(Part 3) Best hiking & camping books according to redditors
We found 597 Reddit comments discussing the best hiking & camping books. We ranked the 274 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
Here's all the blue-blazed trails in the state.
They also have a walk book coming out this week that you might be interested in.
"Within a few hours" literally means the entirety of the Mt Hood National Forest, the entirety of the Tillamook National Forest, and a good chunk of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. All of those are withing a 2 hour drive of downtown.
Now, what kind of hiking do you want? A simple day hike that lasts a couple hours? Something more strenuous that would take all day? Or something that would take a day or two and involve camping?
I would suggest getting 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland and reading up. I've hiked about 45-50 of those hikes at various times in my life, and aside from the urban hikes along the Springwater Corridor and such, they're all proper natural hikes.
Recommended reading: 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Portland
I bought this book for a friend recently. It’s not specifically about the arches, but it has a ton of trails that go to lesser known arches.
Hinterlands 2019 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1080789553/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_uz8ODb8JZHM7H
I picked up this
It's great! Every walk has 5-10 landmarks/points of interest to check out (art, restaurants, museums, etc.) A lot of the routes are close to each other so you can stack them. Last week myself and another redditor trecked from the U-District to the Fremont troll and back. A good way to spend a Saturday.
EDIT: Just noticed in your post your concerns about public transit. Each route has a connecting bus route listed from downtown.
Look at these cards. They can take one or two per day and explore different neighborhoods
The Pacific Crest Trail - "A Hiker's Companion" by Karen Berger and Daniel Smith was written specifically with that audience in mind.
if you're interested in geology/flora/fauna, it's just what you want, and it was written by a couple that through hiked.
Publisher's page
Amazon
Survive: Ultimate Edition by Les "Survivorman" Stroud
I don't know about websites, but I bought this book: Hiking Trails of Ottawa, the National Capital Region, and Beyond from MEC, and I don't regret the purchase.
Not the person you replied to, but when somebody asked about that a week or two ago this book was recommended: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1581572123/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile
I ordered a copy and only just started reading it, but I like it so far. I know next to nothing about the west coast, so it's nice to have an overview of plants and history and such.
Yeah, the snow camping around here is great. I'd suggest picking up a copy of 100 Hikes in Oregon as a start. Once you hit August I recommend pretty much anywhere in the Three Sisters Wilderness for backpacking.
Honestly March is still ski season for me. If you are going to Eugene Spencer Butte wouldn't be what I would climb. I would go for Mt pisgah instead. That is going to have best views of thew mountains in that area. On a clear day you can see the three sisters.
Another thing you will be contending with is weather. It is very likely it will be cloudy and raining as well. It will be a good idea to have a backup so you can still go see something cool and not end up on a cloudy peak. You would missing quite the opportunity if you are in Salem and you don't go to silver falls state park. For the Salem area I would recommend picking up 100 hikes in the central Oregon Cascade. It has a lot of good trail suggestions plus the seasons that you are most likely able to hike them. Oregon Hikers is another fantastic resource and is pretty searchable with categories.
Another word of caution is you will legally need chains or traction tires (in your case I'm assuming chains since you are in a rental) in your car to go over passes. The snow zone requirement doesn't go away until the end of march. You can purchase a set of chains at Les Schwab and you can return them for a full refund if unused.
I backpacked to Panamint City last April and it was amazing. Water is available year around from multiple springs, but there might be a dusting of snow on the ground as it is high elevation. I would definitely recommend checking out Panamint Valley, it is like a smaller Death Valley (which is HUGE, seems like all the attractions are 50 miles apart) and I think alot of it is BLM land so really no restrictions on off road use, camping, etc.
Check out Steve Halls death valley webstie, Panamintcity.com as well as the amazing book "Hiking Western Death Valley" by Michael Digonette for trip ideas.
https://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Western-Death-Valley-National/dp/0965917819
The Hiking the Wasatch book has a companion map that is pretty good for the area. I usually go to the State Map Store on N Temple just before Redwood Road. An awesome resource for all the surrounding states. They have a huge selection of 7.5 minute quads if you really want details. Good luck.
I think that $2.50/gallon average fuel cost is low. Canada, Mexico, and much of the west coast USA is more.
Traveling in Mexico with a trailer will make you anxious, guaranteed. You will want to travel on the toll highways (autopista) because they usually give you a wider lane width as well as (usually) a better quality road surface. Tolls can get expensive. The "libre" (free) roads are much slower, much more interesting, but can be VERY rough on your suspension and tires (Mexican mechanics are very talented at suspension work and tire repair though). You need to plan your routes carefully through towns because many roads become VERY narrow (be prepared to back up on occasion, it's happened to me several times in a full size truck even without a trailer). The payoff is that Mexico is an awesome and incredibly beautiful place to visit and people are genuinely happy that you are enjoying their country. Another advantage is that Mexico is very inexpensive if you travel outside of the tourist areas, especially when buying food at local markets (though there are also plenty of inexpensive super market chains as well as Walmart and Costco). You won't meet many other American campers, but you will definitely meet European and South American campers. Download the ioverlander app and buy the most recent edition of Mexico Camping by Church & Church that you can find.
Central America is also incredible, but I wouldn't drive it while towing a trailer. Roads are very narrow and often very steep. I saw very few full sized pickup trucks in Central America, let alone travel trailers. I have a full size Chevy truck with pop-up camper and was too wide for some streets, which is nerve-wracking when you have to back up in traffic (luckily locals were always helpful in getting me out).
You will need to pay a temporary import tax (TIP) on your vehicles when you enter Mexico, and will get this refunded when you exit. You also need to buy Mexican vehicle liability insurance, shop for this online, it's not expensive.
hinterlands
Or Miguel’s climb shop usually sells it
This book, The Ultimate Hang, is the absolute bible on hammock camping. I can't recommend it enough. Make sure to get the 2nd edition.
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Hang-Hammock-Camping-Illustrated/dp/1478351187/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
The books:
The classes will help ensure you get the practice in and actually read and understood the material correctly.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Modern-Hunter-Gatherer-Practical-Living/dp/0971381135/
I found something - lots of reviews on Amazon.
Go read them and make your own mind
http://www.amazon.com/The-Modern-Hunter-Gatherer-Practical-Living/dp/0971381135
Check out Derek's technique for split skins in his book; it works great, and bonus: it keeps your tarp from getting super wrinkled when you just cram it into the skin.
Id recommend Les Strouds Survive! over the SAS guide. http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1554686377/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1977604502&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0002008866&pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_r=1JJPMH9KGMZ80RWQPRTH
Get a copy of Tom Stienstra's "California Camping"
It has descriptions and directions to every public campground in the state…there are sites in every county. Many are free, or low fee.
Just know that your drive to Painted Hills and to Crater Lake is about 4+ to 5 hours. Might help to plan when you want to do this. If you are going very soon, could have significant snow to slow you down for both. These would be tough 1 day trips, so an overnight might help for these.
Gorge and Hood are easy day trips. If you are in summer, try the Oneonta Gorge hike near Multnomah Falls. You have to wade through water through a small canyon. Very worth it, and very quick. You can easily work that in to Multnomah falls and other gorge options...up farther is Hood River (nice places to eat), the Dalles, Maryhill museum across the river in WA with Stonehenge. You can google all of those. Crown Point in the gorge too. The Sullivan link to the Oneonta hike has lots of others too.
Haystack will take you 90 min or 2 hours to get too...but you can work your way up and down the coast to see some other things too.
As for hiking references, I always think these books are solid.
Also, you can search online for vegan options...there are a million so I won't list them all here.
Have fun!
**Edit for shit formatting.
For the Sods the best resource is - http://www.wvhighlands.org/ (but their site seems to be down).
Alternatively there's a map from the forest service: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5152038.pdf
This site looks like they might have maps: http://www.jtphillips.com/DollySodsMaps/
As does this if you ahve GPS device: http://www.trailgraphics.com/mnf-trail-network-kml-for-google-earth/
As far as a general guide for the area, you can't beat: http://www.amazon.com/Monongahela-National-Forest-Hiking-Guide/dp/0961655321
These are your best bets for "on the map" places in rough order of increasing distance from Morgantown. You can google any of them.
And these are all a bit further away:
Of these, Otter Creek Wilderness is, in my opinion, the best place you could go within 1.5 hrs of Morgantown for a hike. Bring good maps and a compass, because there is no signage. I recommend scanning this book's maps from the WVU library if you can.
Go camping over a weekend.
Mapping Trophy Bucks https://www.amazon.com/dp/0873495039/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_HcdMBbAD2PV9Z
There is a trail path from the bottom of the Luskville Falls to Chelsea welcome center, it is about 24km ~ 26km, I did it in 5 hours with few blisters in my toes, but it was so fun :)
Your legs will be jell-o right after the luskville Falls hike, then the fun begins.
For more info, check out this book, it has all the hiking trails in the Gat/Ott region
http://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Trails-Ottawa-National-Capital/dp/0864924844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377652900&sr=8-1&keywords=ottawa+hiking+trail
I found I was able to walk, bike, or take lyft/bus most anywhere and ended up driving only once or twice a month. There's so many great places to find and explore just by moving a little slower. Enjoy living in the city.
Loved walking up and down the hills, there's hidden stairs everywhere. Walnut Hills, Prospect and Mt. Auburn, Mt. Adams, all have great places to check out. Loved walking across the bridges, so much beauty to see from above the river. Don't forget to walk around Covington and Newport too, they're right there and have super cool neighborhoods in their own right.
Like someone else said, there's events and parades all the time down there, so there's always something to do.
Edit: Check out this great book
FWIW, I moved here about a year ago and snagged the Connecticut Walk Book (yes, an actual book with paper pages). It has something like 860 miles of blue-blazed trail maps and descriptions. For me it was totally worth the $27. I've been surprised how many quality trails are out there.
https://www.amazon.com/Connecticut-Walk-Book-Connecticuts-Blue-Blazed/dp/0819577146/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=connecticut+walk+book&qid=1570184039&sr=8-1
You may want to check out the "Dummies" or "Idiot's" books. Not to say you are either, just that they really are good books... it's unfortunate that there's a stigma attached to them. You might want to go to B&N or your local library and just read through them rather than ask someone to buy them.
Camping for Dummies
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dummies-Michael-Hodgson/dp/076455221X
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Backpacking and Hiking
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Backpacking-Lifestyle-Paperback/dp/1592579604
The Backpacker's Handbook has been recommended, but I haven't read it myself.
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/007175489X
The Complete Walker; I read this 30 years ago(?) A great reference.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Walker-IV-Colin-Fletcher/dp/0375703233
And of course Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills
https://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers/dp/1680510045
M:FotH is a comprehensive tome, which may be a bit advanced for someone who is starting out with some car camping. As the name implies, it's aimed towards mountaineers, with sections on rock climbing, belaying, first aid, mountain safety... as a beginner you might pick up some invaluable information, but most of it may be far beyond what you need, it might be a bit overwhelming. Though you may be the type that just loves to soak up everything you, in which case it's a great reference.
If you want to check it out, the Kindle version of the 8th edition has a "Look Inside" which lists the sections and chapters, and has a bit of the first chapter. The latest 9th ed doesn't have the "Look Inside" yet.
https://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers-ebook/dp/B0049P1ZTC
So first of all pick up: https://www.amazon.com/Moon-California-Camping-Complete-Campgrounds/dp/1612382924
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It will answer a lot of your questions.
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Second of all I can't speak for Big Sur or Sequoia but in my experience you can often get away with camping in Los Padres or Inyo in real car camping sites without paying for anything. Kinda found out by accident that at least mid week there's no one around to take your money. You're expected to have a wilderness pass but we didn't and nothing ever happened.
(You can actually buy the NOLS Wilderness Emergency Medicine book off Amazon for $13. Might be worth taking a gander before investing in the full course.)
https://www.amazon.com/NOLS-Wilderness-Medicine-Library/dp/0811718255/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
Here's a good book about stair walks with a fair bit of history included:
https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Steps-Cincinnati-Mary-Dusablon/dp/082142081X/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
Mapping Trophy Bucks is one of my favorites. Despite the title, it applies equally to hunting does or bucks. It's really a manual for learning how to hunt the landscape, and thinking in terms of landscape/terrain influencing deer behavior. This concept plays a big role in the way I hunt and can really help you consistently get on deer.
Same authors so similar ideas, but either/both of these books: Bowhunting Whitetails, or Precision Bowhunting. The second in particular gives you a year-round approach to hunting, which is really what distinguishes good hunters from the rest. The best hunters I know are already thinking and planning for next year as soon as this year's season ends.
Whoops here ya go
Hiking the Wasatch has been an indispensable guide for me.
My favorite local hike, step for step, is Mt. Raymond. It's long and meandering rather than straight up, you get to climb on the rocks near the peak, and you don't see a single ski lift. Just nature. In the next couple of weeks, the fall color should be great. I love Mt. Raymond from Butler Fork (Big Cottonwood Canyon) or Bowman Fork (Millcreek Canyon).
Lake Blanch (BCC) and The Pfeifferhorn (Little Cottonwood Canyon) are staggeringly beautiful. Silver Fork up to the ridgeline (BCC) and White Pine Lake (LCC) are pretty impressive, too.
For short hikes, I'd suggest Catherine Pass and Cecret Lake in Albion Basin (LCC); Doughnut Falls in BCC; Silver Lake in American Fork; Stewarts Falls near Sundance; Alexander Basin in Millcreek; and Killyon Canyon in Emigration for a little stroll after class.
For backpacking, I've mostly gone to the Uintas. If I were backpacking here, I'd probably do something in the mountains between American Fork & Little Cottonwood. Someday I'll finally do the beloved Timpanogos. Maybe an easy overnight on the mountains between Millcreek & Big Cottonwood Canyon. The meadow atop Neff's Canyon would be a nice camping spot, I think.
The sunny, town-adjacent hikes you dislike are quite nice in the fall and spring. I did Mt. Olympus one October, and it was a great day. The foothills have a haunting beauty during the "dead" months. They also have little surprises. The old cars, the Living Room, Jack's Mountain Mailboxes, the Pencil Peak fort. Explore the hills that are closest to you, and you will find your own secrets.
I found out about these sand dunes from Michel Digonnet's book called "Hiking Western Death Valley National Park" It's got a treasure trove of hikes that are off the beaten track. It's a pretty accessible day hike but I did an overnight trip with two others. We were basically the only ones there the entire stay. The hike is also completely flat so it's not very strenuous.
http://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Western-Death-Valley-National/dp/0965917819
My blog post about it: http://www.lonelyspeck.com/hidden-dunes/
Steve Hall's informative post about Hidden Dunes: http://www.panamintcity.com/sanddunes/hiddendunes.html
The photograph was made at at sunset in March, 2013.