A thorough guide to long hiking trails in the United States

Story by Andrea Guynup

The Thru Hiker's Guide to America, by Erik Schlimmer, is a great guidebook for anyone interested in hiking some of the more appealing long distance trails in America.

The guide focuses on twenty-five of the most attractive long distance trails found in the United States and provides readers with incredible insight into the natural attractions at each place. Each path, many of which extend through miles of terrain, was thoroughly researched and provides specific trail advice from experts and Forest Service officials.

Thru Hiker's Guide to America offers a wide array of information about each trail; from geography and climate to terrain and attractions. Schlimmer effectively provides readers with a trail breakdown. He also provides readers insight into the best areas of the trails to make them more manageable for hikers looking for a one to eight week long distance trek.

After pushing himself to cross over 7,500 miles of the roughest, most intense terrain in the United States, Schlimmer draws on his experiences and knowledge for the guidebook. He created the guide in an easy-to-follow format, where readers can plan their next hike to fit their personal needs and criteria. From the various seasonal attractions of each trail to the appropriate distance and geographic location of their desired trails, the guide allows readers to research almost every aspect of their next hike.

Thru Hiker's Guide to America also allows readers to quickly learn more about the key attractions of each trail, including the natural wonders, visible wildlife, campsite locations, and access to drinking water, which makes planning a hike much easier for readers.

The use of detail in the guide is also extensive. For example, when he described the Arizona Trail, he not only included wildlife species and plant life, but delved into the trail's history. His detail and depth is incredible, and makes the book a truly great read for anyone interested in hiking.

One unique aspect of the guidebook is that it's organized so that the trails are geographically specific. Readers can choose to learn about trails across the United States, from the scorching heat of the Sonoran Desert to the snow-capped mountains of the Appalachians.

Schlimmer isn't a stranger to the Adirondacks. He grew up in Chestertown, New York and later graduated from both North Country Community College and Plattsburgh State University College. Schlimmer is now looking forward to hiking New York's 345 mile Long Path this summer.

The author appropriately designed the Thru Hiker's Guide to America to be reader specific. It was thoroughly researched and designed to meet the needs of any hiker interested in tackling a long distance trail in a shorter amount of time.

Have you gone on any long distance hikes?

Author: Erik Schlimmer

Publisher: McGraw Hill

Year: 2005