Hiking Trails of Southwestern Colorado [Paperback]

Paul Pixler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2000

The first three editions of this authoritative guide to Colorado's hiking paradise have been bestsellers amoung seasoned and beginning hikers for years.


This completely rewritten and revised fourth edition includes: 70 trips of varying length with corresponding maps; directions to conquer 7 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, 24 new maps providing alternative trail access and updated routes. Whether you enjoy afternoon excursions around the city trails of Durango or exploring the Colorado Trail, this fourth edition remains the most comprehensive guide to world-renown hiking.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The first and second editions of this authoritative guide to Colorado's hiking paradise has been a best-seller among seasoned and beginning hikers for years.

This completely revised third edition includes: seventy trips of varying length, with corresponding maps, directions to conquer six of Colorado's fourteeners, and sixteen new maps providing alternative trail access and updated routes.

Whether you enjoy afternoon excursions around the city trails of Durango or exploring the Colorado Trail, this third edition remains the most comprehensive guide to world-renown hiking.

About the Author

Paul Pixler is a retired professor of philosophy at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, and a former chairman of the San Juan Chapter of the Colorado mountain Club. He divides his time between Durango and southern Arizona and is an avid hiker.

Product Details

• Paperback: 291 pages
• Publisher: Pruett Publishing Company; 3 edition (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871089114
• ISBN-13: 978-0871089113
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,324,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Hiking Guide to Durango and Beyond, June 25, 2000

By 

D. Katz (Durango, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hiking Trails of Southwestern Colorado (Paperback)

Since I've moved to Durango, a ratty copy of the 2nd edition of this book from the public library has been my hiking bible. The 3rd edition is completely revised, chock full of great maps and is really THE reference for day hikes and backpacking trips in the Durango/Silverton area.

If you're visiting or living in Southern Colorado, you need this book.

Thanks Paul!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The classic SW CO hiking guide, September 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Hiking Trails of Southwestern Colorado (Paperback)

As the other review states, this is the classic SW Colorado hiking guide.

One caveat: the difficulty ratings are for SW Colorado climbs *compared to each other*. I have run across many tourists on trails in the San Juans who tackled a "moderate" climb from the book only to find it extremely difficult.

I think the ratings are accurate, *if* you live in the area and hike regularly. If you're not used to altitude and not in good shape, take this into consideration.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Directions to trailheads leave you confused!, August 9, 2002

By 

Carl A. Redman (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hiking Trails of Southwestern Colorado (Paperback)

Beware, although the descriptions of the actual hikes are average, the directions given to the trailheads are terrible!

I used this book to climb Mt. Handies, Redcloud, Sunshine, and Sneffels (all 14,000' peaks) and was utterly confused on how to find the trailheads! Located in the Alpine Loop that connects Ouray, Silverton, and Telluride, we spent many precious hours searching in four-wheel drive terrain for the trailheads. In the end, the trailhead was a simple location and could have been described in a much better way. The result was that we nearly ended up stuck in the mountains due to running out of gas! We only made it because of a kind stranger.

To Pixler's credit, the description of the actual hikes are good, although the distances seemed consistently off. I especially appreciated a few hints on shortcuts for the Redcloud hike, as it saved about a mile and a half of hiking!

There are definitely better books out there, but this will do if you can't find anything else.