Rocky Mountain National Park Dayhiker's Guide: A Scenic Guide to 33 Favorite Hikes Including Longs Peak [Paperback]

Jerome Malitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1993

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of our greatest natural treasures. In words and color photographs, this guide describes thirty-three of the best dayhikes in the park, emphasizing not only the destination of the hike, but also the remarkable features along the way. The guide includes route descriptions for Longs Peak, Calypso Cascades, Ouzel Falls, The Loch, Hallett Peak, Sky Pond, Lulu City, and many more. Cross-referenced with "Trails Illustrated" topographic maps.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Cordillera Pr; 1st edition (February 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555661106
• ISBN-13: 978-1555661106
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #574,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #70 in Books > Travel > United States > States > Colorado

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine Introduction to the Rocky Mountain Backcountry, June 4, 2000

By 

David M. Garrett (San Antonio, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rocky Mountain National Park Dayhiker's Guide: A Scenic Guide to 33 Favorite Hikes Including Longs Peak (Paperback)

This is an outstanding introduction for those preparing to shun the automobile for the Rocky Mountain National Park backcountry. In a brief 140 pages Jerome Malitz delivers a superb overview of 33 park trails and destinations. Malitz's introduction includes a nice survey of park flora and fauna, geology and history. There is also a concise overview of precautions before heading into the backcountry. (I've hiked extenstivley in RMNP and strongly advise heeding Malitz's cautions. However inviting the scenery and innocent appearing the trail, RMNP is not Disney World. People, especially those who casually head down the trail without forethought, can get into trouble.)

Information on destinations is logically grouped by sections corresponding to general areas of the park. Each section begins with a very legible, color USGS topographical map with trails and campsites marked. Within each section, Malitz gives a nice description of the trail including the trailhead of choice, distance, altitude gain and elevation at the destination. Narrative is punctuated by color photography of key landmarks.

This is a fine primer on RMNP backcountry and will whet the appetite of any who are ready to see what is beyond Trailridge Road or the parking lot. (For readers ready for the next level of detail, I also recommend Dannen's "Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park" (8th Ed.). Together, these two books provide the maps, photography, narrative and detail to send you on your way with zeal and confidence.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good source of information for planning a visit, February 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Rocky Mountain National Park Dayhiker's Guide: A Scenic Guide to 33 Favorite Hikes Including Longs Peak (Paperback)

Not bad. Each hiking trail has 2 to 3 pages written about it and a couple of color pictures. The length (in miles), point to start, and elevation change is listed for each trail. We have two small children and are using this book to plan our visit to the park so we don't go to the wrong area. The shortest trail listed is 0.1 miles and the longest is 16 miles (round trip). The highlights of each trail (water fall, lake, view, etc.) are briefly described. I am happy I bought it but the maps are cut up (to cover each individual area of the park)so prior to visiting the park I still will need to purchase an overall map of the park.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Incomplete Guide, November 3, 2006

By 

Mountain Man "Freddo" (Frederick, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rocky Mountain National Park Dayhiker's Guide (Paperback)

I've lived less than an hour away from Estes Park for over 40 years and hike in RMNP quite a lot...

This book covers a FEW destinations in RMNP and completely ignores many wonderful day hikes.

Some of the route descriptions are actually TOO detailed for my taste (pages long in some cases) and I'd like to see more maps.

I do like the format of the book, I just wish it had more information.

I prefer Lisa Foster's Rocky Mountain National Park - The Complete Hiking Guide. Her book covers EVERY one of the 440 destinations in RMNP - and she has been to EVERY one of them. She knows what she's talking about and her book is EXCELLENT! I've been to about one hundred of the destinations, so I know that her book is accurate. As I said though, her book covers EVERYTHING in the park - short hikes and very long hikes. It's probably more information than most people need.