Hiking South Carolina Trails, 5th (Regional Hiking Series)

Rating:
Summary: Narratives of over 200 walks and trails is impressive.
Review: Allen de Hart has been describing trails in the southeast for many years, and his writing style and expertise are well respected. He is not, however, always timely, and the book's continued lack of maps for most trails is disappointing.

The book's biggest shortcoming is the lack of maps. De Hart provides maps of the Foothills Trail, Kings Mountain Trail, and four national forest trails. But maps are absent for the remainder of the hikes, leaving guide users fully dependent on narrative descriptions of routes.

It is unfortunate that the fourth edition of "Hiking South Carolina Trails" still contains some information that was accurate when the author began his South Carolina series 14 years ago, but which has since changed. Examples include directions to fire towers torn down years ago and alterations in trail routes. On the other hand, Swamp Fox Trail errors contained in the 1994 edition have been corrected. The problem of outdated material could be partially alleviated if the author would at least note the dates upon which each of his first person narratives are based.

Despite an impressive 200 trails described, de Hart's books omits some of South Carolina's best, including the Lake Moultrie Passage of the Palmetto Trail, Bear Island, Donnelly Wildlife Management Area, ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge, Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, and the Anne Springs Close Greenway. Conversely, a large number of the 200 trails which are described are really pathways of very short distances, often less than a mile.

The strengths of "Hiking South Carolina Trails" are de Hart's first person, journal-style of writing, in which the author's warm, folksy personality shines through, and his knowledge of the plant life he encounters. And even though many of the trails described in the books are of questionable interest for serious hikers, a collection of narratives of over 200 trails of any type is impressive.

Rating:
Summary: Information for walking South Carolina's best trails.
Review: Everyone who lives in South Carolina (walker or not) should have this book for its wealth of historical anecdote. De Hart describes over 200 trails in the Palmetto State giving directions to each trail, the trail's length, walking time, and difficulty (similar to volksmarching ratings). He includes commentary on the area's history and animal and plant life. You will find plenty of illustrations and maps plus an appendix full of useful contacts. "Hiking South Carolina Trails" is indispensable for South Caroliniansand worthwhile to visitors.

Rating:
Summary: Guidebook needs maps
Review: This book has has three distinct shortcomings. The most significant is the paucity of maps. I do not understand having a guidebook without adequate maps for guidance. The second is that although this book is written in the first person in a journal-style manner, no dates are given for the hikes. It is difficult to ascertain the freshness of the material, some of which has been in print in earlier editions for over 15 years. Third, the book is not organized by geographic location, but by ownership of the property, which is not exactly user-friendly.

On the other hand, DeHart covers a heck of a lot of trails, from very short to very long. And the author's description of vegetation is impressive.