Hiking Virginia, 2nd: A Guide to Virginia's Greatest Hiking Adventures [Paperback]

Bill Burnham (Author), Mary Burnham (Author)

Book Description

Series: State Hiking Series | Publication Date: May 1, 2004

Wherever the destination, Hiking Virginia is indispensable for exploring the Commonwealth. Authors Bill and Mary Burnham breath fresh air into popular Virginia destinations, and explore commonly overlooked yet equally dramatic hikes. Explore the history of a young American nation; watch stories of lost cultures come alive; and imagine the ghosts of Indian raiders, moonshiners, and outlaws haunting the backcountry routes of the past. Packed with notes on plants, trees, and geology, plus a list of local attractions and "good eats and sleeps" for the weary hiker, Hiking Virginia covers the Commonwealth's outdoors from the sea shores to the mountain slopes, past and present.

Also included is a special section detailing the Appalachian Trail through Virginia, taking thru-hikers along the six-week route from Damascus, Virginia to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Inside readers will find: detailed maps, accurate route profiles showing the ups and downs of each hike, tips on equipment, trip planning, hiking with dogs and children, accurate directions, difficulty ratings, trail contacts, and more.

The previous edition of this guide won the National Outdoor Book Award's Honorable Mention prize for guidebooks.

Editorial Reviews

Review

2001 National Outdoor Book Award First Honorable Mention

"Strike out and explore the trails and history of Virginia's backcountry in this handsomely designed and well-written guide."
--NORBA

"...the guide both novices and seasoned hikers will consider a necessity."
--The Daily Press

From the Back Cover

Lace up your boots and choose from more than fifty of the best hiking trails in the Old Dominion. From an easy 3-mile outing in Shenandoah National Park to a 31-mile overnight trek near the Virginia-Kentucky border, Hiking Virginia features memorable routes for hikers of every stripe. Outdoor explorers and writers Bill and Mary Burnham cover every region of the state, taking you to such scenic hiking destinations as the nature preserves in Northern Virginia and the incomparable Appalachian Trail.
Packed with information on plants, trees, and geology, as well as local attractions and ¿good eats and sleeps¿ for the weary hiker, Hiking Virginia has everything you need to discover Virginia outdoors.

Inside you¿ll find:
* accurate trail information and detailed maps
* clear directions from major access points
* optional side trips and overnight hikes
* a special section detailing the entire Appalachian Trail through Virginia

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Falcon; 2nd edition (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762727470
• ISBN-13: 978-0762727476
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #440,921 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Travel > United States > States > Virginia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I highly recommend this book..., August 23, 2005

By 

Barnes and Noble Junkie (Barnes And Noble, Midlothian, Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hiking Virginia, 2nd: A Guide to Virginia's Greatest Hiking Adventures (Paperback)

For anyone looking for great hikes in VA, this is a great place to start. The book contains detailed descriptions of 35 of the best hikes in VA and also list 64 honorable mention hikes. The length of the hikes vary from short day hikes, to 3 day backpacking trips.

What is nice about the book is that for the featured hikes, there is a brief description. Then a ton of information: difficulty rating, available maps, trail contacts, and fees or permits required, available camping etc etc. The book then goes on to describe in detail what you will see on each hike. Each hike contains not only a map, but an 'elavation profile' so you can gauge just how hard the hike will be.

I would recommend buying this book, and when you choose a hike, make a copy of the corresponding pages and laminate them. It will save wear and tear on your book as well as give you a water proof map.. Besides, it's also a lot lighter to carry 3 pages rather then a whole book!!!!

My favorite hikes in the book have been Mount Pleasant, 3 Ridges (a difficult hike) and the hikes around Mount Rogers and Grayson Highlands.

UPDATE: I recently did a few more of the hikes in this book(14, 18, 19). DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT follow the authors' advice for the Old Rag hike, #14. Instead of their route, either 1) Hike the fire road up and down (this is the easiest way) or take the rock scramble up and the fire road down. There are two problems with the route suggested by the authors. First, on crowded summer days you will have a hard time getting down as the trail is jammed with people going up. Second, I went during the week when it wasn't as packed and ran into a gentleman going up the scramble as I was going down. He told me that 90% of the people they carry off of the mountain with broken bones are trying to descend using the 'rock scramble' route. So if you are going to climb Old Rag (and YOU REALLY NEED TO, it is amazing) then PLEASE, use the routes I recommended above, and if it's a weekend during the summer, be prepared for a long climb up if you take the rock scramble, as people get jammed up in the narrow crevices.

Good hiking everyone!!!!!!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed, thorough, enjoyable., September 23, 2006

By 

Nicholas Leach "AchievingOurCountry" (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hiking Virginia, 2nd: A Guide to Virginia's Greatest Hiking Adventures (Paperback)

This book is your complete hiking guide to Virginia, whether you're a novice or a pro. There are maps, detailed descriptions of every step of the trails, elevation guides, and even colorful anecdotes from the authors that give each hike an emotional feel. We've brought their step-by-step guides to great fruition on several of the hikes, and hope to do more.

One word of caution: while crowded Northern Virginia is well represented, the best hikes fall along Virginia's spine, from the northernmost part of Shenandoah National Park, down the Appalachian trail, into Washington and Jefferson National Forests and then southwestern Virginia and Mt. Rogers. Residents of Front Royal, Harrisonburg, Staunton, Lexington, Roanoke and Blacksburg will be able to access the best hikes the easiest. As residents of a DC suburb, it's an hour to Shenandoah National Park, 2 hours to some of the great hikes further south, and 6 hours to Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive on one hand, incomplete on another, September 30, 2007

By 

W. Reed Nelson "Reed Nelson" (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hiking Virginia, 2nd: A Guide to Virginia's Greatest Hiking Adventures (Paperback)

I have used this guide twice so far for short hikes. Directions to both the parking areas and on the trail were missing crucial details [e.g. I had problems with both for the Scott's Run Nature Preserve in the DC area]. Unless you have extra time and food and water, it is best to have a topo for even the shortest routes. This guide also lacks the grouping section that the VA Mtn Biking guide has [Best Short Hikes, Waterfalls, Views, Weekenders, Multi-day treks] and is grouped only by geography.