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Rating: 
Summary: Stellar photography, great descriptions
Review: Arizona is a great state to hike. Even without the magnificent hikes in and around the Grand Canyon, there are plenty of other trails to explore and enjoy. This book does it all! It is an exceptionally well-designed book for hikers across the spectrum. Whether you're a neophyte or have climbed Denali, this book contains all the essential information you need to tackle the hikes listed. The photos are all in color and are breathtaking! You really get a sense of what each hike will look like before you undertake it. Every hike also has a color map to accompany the text description. The maps are easy to follow and instructive. Equally pleasing is that the authors take the time to describe each hike in extensive detail, though they are never wordy. They list the elevation gains, give succinct but necessary directions to each trailhead and provide ample analysis of the strengths/weaknesses of each trek. The book is small and light enough to carry in your backpack, if you feel the need to consult it while on the trail. I have over 50 hiking books in my library and it would be hard to imagine a more complete, more photographically stunning or better written guide. I enthusiastically recommend this gem!
Rating: 
Summary: See all the Desert has to Offer
Review: From Arizona's gorges, to desert terrain, to streambeds and more...this book has pics and descriptives of them all. If you want to experience Arizona's plant life and varied terrains, then set out on a course of your choice and take along this book to enjoy it to the fullest.
Rating:
Summary: See all the Desert has to Offer
Review: From Arizona's gorges, to desert terrain, to streambeds and more...this book has pics and descriptives of them all. If you want to experience Arizona's plant life and varied terrains, then set out on a course of your choice and take along this book to enjoy it to the fullest.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Guide!
Review: I am not an Arizona resident, so I only have the oportunity to hike there every now and then. This book has helped me to find some of the nicer spots, and go on those hikes well prepared. Maps are pretty good (although it seems that one of them was a little off in scale... not sure though... the textual description was extremely accurate). The book is beatifully illustrated, and well written. A must-have for hiking enthusiasts.
Rating: 
Summary: hiker
Review: I bought this book best on the excellent recommendations
found in this site, and I was quite disappointed.
Some pointers to consider:
- The book is printed on chromo paper, making it too heavy for its size
in your backpack.
- The maps are tiny schematic things, giving you zero appreciation of
the topography you will traverse through.
- Has enough photos to fit coffee table display, BUT has no
gradings of hikes for quality. If you have limited time in AZ you will
not know how to cherry pick based on this book. Picking trails based on
one narrow-view photo is not optimal.
- For desert country most trails in this book are in-out the same way rather
than loops.
- Many hikes are concentrated near big cities. Do you really want to climb
a ridge for commanding views of Tucson or Phoenix?
And eventually spend the night in a camp site 1-2 hrs drive from these?
- The NE and W are almost ignored (see p.11, using this book).
It is not a bad hiking book. Just definitely not a great one,
and probably not quite for serious hikers.
Rating:
Summary: A picture is worth a thousand words
Review: This book is printed on good quality paper. The color pictures and hike descriptions give the reader a feel for the terrain. Since I live on the east coast my time out West is limited to seven to ten day vacations. With so many things one can see and do on a vacation in Arizona, choosing is difficult. This book helped me cherry pick the hikes. A state map of Arizona
in the front of the book shows the location of all 100 hikes, so you know what hikes are available for any part of the state.
Rating:
Summary: A picture is worth a thousand words
Review: This book is printed on good quality paper. The color pictures and hike descriptions give the reader a feel for the terrain. Since I live on the east coast my time out West is limited to seven to ten day vacations. With so many things one can see and do on a vacation in Arizona, choosing is difficult. This book helped me cherry pick the hikes. A state map of Arizona
in the front of the book shows the location of all 100 hikes, so you know what hikes are available for any part of the state.
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