Arizona and Utah trails - recommended reading?

Thomas Hertel · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

Hi

I am looking for some good books on hiking in Utah and Arizona. There
is plenty of information about trails in the national parks, but I am
looking for day hikes a little bit off the beaten path. Is there
anybody with some recommendations?

Thanks in advance
Thomas

Archived from group: alt>rec>hiking

Steve Silberberg · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 1

On 30 Oct 2006 06:35:30 -0800, "Thomas Hertel"
wrote:

>I am looking for some good books on hiking in Utah and Arizona. There
>is plenty of information about trails in the national parks, but I am
>looking for day hikes a little bit off the beaten path. Is there
>anybody with some recommendations?

Try:

Hiking Arizona's Superstition and Mazatzal Country.

Not all day hikes, but many are, and they're off the beaten path.
--------------
Steve Silberberg
mailto:steve.silberberg@alum.mit.edu
Read "We'll Kiss For Food"
http://www.kissforfood.com/

Ken Murphy · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 1

Thomas Hertel wrote:
> Hi
>
> I am looking for some good books on hiking in Utah and Arizona. There
> is plenty of information about trails in the national parks, but I am
> looking for day hikes a little bit off the beaten path. Is there
> anybody with some recommendations?
>
> Thanks in advance
> Thomas
>
"Hiking Arizona's Cactus Country" by Erik Molvar - A Falcon Guide and
"100 Classic Hikes in Arizona" by Scott Warren are among several more
that I use.

Ken in Tucson

JonK · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 3

In addition to the books already mentioned (and I second them), if you
really want to get off the beaten path in Utah canyon country--in fact
to no path at all--check out the books by Michael Kelsey
(self-ublished: Kelsey Publishing, 456 E. 100 N., Provo, UT 84606), for
example, "Hiking Utah's San Rafael Swell". They are extremely detailed
(down to virtually every side canyon) and very accurate. Another good
book covering portions of Utah's canyon country is "Canyoneering" by
Steve Allen (University of Utah Press).

In Arizona, we used David Mazel's book, "Southern Arizona Trails"
(Wilderness Press), through many editions (now with Robert Blake as
co-author). Other good Arizona guides we've liked include Warren's "100
Hikes in Arizona" and "Exploring Arizona's Wild Areas" (the latter
covering more than just hiking). Don Kiefer's :Hiking Arizona" (Golden
West Publishers) is more for day hikers, but covers some trails (like
the Mongollon Rim) that others overlook.

Sandra Hinchman's "Hiking Southwests Canyon Country" is a hike and
drive tour book, but the hikes are serious.

If you have areas already picked out, books we have used for specific
regions include the "Tucson Hiking Guide" (Leavengood), "Hiking Guide
to the Santa Rita Mountains" (which includes Madera Canyon, popular
with birders) by Martin, "Hikers Guide to the Superstition Wilderness"
by Carlson & Stewart (the mostcomplete guide to those areas), and
"Hiking the Escalante" by Lambrechtse.
Enjoy!

JonK · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 3

Oops...one more that I forgot with lots of day hikes is "The Trail
Guide to Northern Arizona" by Bruce Grubs (Falcon).

JonK

Thomas Hertel · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

JonK schrieb:

> Oops...one more that I forgot with lots of day hikes is "The Trail
> Guide to Northern Arizona" by Bruce Grubs (Falcon).

Thank you all for the hints. As I am German and have no opportunity to
just browse through them in a bookstore, I am gonna order some through
amazon. And as I´ve seen, there are some of your recommendations
available.

Best regards
Thomas

JonK · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 3

Thomas--Now that I think I know a bit more about what you might want to
do, may I suggest Sandra Hinchman's "Hiking Southwest's Canyon Country"
which I mentioned earlier. It describes a series of car trips in the
southwest (mostly Arizona and Utah) with dayhikes and a few short
backpacking trips along the way. If you'll be driving, that might make
a good combination.

If you're not driving, you may want to focus on a place like the
Superstitions just outside of Phoenix or Sabino Canyon and the Pusch
Ridge Wilderness, right on the city border of Tucson. Also right near
Tucson is Saguaro National Park East and the Rincon Mountains. All of
these are well-covered in Mazel & Blake's "Southern Arizona Trails"
(alas, the current edition lacks the useful maps of the earlier
editions).

If you do decide to hike around Tucson, you might supplement that book
with the "Tucson Hiking Guide" by Betty Leavengood.

Both cities have some other great sights: the Hurd Museum (Indian
artifacts) and Papago Park (a wonderful outdoor plant conservatory) in
Phoenix, and in Tucson, the Sonoran Desert Museum (a zoo of local
fauna) and Mission San Xavier (probably misspelled).

The best Utah hikes are not as accessible and take some driving.

If I can help further, drop me a note. I don't live in the southwest,
but have hiked there for some 30 years as my late parents retired to
the area.

Roger Woehl · Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 2

Thomas,
I hike SE Utah as often as I can. What experience are you looking for? Do
you want to be in BLM areas, Canyonlands, low frequency areas or popular
higher frequency areas? Do you want to do overnights and move daily, set up
base camps and explore, or secure lodging somewhere and do dayhikes?

Roger

"Thomas Hertel" wrote in message @h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Hi
>
> I am looking for some good books on hiking in Utah and Arizona. There
> is plenty of information about trails in the national parks, but I am
> looking for day hikes a little bit off the beaten path. Is there
> anybody with some recommendations?
>
> Thanks in advance
> Thomas
>

Sandstone · Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Posts: 3

Roger Woehl wrote:
> Thomas,
> I hike SE Utah as often as I can. What experience are you looking for? Do
> you want to be in BLM areas, Canyonlands, low frequency areas or popular
> higher frequency areas? Do you want to do overnights and move daily, set up
> base camps and explore, or secure lodging somewhere and do dayhikes?
>
> Roger
>
>
> "Thomas Hertel" wrote in message
> @h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>
>>Hi
>>
>>I am looking for some good books on hiking in Utah and Arizona. There
>>is plenty of information about trails in the national parks, but I am
>>looking for day hikes a little bit off the beaten path. Is there
>>anybody with some recommendations?
>>
>>Thanks in advance
>>Thomas
>>
>
>
>

If you're talking about SW Utah then I would recommend

Michael R. Kelsey : Hiking and Exploring the Paria River

and if you're interested in more challenging, and even technical, hikes
(swimming in cold water, rapelling, etc.) then try

Michael R. Kelsey : Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau

Some of my favorite day hikes in this area are Cobra Arch, Coyote
Buttes, Buckskin Gulch, Yellow Rock, The Subway and White Pocket.

Eric

Don Lancaster · Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 4

>> "Thomas Hertel" wrote in message
>> @h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>>
>>> Hi
>>>
>>> I am looking for some good books on hiking in Utah and Arizona. There
>>> is plenty of information about trails in the national parks, but I am
>>> looking for day hikes a little bit off the beaten path. Is there
>>> anybody with some recommendations?
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance
>>> Thomas
>>>
>>

Newly updated local list posted to http://www.tinaja.com/gilahike.asp

--
Many thanks,

Don Lancaster voice phone: (928)428-4073
Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552
rss: http://www.tinaja.com/whtnu.xml email: don@tinaja.com

Please visit my GURU's LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com

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