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Rating:  Summary: Great comprehensive reference Review: A few people determined this book has "less detail" than other guidebooks for narrower areas. To quote my 7-year-old: Duh! Most guidebooks on our shelf cover 50 hikes, 100 at the most. This one has more than 1,000 in two states. Do the math. I think this guide is designed to be a far-reaching reference work, giving all the info you need to pick a hike, whether you're in Blaine or Klamath Falls. It's a bummer it doesn't have pics and maps for each hike, but it does have everything you need to know, and better yet, tells you where to find out more. I've used two editions of this book for five years and can say it does have some things none of my other guides have: "User" categories for every trail, telling whether it's open to dogs, mountain bikes, horses or just hikers. Accurate contact and permit info (this guide is updated every couple years, it seems; most guides maybe every 4-5 years. And the name of each map (USGS and even Green Trails) for each and every trail. It also has a lot of trails you won't find in other guides, i.e., near cities and in the 'burbs. I've found the trailhead descriptions to be quite accurate and the trail notes very helpful, often entertaining. All things considered: We have lots of other guides with color pics, fancier graphics, etc. But when we're leaving the house for a couple weeks on the road, this it the ONE that comes with.
Rating:  Summary: General use guidebook Review: I have used this book several times since moving to Oregon four years ago and have been unpleasantly surprised on more than one occasion. Although it does provide a large scale review of hikes in the pacific northwest, it fails to give accurate and reliable directions. In locating trailheads, I have found the mileages listed to be off by more than a few miles. Additionally, I have found trail directions to be completely wrong. For example, in one Goat Rocks Wilderness Area hike, the book tells readers to "take a left at the fork in the trail," when the correct direction was to take a right at the fork. The book is a good starting point for learning about beautiful areas worth exploring, but I would never rely on it for planning a hiking trip. If you do decide to use this book, ALWAYS consult a map before your hike.
Rating:  Summary: Good for a wide area Review: Width rather than depth.A lot of good hikes, none of them really wrong, but directions are sometimes poor and there is a lack of detail. It would be better if there was a weather guide - can we expect snow there in June for example? The most annoying thing is although there are 1000 hikes, they are numbered from 1 in several sections, so it is hard to find e.g. Tiger Mountain, 74, by skimming through looking for 74. Buy it (I have, and I borrowed it first) but buy more detailed books or hikers maps to guide you by.
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