Five-Star Trails: Columbus is the most current and comprehensive guide to hiking the area and rates hikes on the following factors: scenery, trail condition, difficulty, appropriateness for children, and solitude. Each hikes also includes detailed landmarks, flora, fauna, and local history. In this Columbus guide, an impressive collection of routes ranges north, east, south, and west from the metro center, as well as within the urban setting. This capital city is rich in metro parks, natural areas and preserves, state parks, and state forests. And this diversity of hiking terrain invites all levels of abilities and skills. Thus, this guidebook is geared not only to avid trekkers seeking more challenge than a paved neighborhood path, but also to families and senior citizens. Outdoor enthusiasts of every stripe will have reason to grab this book and, well, take a hike. Sized for easy carrying or tossing into a backpack, this handy guide will quickly become a treasured resource among Columbus locals and visitors alike.

Five-Star Trails: Columbus is the most current and comprehensive guide to hiking the area and rates hikes on the following factors: scenery, trail condition, difficulty, appropriateness for children, and solitude. Each hikes also includes detailed landmarks, flora, fauna, and local history. In this Columbus guide, an impressive collection of routes ranges north, east, south, and west from the metro center, as well as within the urban setting. This capital city is rich in metro parks, natural areas and preserves, state parks, and state forests. And this diversity of hiking terrain invites all levels of abilities and skills. Thus, this guidebook is geared not only to avid trekkers seeking more challenge than a paved neighborhood path, but also to families and senior citizens. Outdoor enthusiasts of every stripe will have reason to grab this book and, well, take a hike. Sized for easy carrying or tossing into a backpack, this handy guide will quickly become a treasured resource among Columbus locals and visitors alike.

The Adirondack Park is an immense wilderness encompassing more than 9,375 square miles. Within its boundaries are rugged mountains, countless pristine lakes and ponds, seemingly endless forests, and thousands of miles of wild rivers, providing an infinite number of outdoor adventures. The revised edition of Five-Star Trails: Adirondacks, by Tim Starmer, features six new popular trails and provides a detailed guide to some of the most stunning views found across the Adirondacks. Included are rugged and steep ascents up Snowy Mountain in the Central Adirondacks, which many consider the 47th high peak, and isolated Debar Mountain in the northern Adirondack region. Distance hikers will love the long trek into the High Peak Wilderness to see the amazing Hanging Spear Falls along the Opalescent River. Also new to this edition is the less difficult but equally scenic vistas of the Eastern Adirondacks and Lake George described along the Black Mountain trail. And delve back into the remote depths of the High Peaks region to explore some of the most unique trails with descriptions of Wright Peak, Avalanche Pass, and the second highest mountain in New York, Algonquin Mountain. Each hike features an individual trail map, elevation profile, and at-a-glance information.

Discover the Best Hikes in Birmingham, Alabama Where railroads ran and mines once burrowed into mountains, the healed landscape is repurposed for beautiful hiking and biking opportunities. New and expanding venues around the city provide more chances to get outside and to appreciate the labor and industry that built the city. Explore 35 of Birmingham’s best, five-star trails, divided into six distinct areas in and around the city. With the expert guidance of local author Thomas M. Spencer, you’ll find yourself on an Appalachian mountain peak or on the banks of the Cahaba River, as it broadens to snake through the Coastal Plain. Visit old-growth forest in the Sipsey Wilderness, or hike down into the “Grand Canyon of the East” at Little River Canyon. Across this landscape, you’ll find a diversity of plant and animal species—some rare and endangered—rivaling those found anywhere else in North America. Book Features: Descriptions of 35 five-star hiking trails for all levels and interests GPS-based trail maps, elevation profiles, and detailed directions to trailheads Insight into the history, flora, and fauna of the routes Ratings for scenery, difficulty, trail condition, solitude, and accessibility for children Lace up, grab your pack, and hit the trail!

In the first decade of the 21st century, Birmingham is building again on its natural resources, but this time it’s not to fire steel-making smokestacks. Instead, where railroads ran and mines once burrowed into mountains, the healed landscape is being repurposed for hiking and biking. New and expanding venues around the city are providing more opportunities not only to get outside and exercise but also to appreciate the labor and industry that built the city. In Five-Star Trails: Birmingham local author Thomas Spencer leads readers to some of the best hikes around the city. Within a short drive from Birmingham, you can find yourself on an Appalachian mountain peak or on the banks of the Cahaba River as it broadens to snake through the Coastal Plain. You can visit old growth forest in the Sipsey Wilderness or hike down into the “Grand Canyon of the East” at Little River Canyon. And that's only the start. Across this landscape, you’ll find a level of diversity of plant and animal species, some rare and endangered, that rivals anywhere in the North America.

Known as the City of Parks, Louisville has long valued the natural landscape and the provisioning of outdoor recreation. In 1891 Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture, was commissioned to develop an extensive park system for Louisville that eventually included 18 parks and 6 interconnecting parkways. Since that time, Louisville has continued to invest resources to build a first-class park system. Nestled within the Ohio Valley, and bordered by the knobs region to the south and the heavily forested areas of Indiana to the north, Louisville lies at the heart of an endless array of hiking opportunities. Five-Star Trails: Louisville showcases many of the hiking trails and walking paths within the city or within easy driving distance in central Kentucky and southern Indiana. Designed specifically for day trips, this book includes several of the area's most popular parks, as well as many of the lesser-known hiking trails in nature preserves, wildlife management areas, and national forests.

Discover the best hikes in Louisville, Kentucky, and beyond! Louisville is known as the City of Parks, and its population has long valued the natural landscape and the provisioning of outdoor recreation. Nestled within the Ohio Valley and bordered by the Knobs region to the south and heavily wooded areas to the north, Louisville lies near an endless array of hiking opportunities: national forests, state and local parks, and nature preserves. Explore 40 of Louisville’s five-star trails—including the best walking paths and hidden hiking treasures in central Kentucky and southern Indiana. With hikes in this guide divided into five distinct areas, you’ll wind through hilly woodlands, around beautiful lakes, along meandering creeks, and across expansive meadows. Kentucky author and hiking expert Valerie Askren details easy strolls along Louisville’s many paved trails, treks past lovely ponds and fields of wildflowers, and longer hikes traversing densely wooded hills—all offering a broad spectrum of diverse landscapes. Inside you’ll find: Descriptions of 40 five-star hiking trails for all levels and interests Full-color GPS-based trail maps, elevation profiles, and detailed directions to trailheads Insight into the history, flora, and fauna of the routes Ratings for scenery, difficulty, trail condition, solitude, and accessibility for children Save time and make the most of your hiking adventures. Experience the area’s breathtaking scenery, varied terrain, and amazing wildlife. Lace up, grab your pack, and hit the trail!