Official Guide to Hiking the Grand Canyon

Rating:
Summary: Purchasing this book benefits Grand Canyon Nat'l Park
Review: Proceeds from the sale of Grand Canyon Association publications benefit educational programming at Grand Canyon National Park.

Rating:
Summary: Official Guide - Very Basic Info
Review: Pros - all the basic hiking info. Small topo map. Unique vertical depiction. Few color photos. Good pack size (60 page paperback).
Cons - all basic information can be found at NPS Grand Canyon web-site. Detailed, trail by trail info limited to 2 pages. These pages consumed by vertical diagram, topo map and color picture. Little or no trail description, interesting features, sights, etc. Of little planning value. Returned the next day.
Try FODORS Grand Canyon - costs the same.

Rating:
Summary: Official Guide - Very Basic Info
Review: The guide provides a wealth of general information for first-time, and repeat hikers of the Grand Canyon, as well as covering in detail the most popular hiking trails. The text is accompanied by excellent, high-quality trail maps, elevation diagrams, and beautiful color photos.

I bought the book after hiking the canyon for the first time as a souvenier of the trip and to help me plan my next hike. You can use the book to show your friends or family, "This is what I'm going to do", or document what you did.

If you've never hiked the Grand Canyon, this is the book to inform you of what to expect, help you make your hiking plans, and to build your enthusiasm and excitement for the trip!

The book is only 68 pages long, but is packed with useful information. Well worth the price!

jes

Rating:
Summary: Informative, well-organized, beautifully photographed guide.
Review: The guide provides a wealth of general information for first-time, and repeat hikers of the Grand Canyon, as well as covering in detail the most popular hiking trails. The text is accompanied by excellent, high-quality trail maps, elevation diagrams, and beautiful color photos.

I bought the book after hiking the canyon for the first time as a souvenier of the trip and to help me plan my next hike. You can use the book to show your friends or family, "This is what I'm going to do", or document what you did.

If you've never hiked the Grand Canyon, this is the book to inform you of what to expect, help you make your hiking plans, and to build your enthusiasm and excitement for the trip!

The book is only 68 pages long, but is packed with useful information. Well worth the price!

jes

Rating:
Summary: I've planned 3 rim to rim hikes with this book
Review: This is the best guide to hiking the Grand Canyon for beginning to intermediate hikers. I've hiked rim to rim 4 times, and carried this book each time. There are topographic map inserts of the Grand Canyon (like the background on the cover), with trails labled on them. Also, there are altitude profile maps of the trials showing the steepness of the trails and pointing out the campgrounds, water, and resthouses. This is very useful for trip planning, unless you are an all out jock. The single most important detail in planning a safe trip in the Grand Canyon is looking at the distance and altitude travled per day. Pages and pages on eating and drinking and staying cool will not help. Eat, and drink, and do not walk between the hours of 12 and 5 pm. Also, if you stay in a campground below the rim, the leader on the permit will receive a free video from the Park Service, which outlines, in great melodramatic detail, what to pack, and how to prevent illness and injurys.

The pictures are beautiful and in full color. They will help you identify flora and fauna along the way. All necessary contact numbers are listed. Also, proceeds of this book go to the Grand Canyon Association.

Unlike other Grand Canyon hiking books (Hiking the Grand Caynon a Sierra Club Totebook) this books focus is only on hiking, and doesn't take up page after page with information about the rims or river guides. Also, unlike almost all other Grand Canyon hiking books this book can be added to your pack without adding too much additional weight. Usually I carry this book,with my topo maps, and my Grand Canyon Association trail guides tucked inside, between the small of my back and my pack, I can reach back and access it easily whenever I want to look something up on the trail.

Rating:
Summary: Official Guide to Hiking the Grand Canyon
Review: What a dissapointment this book turned out to be. One would think the "ultimate" guide to hiking would contain detailed trail descriptions and suggested itineraries. The second sentence in the book says it all, "...provides basic information..."

This book provides very little in the way of interesting land marks and "must sees" for a trip to the Grand Canyon.

Rating:
Summary: Official Guide to Hiking the Grand Canyon
Review: What a dissapointment this book turned out to be. One would think the "ultimate" guide to hiking would contain detailed trail descriptions and suggested itineraries. The second sentence in the book says it all, "...provides basic information..."

This book provides very little in the way of interesting land marks and "must sees" for a trip to the Grand Canyon.