and mainly interested in hiking short to medium, well-maintained trails in RMNP, this may not be the book for you. I believe the Dannens have another book in the Falcon series with a title along the lines of Easy Day Hikes in RMNP, or something similar. I'm not familiar with that one, but I know there is no dearth of information out there for this type of trail walking.

However, if you wish to become intimately knowledgeable about RMNP, really learn the place, then this is absolutely the best book out there. I had the chance to live just outside the park for a couple of summers, and this is the book that taught me everything. All the trails are described, but more importantly, many destinations that trails do not visit are described. Trail walking is pretty straightforward -- follow the line. This book really shines when you want to visit a crosscountry location and need to know where the cairns are or which drainage provides the least steep descent.

I agree that this book is not in the typical format where you choose a hike from a list, and the book tells you your total distance, elevation gain, trailhead in, trailhead out, etc. This book is much more suited for ramblers, those who want to create their own adventures. Don't get me wrong, all the information is here, but YOU get to decide how you want to piece it together. Other hiking books are like Cliffs Notes. The Dannen book (as everyone in Colorado seems to call it) is more the exhaustive survey from which you must extract the bits that are relevant to your particular route.

For example, you will not find a chapter, section, paragraph, or otherwise that says "Bear Lake to Grand Lake" and proceeds to tell you what you need to know for that hike. You will, however, find the Flattop Mountain trail described in meticulous detail in the chapter on Bear Lake. And then you can flip to the chapter on Grand Lake to look up more meticulously detailed information on the Tonahutu Creek trail or the North Inlet trail, and read about it to the point where it meets the Flattop trail.

One other point...many reviews express disappointment that the Dannen book is so different from others in the Falcon series. Only in the 9th edition was this book published by Falcon. Prior to that, the Globe Pequot Press was responsible, so it is understandable if this book doesn't follow the formula.

For anyone hiking in RMNP, this is a good book to have along, but I'd prefer to have a second option, like Malitz's RMNP Dayhiker's Guide. Malitz's book has altiude gain, elevation at destination, distance one way, and which trailhead to use at the beginning of the description of each trail. This book just has a chart in the back. It also is just a little more like a story book than a guide book. Not what I need in the middle of the wilderness. The only pictures are sketches, where Malitz's Dayhiker's Guide has lots of nice color photos, which can take a little of the surprise out of what you're about to see, but do help in location recognition. Dannen's guide is full of info, you just have to read a little more to find it. Both are good companions to have along and to use for preparation, but if I could only carry one I'm afraid this one would stay behind in favor of Malitz's Dayhiker's Guide or the soon-to-be-released Frommer's RMNP 3rd Edition.

If you are thinking of purchasing this book because you like the normal Falcon Guide format, to assist you in choosing hikes, DON" BUY THIS BOOK! I concur with the reviewer that stated the book rambled on and had very little useful information. Another option, that is close to the typical FG format, is "An Outdoor Family Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park" by Lisa G. Evans.

I am a native to Colorado and have used this book since 1984 to guide me through the park. I am now buying my forth copy to replace my well worn version. My 1st copy sits on top of Mt. Shoshoni in the Indian Peaks wilderness area.

This is far and away THE BEST hiking book for RMNP. It is perfect for the beginner or the expert with trails ranging from Bear Lake (.5 miles roundtrip) to Snowdrift (16 miles roundtrip), the latter of which is quoted in the book as being, "...just like Everest for the last mile".

There is a great listing in the back that shows most peaks in the park and the elevation of such. It also includes the same information on lakes and ponds (with depth, type of trout, etc).

The only downside is the lack of a good topo map in the book. If you get the book, plunk down that $7 for a separate topo (unless you are just looking to use the book and hike sparingly).

See you in the Rockies!

While this book can be informative at times, it lacks organization, and is inconsistent.

If you're used to other Falcon Guide Trail books, you expect a section on each trail...how to get to the trailhead, difficulty rankings, miles each way, elevation gain, etc, all laid out at the beginning of each trails description. Not in this book. If you're interested in Longs Peak, for example, it gives no details of how to arrive at the trailhead at all. No details on getting there from ANY of the parks campgrounds, of which there are few. It goes into the climb in the style of a travelogue, NOT a trail guide. I was disappointed, and this book will now simply collect dust on my shelf. I want a guide for specific trails, with specific instructions on how to get to the trailhead, with suggestions and tips for each. Maybe I'll write my own, after spending a few weeks there this summer.

Save yourself some cash, and pass up this book.

I own 22 Falcon hiking guides. This thing is horrible. First few pages talks about how it is not designed to make it easier to hike in the Rocky Mountains NP. And it doesn't. It's obviously written by one of those guys who wanted to get paid for writing the book, but doesn't want you on his trail. You know what I am talking about if you have read a dozen or so hiking guides. This dreadful thing is a 320 page continuous paragraph. I can't even tell where the new hike ends and where a new one begins. Don't know how long the trail is or what the elevation gain/loss. There is no chart describing the mileage/elevation throughout the trail that I have found in every other Falcon guide I ever purchased. I see now that if I had read the reviews first, I would not have made this selection. Since the return postage is probably more than the book costs, I am going to just burn it, stomp on it and make sure it is dead.

I understand why some other reviewers don't rate this book highly. It's not a quick and easy reference. I see it as a guide for readers who are hikers/hikers who are readers. One person's "rambling" is another person's "delightful." I'm thoroughly enjoying it because these writers take me along on trails I might not get to. If you're looking for a quick and easy, color-coded, typical guide, this is probably not for you. HOWEVER, if you like reading, enjoy hiking, love nature and love vivid descriptions of what you'll see if you travel different trails, you'll probably appreciate this guide. The writing is excellent and the authors seem to know what they're talking about. Their description of being close to a lightning strike was really exciting. This is part travel essay, part guidebook. I don't regret buying it at all.

This would have been a lot better in the regular Falcon guide format. I found the descriptions in this book rambling, lacking in any useful detail and not very helpful.

I have to weigh in with the reviewer who gave this hiking guide only one star. I totally agree with his/her evaluation and description of the Dannens' book. I always buy trail books and read them at home before going off on a hiking trip. I purchased this book but it was so boring I almost fell asleep reading it. Needless to way, I won't bother to take it with me to Colorado this June.