front cover of 50 Classic Hikes In Nevada
50 Classic Hikes In Nevada
From The Ruby Mountains To Red Rock Canyon
Mike White
University of Nevada Press, 2006
Nevada boasts some of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes in North America and is rich in trails that embrace the state’s scenic, geologic, and historic resources. Mike White, renowned outdoors writer and instructor, now offers a guide to fifty of the best Nevada hikes, ranging across the entire state from the Mojave Desert to the Sierra Nevada, from sagebrush basins to the alpine heights of the Ruby Mountains. Here are hikes for every taste and level of fitness, including outings suitable for families with small children and full-scale assaults on challenging peaks. Each hike is described in terms of its route and special features, and includes a map and elevation profile. The book also offers information about the geology, wildlife, plants, history, and weather features of Nevada, as well as helpful directions to ensure safe and comfortable travel in Nevada’s rugged and isolated backcountry. This is an indispensable guide for anyone seeking enjoyable adventures in some of the country’s most spectacular natural regions.
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front cover of 50 of the Best Strolls, Walks, and Hikes Around Carson City
50 of the Best Strolls, Walks, and Hikes Around Carson City
Mike White
University of Nevada Press, 2020

One of the area’s foremost experts on the outdoors, Mike White, author of 50 of the Best Strolls, Walks, and Hikes Around Reno, returns with a new guidebook dedicated to Carson City and its surrounding areas in northern Nevada. With over three hundred days of sunshine a year, this capital city’s parks, trails, lakes, and soaring peaks provide the perfect attractions for residents and visitors alike. This guide provides readers with the most precise information for a wide range of detailed paths and trails throughout the greater Carson City region and includes interesting sidebars about human and natural history for each trip.

From Virginia City and the Carson River on the east to the Sierra Nevada mountains to the west, this comprehensive guidebook offers the most complete guide for walkers, joggers, and hikers. Whether you are looking for a short and easy stroll on a city path or an extended hike along the Tahoe Rim Trail, this is your all-inclusive resource for your next outdoor adventure.
 

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front cover of 50 of the Best Strolls, Walks, and Hikes around Reno
50 of the Best Strolls, Walks, and Hikes around Reno
Mike White
University of Nevada Press, 2017

Reno, Nevada is one of the best communities in the nation for outdoor recreational opportunities. With over three hundred days of sunshine a year, the weather beckons residents and visitors alike to step outside and enjoy a casual stroll in a city park, a stiff climb to the top of one of the area’s surrounding mountains, or just about anything in between. White offers the most complete guide for walkers, joggers, runners, and hikers to the best paths and trails in the greater Reno-Sparks region.

This guide provides readers the most complete and detailed information for each excursion, from the Truckee River corridor to the Northern Valleys, including lakes, parks, trails, and mountains. Whether you are looking for a short and easy stroll on a paved path along one of the city’s greenbelts, or an extended hike into the mountains of the Mount Rose wilderness, this is your all-inclusive resource. White is one of the area’s foremost experts on the outdoors, and he includes interesting sidebars about human and natural history for each trip. This is a guide for anyone who enjoys a stroll, walk, or hike in and around Northern Nevada’s premier outdoor playgrounds.

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front cover of Along the Texas Forts Trail
Along the Texas Forts Trail
B. W. Aston
University of North Texas Press, 1997

front cover of Backpacking Tennessee
Backpacking Tennessee
Overnight Trail Adventures from the Mississippi River to the Appalachian Mountains
Johnny Molloy
University of Tennessee Press, 2022

“The reason I travel and explore the outdoors is simple,” writes Johnny Molloy, “the world is a beautiful place!” And Molloy would know: he has backpacked more than 2,500 nights in forty states. It is this experience—much of it garnered in his home state of Tennessee—combined with his extensive production of guidebooks spanning activities from hiking and camping to paddling and bicycling, that enabled him to produce Backpacking Tennessee: Overnight Trail Adventures from the Mississippi River to the Appalachian Mountains.

Complete with directions, distances, descriptions, and maps, Backpacking Tennessee is divided into four sections that together outline forty overnight hikes across West Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, the Cumberland Plateau, and East Tennessee and the Appalachian Mountains. The trails Molloy has chosen to highlight are a mix of well-known hikes and lesser-known areas, ranging in distance and difficulty for both novice hikers and experienced backpackers. Woven throughout the trail descriptions are comments on scenery, notes about safety, and historical information that help readers get a true feel for each hike. To round out his comprehensive guide, Molloy also includes ratings, 1–5, on the family- and dog-friendliness of each trail—an especially helpful feature for readers bringing loved ones along.

From the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cherokee National Forest to Big South Fork and Land Between the Lakes, Tennessee offers thousands of miles of trails for adventurers looking to explore. For budding outdoor enthusiasts and experienced backpackers alike, Backpacking Tennessee answers the timeless question: where do we go next?

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front cover of Best Backpacking Trips in California and Nevada
Best Backpacking Trips in California and Nevada
Mike White
University of Nevada Press, 2015
The American West is home to some of the best backpacking trips in the world, and within California and Nevada are several outstanding destination trails. Hikers from all over the country, and around the world, travel to this area every season to undertake some of these classic trips of a lifetime and enjoy the breathtaking scenery. Best Backpacking Trips in California and Nevada was written to help the accomplished hiker through the entire process of planning a multiday excursion. The book covers all aspects of the trip, from traveling to the area to successfully fulfilling the dream of backpacking in one of the most beautiful regions in the West.

The guide includes thirteen detailed trail descriptions, along with information on additional resources, governing agencies, and permits and fees. It also provides listings of the nearest airports, outdoor retailers, campgrounds, transportation, and amenities and attractions. Accompanying the specific information on each trip are captivating historical vignettes and entertaining personal essays, enhancing the reader’s understanding of the area. Whether journeying from near or far, Best Backpacking Trips of California and Nevada is the most complete resource for turning a dream trip into reality.
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front cover of Best Backpacking Trips in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado
Best Backpacking Trips in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado
Mike White
University Press of Colorado, 2019

Best Backpacking Trips in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado provides everything you need to know to organize and execute the best backpacking trips in the Mountain West. Mike White and Douglas Lorain, who have walked every mile of the trails described inside, take readers and hikers into some of the wildest and most scenic backcountry landscapes in the nation and help them design the ultimate trip.

Focusing on one-week excursions, the book offers details on all the aspects of trip planning—trail narratives, technical data, maps, gear, food, information on regulations and permits, and more. But it is more than a basic guidebook. Trip information is enriched by valuable and interesting sidebars on history and ecology that will increase appreciation for these natural areas and the people who were instrumental in their discovery or protection.

In Best Backpacking Trips in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, White and Lorain pass on their knowledge of quality hikes, planning and preparation, and the unique satisfaction of multi-day backpacking. This guide, put into practice, will result in the trip of a lifetime.

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front cover of Best Backpacking Trips in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico
Best Backpacking Trips in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico
Mike White
University of Nevada Press, 2016

This is the second book in a series of detailed guidebooks covering all the best “life-list” backpacking vacations in the spectacular backcountry of the American West. This new volume specifically covers the best such adventures in the states of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Every conceivable aspect of trip planning is covered in the guide, including maps and descriptions of the trail, where to locate the nearest airport, other area attractions that shouldn’t be missed, and guide services that are available. A noteworthy feature of the book is the individual vignettes that give insight into the historical significance of many of the trails. Also unique are the interesting and humorous personal accounts that the authors share from their personal experiences hiking these routes. Backpackers will find a wide range of outstanding trips, from high mountain adventures to some of the world’s best lower-elevation canyon hikes. Best Backpacking Trips in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico provides an extensive choice of terrific expeditions.

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front cover of Colorado Byways
Colorado Byways
Thomas P. Huber
University Press of Colorado, 1997

front cover of Crossing the Rift
Crossing the Rift
Resources, Settlements Patterns and Interaction in the Wadi Arabah
P. Bienkwoski
Council for British Research in the Levant, 2006
Most of the papers published in this volume were originally presented at a conference of the same name, organised by the editors, and held in Atlanta, Georgia, in November 2003. The Wadi Arabah falls between the two areas of southern Jordan and Negev, and has traditionally been seen as a barrier and border. This book (and the conference it came out of) is an attempt to look at this neglected area anew: bridge, rather than barrier.
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front cover of Early Indiana Trails and Surveys
Early Indiana Trails and Surveys
George R. Wilson
Indiana Historical Society Press, 1986

front cover of Family Hiking in the Smokies
Family Hiking in the Smokies
Time Well Spent
Hal Hubbs
University of Tennessee Press, 2009

front cover of Follow the Blue Blazes
Follow the Blue Blazes
A Guide to Hiking Ohio’s Buckeye Trail
Connie Pond
Ohio University Press, 2014

Many changes have taken place in the decade since Follow the Blue Blazes was first published, changes in the trails themselves and in the way we hike them. The Buckeye Trail still wends its way around the state of Ohio, following the course marked out by the characteristic blue blazes on trees and signposts along the way. In the intervening years, however, sections of the trail have changed their route, added amenities, or just grown more interesting. From the startling rock formations and graceful waterfalls of Old Man’s Cave, to Native American mounds, battlefields, and scenic rivers, Connie and Robert J. Pond provide a captivating guide to often-overlooked treasures around the state.

Each chapter features an overview of a 100-mile section of the trail and three self-guided featured hikes. The overviews and the accompanying maps may be read consecutively to acquaint the reader with the entire course of the trail. But most readers will best enjoy the trail by taking the guide along on one of the featured hikes. Each route is outlined on an easy-to-read map with GPS coordinates and waypoints to guide the hiker, as well as explicit directions from parking lot to trailhead.

The Buckeye Trail is readily accessible from Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Cleveland, and Akron. Even a short trip can lead to an adventure near your own backyard.

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Follow the Blue Blazes
A Guide To Hiking Ohio's Buckeye Trail
Robert J. Pond
Ohio University Press, 2003

Unique among hiking trails is the one that forms a complete loop around the state of Ohio. That 1,200-mile trail is called the Buckeye Trail. Showing the way on tree trunks, rocks, and other natural signposts are the blue painted markings called “the blue blazes.” In Follow the Blue Blazes, the reader embarks on a journey to discover a part of Ohio largely unseen except along this great path.

Beginning with the startling rock formations and graceful waterfalls of Old Man’s Cave in southern Ohio, and leading clockwise around the state to visit expansive forests, lovely parks, ancient mounds, historic canals and battlefields, and scenic river trails, experienced trailsman Robert J. Pond provides a captivating look at each section of the trail.

Each chapter features an overview of a 100-mile section of the trail and three self-guided featured hikes. The overviews, with accompanying maps, may be read consecutively to acquaint the reader with the entire course of the blue blazes. But most readers will best enjoy the Buckeye Trail by taking the guide along on featured hikes. Each hike is supported by a detailed but easy-to-follow map and includes explicit directions to trailheads and approximate hiking times.

In addition to many outlying areas, the extensive Buckeye Trail is accessible in or near Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Cleveland, and Akron. Robert Pond has supplemented each description with interesting details about the geology and the diverse habitats of flora and fauna. Readers, too, can enjoy the beauty and wonders of Ohio if they Follow the Blue Blazes.

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Go Play Outside!
Tips, Tricks, and Tales from the Trails
Nancy Fresco
University of Alaska Press, 2021
Having children doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy every season in the great outdoors—even if you happen to live in the middle of Alaska. Whether you’re biking eighty miles into the heart of Denali National Park, cross-country skiing to a remote cabin, or merely enjoying the mud on the banks of the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, fun for all ages abounds, with a little preparation and the right mindset. Using a deft mixture of storytelling and practical pointers, this guidebook offers advice and encouragement to families—those who live in Alaska, as well as those in less extreme climates and locales.
 
Organized by the age of the young adventures, from days-old infants to independent teens, each section invites readers to learn from the humorous real-life adventures and misadventures of the author, her husband, and their twin girls. Weaving in the kids’ advice in their own words, this guide covers challenges ranging from unexpected hailstorms to very-much-expected mosquitoes. Tips include everything from how to avoid moose, to how to get out in the rain, to the benefits of setting big kids free to explore. This family’s enthusiastic, joyful, and often hilarious tales offer the impetus and the tools to encourage new parents—or more experienced parents, or anyone who loves kids —to go play outside.
 
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High in Utah
Michael Weibel
University of Utah Press, 1999
If you measured the highest point in each county, which of the fifty states would have the highest average elevation? You probably didn’t say Utah, but in fact the average elevation of the state’s county high points is approximately 11,222 feet (Colorado is second at 10,971 feet). Most but not all of Utah’s high peaks grow out of a series of mountain ranges that form a backbone from north to south through the middle of the state. Surprisingly, most can also be climbed in a day, and during the warm months climbing gear may be unnecessary. Some summits are even attainable by car.

High in Utah is quite consciously a book for peak baggers, complete with a checklist and elevations. Summits range from Kings Peak, Utah’s highest at 13,528’ to the unnamed peak in Rich County, a mere 9,255’. In addition to the county high points, this book also has four “classic” climbs: Mt. Olympus in Salt Lake County; Mt. Timpanogos above Provo; Notch Peak in the House Range west of Delta; and Wellsville Cone, Cache Valley’s western landmark.

Since finding a place to start can often be the most frustrating part of a hike, emphasis is placed on directions to each trailhead. There is a road map for each hike, as well as a trail map showing contours. The routes in this guide are not always the easiest or most practical, but they may be the most appealing and are often the most commonly used (lessening human impact on other potential routes). Difficulty levels range from 'extreme'—long, steep routes that may require some route finding—to 'too easy'—reachable by car. Two sets of hiking times are provided to accommodate variations in hiking speed, and there are also sections on flora and fauna, mountain weather, low-impact hiking and camping, equipment, and altitude sickness.

"Alaska is our biggest, buggiest, boggiest state. Texas remains our largest unfrozen state. But mountainous Utah, if ironed out flat, would take up more space on a map than either."
—Edward Abbey, 1927–1989
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front cover of Hiking Big South Fork 3 E
Hiking Big South Fork 3 E
Brend G. Deaver
University of Tennessee Press, 1998
Now in its third edition, Hiking the Big South Fork  is packed with up-to-date information on the trails of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in Tennessee and Kentucky. The book combines numerous details about the natural history of the area with fascinating tidbits of folklore and legend to provide an interpretive guide to the trails. The authors have walked, measured, and rated every hiking trail, and, for this edition, they include information about trails in the adjoining Pickett State Park and Forest.

The book features detailed maps; checklists of mammals, birds, and wildflowers; and valuable advice on safety, park rules and regulations, and accommodations. The trail descriptions include difficulty ratings, distance and time information, notes on accommodations and special considerations, and detailed mileage indicators to keep hikers informed of their progress and to clarify points of confusion. Also included is a handy chart designed for backpackers who wish to combine trails for longer excursions.

Strollers, hikers, and backpackers looking for a less-crowded alternative to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will enjoy discovering this beautiful, rugged National Park service area. Only a ninety-minute drive northwest of Knoxville, the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is easily reached in half a day or less from Louisville, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta.

The Authors: Brenda G. Deaver is a park ranger at the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Jo Anna Smith, a former ranger-historian with the National Park Service, now lives in Idaho with her husband, Steve. Howard Ray Duncan, a native of the Big South Fork area, has spent many years exploring the region. A former school teacher and principal, he has been a ranger at Big South Fork since 1985.


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front cover of Hiking Circuits in Rocky Mountain National Park
Hiking Circuits in Rocky Mountain National Park
Jack P. Hailman
University Press of Colorado, 2003
Hiking Circuits in Rocky Mountain National Park is the first guide dedicated entirely to the loop trails of Rocky Mountain National Park, trails that return hikers to their starting point without the necessity of retracing steps or walking on roads. Having explored the park extensively for over 30 years, Jack and Elizabeth Hailman describe and map 33 circuits and component loops, with detailed driving instructions to the access points. Circuits range from a 15-minute stroll around a lake to strenuous all-day outings in the high country and even a few multi-day backpacking trips. Side trips are often recommended for viewing a scenic waterfall, summit, lake, or other natural feature. A convenient table lists circuits by walking time, allowing hikers to choose loops designed to fit their schedules. Each account includes a map, directions to the trailhead, trail distance, estimated hiking time, elevation range, exertion rating, segment descriptions for both clockwise and counter-clockwise hikes, and rail notes about the wildflowers, animals, and other natural history features encountered by the authors. Maps show the loop route, short access trails where applicable, routes of optional side trips, trail junctions, point-to-point walking distances, elevations of the trail points, and more. Included are appendices for natural history, local hiking supply stores, and fee schedules, with an extensive bibliography for reading and reference.
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front cover of Historic Sites and Markers along the Mormon and Other Great Western Trails
Historic Sites and Markers along the Mormon and Other Great Western Trails
Stanley B. Kimball
University of Illinois Press, 1988
Historic Sites and Markers
  is an indispensable guide for travelers who wish to retrace the various frontier
  routes taken by the Mormons and other pioneers in their treks westward. Traversing
  fifteen states from New York to California, Stanley Kimball presents some of
  America's most famous trails--the Mormon, the Oregon-California, the Santa Fe,
  the Overland, and many others--and describes important points of interest, including
  forts, trail centers, and museums.
"An important contribution
  to the history of the West and perhaps the most comprehensive mile-by-mile guide
  to trail markers and historical sites ever prepared."
  -- Brigham D. Madsen, author of The Shoshoni Frontier and the Bear
  River Massacre
 
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front cover of Illinois Trails & Traces
Illinois Trails & Traces
Portraits and Stories along the State’s Historic Routes
Text by Gary Marx and photographs by Daniel Overturf, with a foreword by Dick Durbin
Southern Illinois University Press, 2022
WINNER, 2023 Illinois State Historical Society Superior Achievement Award in “Books, Other”!
FINALIST, 2023 Society of Midland Authors Award in Adult Nonfiction!

Exploring Illinois history through the paths we travel


Illinois Trails & Traces partners the deft writing of Gary Marx with vivid photography by Daniel Overturf to illuminate ever evolving patterns of travel and settlement. Taking the reader on a journey down early buffalo traces and Native American trails, this book shows how these paths evolved into wagon roads and paved highways. Marx and Overturf explore historic routes ranging from Route 66 to the Underground Railroad, all the way back to post-Ice Age animal migration trails followed by Paleo-Indian people. The authors also examine how rivers, canals, and railroads spurred the rapid rise of Illinois as a modern state.

Marx and Overturf bring history into the present by including over forty photographic portraits and written profiles of individuals who live along these routes today. Many of the people you will meet on these pages work to preserve and honor the history of these passages. Others profiled here embody the spirit of the old roads and provide a vivid link between past and present. Through this journey, we discover that we’ve all been traveling the same road all along.
 
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front cover of Miniature Forests of Cape Horn
Miniature Forests of Cape Horn
Ecotourism with a Hand Lens
Bernard Goffinet
University of North Texas Press, 2012

front cover of Natural History Mount Le Conte
Natural History Mount Le Conte
Kenneth Wise
University of Tennessee Press, 1998

Widely regarded as the crown jewel of the Great Smoky Mountains, Mount Le Conte harbors the greatest concentration of notable geological features in all of the Smokies. This unique book tells the history of the mountain, offering visitors a greater appreciation of its scenic splendor. 

Kenneth Wise and Ron Petersen combine their intimate knowledge of Le Conte with a wealth of scientific and historical information. Following introductory coverage of the mountain’s geologic history and human exploration, they follow the six main trails up the mountain—Alum Cave, Bullhead, Rainbow Falls, Trillium Gap, Brushy Mountain, and the Boulevard—and reveal each one to be not merely a path but also a rich source of historical and personal testimony. A final chapter covers the distinguishing features of the summit itself.

Along each route, the authors explain how the trail was developed and provide background for well-known landmarks, from Inspiration Point to Huggins Hell. They offer informative descriptions of the plants and wildlife indigenous to Mount Le Conte as well as observations on the effects of environmental changes on the landscape.

The book is illustrated with dozens of photographs, many of historic interest.

Kenneth Wise is an associate professor at the John C. Hodges Library and the author of Hiking Trails of the Great Smoky Mountains. Ron Petersen is a distinguished professor in the Department of Botany at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

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front cover of The New Hiking the Monadnock Region
The New Hiking the Monadnock Region
44 Nature Walks and Day-Hikes in the Heart of New England
Joe Adamowicz
University Press of New England, 2007
The New Hiking the Monadnock Region will lead you through forests and meadows, over small mountains and gentle hills, around ponds and sanctuaries, and along streams and abandoned roads. This detailed and informative guide, fully expanded and updated, now includes a beautifully rendered map for each hike and also provides information on flora and fauna, as well as local history and nearby sightseeing destinations. In addition, the book contains specialized information for the beginning hiker and for parents hiking with children, lists of hiking and conservation organizations, and other helpful resources. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker, a family with children, an amateur naturalist, a lifelong resident of the region, or a visitor, this is your essential guide to enjoying one of the most popular outdoor recreation spots in the northeast.
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The North Country Trail
The Best Walks, Hikes, and Backpacking Trips on America’s Longest National Scenic Trail
Ron Strickland with the North Country Trail Association
University of Michigan Press, 2013

The North Country Trail is the longest of America’s eleven congressionally designated National Scenic Trails. Winding through seven states—New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota—the NCT’s 4,600 miles attract more than one million visitors annually. These hikers are treated to a smorgasbord of Upper Midwest hiking featuring everything from urban strolls to backcountry adventure through mountains, rivers, prairies, and shoreline. This book is the definitive guide for NCT hikers—whether first-timers, seasoned backpackers, or any level in between—who wish to maximize their experience on this splendid trail.

In addition to a full overview of the trail’s tread in each state, the guide describes in detail forty of the NCT’s premier segments, with helpful information including easy-to-read trail descriptions, physical and navigation difficulties, trail highlights, hiking tips, and precise maps incorporating the latest GPS technology.

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Old Yukon
Tales, Trails, and Trials
James Wickersham
University of Alaska Press, 2009

In this humorous and upbeat memoir, James Wickersham describes his career as a pioneer judge and later as a congressional representative assigned to a vast, snow-covered district, extending over 300,000 square miles in the undeveloped Alaska Territory.  Wickersham’s many adventures include traveling by dogsled over hundreds of miles through snow-covered mountains; serving as judge for the trials of many famous outlaws in the midst of the gold strikes; and hunting, mining, and climbing in his local Alaska wilderness. Though he was instrumental in the early history of Alaska, and his legacy is evident throughout the state—for example, he named the city of Fairbanks—this is the first and only work to focus on Wickersham’s life during this pivotal time in Alaska’s history.

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The Overland Journey From Utah To California
Wagon Travel From The City Of Saints To The City Of Angels
Edward Leo Lyman
University of Nevada Press, 2008
<br> The wagon trail between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles is one of the most important but least-known elements of nineteenth-century western migration, favored because it could be used for travel and freighting year-round. It was, however, arguably the most difficult route that pioneers traveled with any consistency in the entire history of the country, leapfrogging from one sometimes dubious desert watering place to the next and offering few havens for the sick, weary, or unfortunate. <br> This book is the first history of the complete Southern Route and of the people who developed and used it. Based on extensive research, including many early travelers’ accounts, the book discusses the exploration and development of the Old Spanish Trail. Lyman’s discussions of relations between the Mormons and the Native American peoples of the region and of the Mountain Meadows Massacre offer fresh and important analyses of these vital aspects of the westward movement.<br> <br>
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front cover of Tales and Trails of Illinois
Tales and Trails of Illinois
Stu Fliege
University of Illinois Press, 2002
Based on a collection of fifty-two vignettes of Illinois history originally published as weekly columns in newspapers and revised for publication in book form, Tales and Trails of Illinois presents little-known episodes and adds perspective to tales of the state’s varied past. Pairing readable commentary with striking description and detail, the book is a useful compendium of Illinois heritage in an accessible and entertaining format.
Stu Fliege highlights historical events, such as the Herrin Massacre and Chicago’s Iroquois Theatre fire, and covers the diverse terrain of Illinois’s natural and constructed wonders, from Lusk Creek Canyon to Robert Allerton Park. Readers will meet a colorful cast of characters including pioneers, squatters, miners, gangsters, and utopian leaders. They’ll travel back in time to when salt production was the state’s main industry and learn of the Illinois ingenuity that spawned inventions including barbed wire, the steel plow, and the Ferris wheel. From Oquawka’s elephant memorial to Murphysboro’s mysterious mud monster, the book also offers quirky facts and spooky stories that aren’t found in the average history book.
Liberally illustrated and clearly written, Tales and Trails of Illinois is a helpful learning tool for Illinoisans of all ages, perfect for families, history buffs, libraries, and the classroom.
 
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front cover of Trail Running Eastern Massachusetts
Trail Running Eastern Massachusetts
Ben Kimball
University of Massachusetts Press, 2022

Eastern Massachusetts offers incredible trail-running opportunities, ranging from popular long-distance routes like the Bay Circuit Trail to lesser-known loops that run through the mountains and forests of the Quabbin watershed and Merrimack Valley region, and trails that pass alongside the shores of Cape Cod. All over the Bay State, there are trails suitable for runners of all levels waiting to be discovered and explored.

Avid trail runner Ben Kimball offers a selection of fifty-one of eastern Massachusetts’s most spectacular trail sites, including detailed trail descriptions, topographic maps, directions, parking information, safety tips, and much more. Both experienced and novice trail runners will find Trail Running Eastern Massachusetts to be an invaluable resource for exploring nature and getting a good workout, in the Boston area and beyond.

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front cover of Trail Running Southern Vermont
Trail Running Southern Vermont
Ben Kimball
University of Massachusetts Press, 2024

The wild and rural landscape of southern Vermont offers a true bounty of great trail-running opportunities, from out­-and-­back (or point­to­point) runs on popular long-distance routes, such as segments of the Long Trail or Appalachian Trail, to quiet, little-known loops hidden away in the woods. This helpful guide is just the resource needed for trip planning or for a spontaneous run in a beautiful place.

Local expert trail runner Ben Kimball offers a range of suggested route options, sometimes even several at the same site, for runners of all skill levels. He also provides important practical information, such as the full distance of the suggested route; a difficulty rating; the trail style and type; the total ascent; and directions, along with a detailed description of the trail itself. There are also scannable codes for downloading trail maps to your smartphone. The trails included vary in difficulty and terrain type, and range from low elevations in the Connecticut River Valley to as high as 4,000 feet at Killington Peak in the Green Mountains. This indispensable book is the perfect companion for adventurous runners and hikers interested in exploring southern Vermont.

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front cover of Trail Running Western Massachusetts
Trail Running Western Massachusetts
Ben Kimball
University Press of New England, 2015
Ben Kimball, a long-time trail runner, provides profiles of fifty-one great trail runs in western Massachusetts. Geographically, this book covers the area between the Quabbin Reservoir and upstate New York, including the Pioneer Valley and Berkshire areas as well as portions of the Taconic Highlands. Elevations range from the lowlands of the Connecticut River and Housatonic River valleys to the state’s highest point at the top of Mount Greylock. The trails profiled represent a range of locations within the region as well as a range of difficulty levels and terrain types. There are options for everyone, from the beginner to the experienced trail runner looking for new options. Each run receives a two-page treatment that includes an informative trail description and a trail map, along with a scannable QR code to download each map to your smartphone. This book will appeal to the entire running community of Massachusetts and the surrounding region, including the Pioneer Valley along the Connecticut River, communities along the Housatonic River corridor in the Berkshires, the many running clubs in the Boston area, and seasonal vacationers.
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front cover of Trails for the Twenty-First Century
Trails for the Twenty-First Century
Planning, Design, and Management Manual for Multi-Use Trails
Charles A. Flink, Kristine Olka, Robert M. Searns, and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy; Foreword by David Burwell
Island Press, 2001

Communities across the country are working to convert unused railway and canal corridors into trails for pedestrians, cyclists, horseback riders, and others, serving the needs of both recreationists and commuters alike. These multi-use trails can play a key role in improving livability, as they offer an innovative means of addressing sprawl, revitalizing urban areas, and reusing degraded lands.

Trails for the Twenty-First Century is a step-by-step guide to all aspects of the planning, design, and management of multi-use trails. Originally published in 1993, this completely revised and updated edition offers a wealth of new information including.

  • discussions of recent regulations and federal programs, including ADA and TEA-21
  • recently revised design standards from AASHTO
  • current research on topics ranging from trail surfacing to conflict resolution
  • information about designing and building trails in brownfields and other
  • environmentally troubled landscapes

Also included is a new introduction that describes the importance of rail-trails to the sustainable communities movement, and an expanded discussion of maintenance costs. Enhanced with a wealth of illustrations, Trails for the Twenty-First Century provides detailed guidance on topics such as: taking a physical inventory and assessment of a site; involving the public and meeting the needs of adjacent landowners; understanding and complying with existing legislation; designing, managing, and promoting a trail; and where to go for more information. It is the only comprehensive guidebook available for planners, landscape architects, local officials, and community activists interested in creating a multi-use trail.

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Trails for the Twenty-First Century
Planning, Design, and Management Manual for Multi-Use Trails
Edited by Karen-Lee Ryan; Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Island Press, 1993
Trails for the Twenty-first Century gives step-by-step guidance in all aspects of the planning, design, and management of multi-use trails. Topics discussed include:
  • how to make physical and cultural assessments of the site and surrounding communities
  • planning the trail: public involvement, meeting the needs of adjacent landowners, compliance with legislation
  • designing the trail: making it unique,meeting the needs of different users, working with special features
  • managing the trail
  • maximizing the trail's potential
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front cover of Trails of Central Arkansas
Trails of Central Arkansas
A Guide to Central Arkansas' Land and Water Trails
Johnnie Chamberlin
Parkhurst Brothers, Inc., 2012
Chock-full of informative detail,
Trails of Central Arkansas delivers:
 
*  Sixty trails in 36 parks or locations from Benton and Bryant to Cabot, from Wrightsville to Conway
*  Color maps of every trail
*  GPS coordinates for every trailhead
*  Color-coded distinctions between paved and unpaved trails
*  Level of difficulty ratings
*  Scenery Scores
*  Top-ten lists: Most Scenic, Trails for Kids, and Trails for Solitude
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front cover of Trails of Little Rock
Trails of Little Rock
Hiking, Biking, and Kayaking Trails in Little Rock
Johnnie Chamberlin
Parkhurst Brothers, Inc., 2009
Residents and visitors have an urban-outdoor haven in Little Rock: actually more than two dozen of them. They are the hiking trails, biking trails as well as the canoe and kayak-read waterways within the city and immediate area. Whether your passion is a quiet walk in the woods, a mountain-climb, fishing, bird-watching, or a quiet float, this handbook will help you find and use the trails and waterways of Little Rock.
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front cover of Trails to Tiburón
Trails to Tiburón
The 1894 and 1895 Field Diaries of W J McGee
W. J. McGee; Transcribed by Hazel McFeely Fontana; Annotated and with an Introduction by Bernard L. Fontana
University of Arizona Press, 2000
When William John McGee set out from Washington, D.C., for the Sonoran Desert in 1894, he was inspired by a passion for adventure as much as a thirst for knowledge. McGee lived in an era when discovery was made through travel rather than study, and reputations were forged by going where no outsiders had gone before.

A self-taught scientist in the newly forming field of anthropology, McGee led two expeditions through southern Arizona and northern Sonora for the Bureau of American Ethnology. There he conducted ethnographic research among the Papagos (Tohono O'odham) and the Seris, and his subsequent publication The Seri Indians helped secure his place in the anthropological community.

McGee's complete journals of the expeditions, kept in small field notebooks and preserved in the Library of Congress, are published here for the first time. These journals contain detailed descriptions of the country and people McGee encountered and convey the adventure of traveling through wild and unfamiliar places—including a voyage to Isla Tiburón, or Shark Island, in the Gulf of California—and being plagued by foul weather, a shortage of supplies, and fear of attack from hostile Indians.

Trails to Tiburón features 57 historical photographs taken on the expedition, capturing the places McGee saw and the people he encountered. Fontana's notes to the diary provide useful botanical, geological, and ethnographic information, while his introduction places McGee and his field work in the context of late-nineteenth-century anthropology and science.

Trails to Tiburón reveals McGee's versatility as a field worker and shows his methods, often questioned today, to be the reasonable response of a man caught up in the intellectual fervor of his time. For anyone wanting to share in the spirit of adventure, these journals are a landmark in the annals of exploration.
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logo for University of Tennessee Press
Trial By Trail
Backpacking In Smokey Mountains
Johnny Molloy
University of Tennessee Press, 1996

front cover of Utah Thirteeners
Utah Thirteeners
David M. Rose
University of Utah Press, 2004

Most Utahns are familiar with the Uinta Mountains, but few realize that the range has twenty-one peaks above 13,000 feet, some of them still unnamed. The elevation, challenging terrain and weather, solitude, and beautiful setting in Utah’s largest wilderness area make climbing these peaks a particularly rewarding experience. Better yet, in the summer and early fall every one of them can be climbed by a reasonably fit hiker without rope or climbing gear.

This guide provides detailed topographical maps and information on trailheads, access and summit routes with difficulty ratings, camp locations, estimated hiking times, weather, advice, and brief facts about geology and the history of the wilderness area. It also includes over fifty photographs of this breathtaking country.

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front cover of Walking Trails of Eastern and Central Wisconsin
Walking Trails of Eastern and Central Wisconsin
Bob Crawford
University of Wisconsin Press, 1997
    The sheer physical beauty and varied landscapes of eastern and central Wisconsin are best experienced on its walking trails. Walking Trails of Eastern and Central Wisconsin is a handy guide to trails that wind through the streets of old Milwaukee and the forests of the Kettle Moraine, across the Niagara Escarpment, along the shores of picturesque Door County, or up the sandstone mound at Lone Rock for a panoramic view of flatlands that once were the bed of glacial Lake Wisconsin.
     A companion to the popular Walking Trails of Southern Wisconsin, this book describes more than 200 trails in 72 locations throughout five of the state's major regions. Bob Crawford provides maps and detailed instructions to make the trails easy to locate.

 With each trail description you'll find:
* details about the route and terrain, as well as geographical, biological, or historical features of interest;
* regulations including open days and hours, and rules regarding dogs, trail bikes, cross-country skiing, and other activities;
* information about available restrooms, drinking water, nature centers, and other facilities at the site;
* a description assessing degree of difficulty—slope, width, maintenance, and other such factors—and a helpful rating of "walkability" on a scale from 1 to 5.

    The only comprehensive guide to hiking locations in the eastern part of the state, this book also provides lists of trail locations that include playground equipment for kids and picnic facilities for those who want to make a day trip of their hiking outing. Appendices spotlight trails that boast historical significance, ice age features, picnic areas, and cross-country skiing opportunities.
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