absolutely essential for hikers, geologists (amature and otherwise)  ,washingtonians.  Great book.
925236
Absolutely an incredible book.  the geology is top notch.  But, seriously,  the detail on the hikes and the road trips are just
amazing.  there are the roadside geology of ..... books.  but this is amazingly better..  i am plotting hotels, hikes, what to carry on almost every page
of the book.  my wife and i hike a lot,  look at geology a lot;  this is by a wide wide margin the best book on this subject that i've ever read.
good for bjornstad.
4496178
Just bought the third edition of 50 Hikes in Northern Virginia and I'm thrilled with what the author has put together. I'm not sure why the previous reviewer complained so much about the choice of hikes, almost all of them are within a couple hours' drive of the DC area. And what great hikes--the ones closest to DC include a walk along Bull Run, in Manassas National Battlefield, and Prince William National Forest. There are the old standbys, like Old Rag and Stony Man in Shenandoah, but also some little known ones a bit further west on Massanutten Mountain and near the Virginia/West Virginia border.

I like that Mr. Adkins hiked all of the trails with a surveyors measuring wheel to insure accurate mileage, and that he provides the total accumulated elevation you will gain--not just the distance from the lowest to the highest point. Best of all, it's just a well written book with lots on info about what you will see and what took place in the area. By far the best of the hiking guides I've bought for this area. The hikes range from short easy ones, to all day jaunts, to extended multi-day trips.
2983345
I really like this book.  It includes hikes within 60 miles of Seattle, which covers a lot of terrain!  Suburban hikes are included, as well as foothills and beach hikes.  Well-written trail descriptions, and whether the hikes are good for kids.  A good reference.
3132280
This is the Bible of outdoorsmen information.  I highly recommend digesting the material before any long trip that involves climbing, mountaineering, extra long backpacking, and high altitude mountain operations. I have been in the outdoors for many years, I have taught multiple outdoors courses, and have used this book to prepare and update my courses.
1222542
This book is a 696-page examination of the geologic life of North America and of those who spend their lives studying this realm. As clearly and pithily written as it is extremely informed, this book is a great popular survey of geology, and a
masterpiece of modern non-fiction.  My only complaint about the books is that there is a plethora of scientific jargon (for example Laramide Orogeny, faulted schist, illite, pyroclastic debris, trona, anticline, and gneiss) which I presume is
hard for an author to get away from given the nature of the material.  Overall, the books read as they were partly a travelogue and partly a tome on American geology. I strongly recommend this book to all.  Annals of the Former World was a book I vastly enjoyed and learned from as well as could imagine myself doing in the future. On the whole, he is thorough enough in his description to pass on all the knowledge he gleaned in a way that is for the most part quite palatable for the non-scientific reader.  It was awarded the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-fiction and I am glad others thought this book held as great an impact as I do.
1230319
We did the walk, the whole thing.  This book was perfect for us, we simply would not have been able to do the walk without this book.  I used it for route planning, equipment planning, hotel reservations, all aspects of our hike were covered in this book.  If your planning on the hike, buy this book, you'll be very glad you did.

Oh, we did the walk when we were in our mid 60's with no real hiking experience before.  It was kind of a lark idea that my wife came up with.  We had no idea of what we were getting into.  That's where the book comes in, the author did know what we were getting into and what we needed to be able to do it.  Well written and organized, good maps, great tips and advice.
379255
The best, by a long margin, hiking reference for San Diego. No need for lengthy reviews, get this book now. A++
620440
I am a hiker, and this book described everything I needed:
the MM on skyline drive to park; difficulty rating (1-8) details of miies, altitude differences, toilets available, water,
views, and interesting things to see along the way.  small enough to take in my back pack.
Loved it!
2076882
A wonderful, modern, discussion of The Mountain.  Enough natural history to keep scientific interest with Native American and European development history.  A must have book for the Puget Sound Region Naturalist.
569645
I bought this book when I decided to hike the official 48 four thousand footers in the White Mountains.  It has proved to be an invaluable aid in my planning and implementing hiking to the top of each. To date I have hiked to the top of 31 of the 48 and hope to complete them all in the upcoming season.  If you are a peakbagger or just want to climb some mountains in the Whites, this is the book to have.  The other book that is a must have is the White Mountain Guide, written by the same two people.
4603675
A classic.  Will be using it on my thru-hike in August '15.  In combination with a recent water report and a detailed map, this is all I'll need.  My copy is already well-highlighted.
2309101
Best guidebook for the Eastern Sierras! Diverse hikes, with lots of key information (e.g. how rough roads are to get to the trailheads), and even some geology/natural history!
33365
I would recommend anyone interested in Geology and, specifically Paleontology, to keep a copy of this book on their desk for easy and accurate reference.  For myself, it is indispensable!
4704196
I've used this book for years now, both for personal hikes and as a Scoutmaster, and I keep going back to it every year.  The biggest problem with hiking and camping in Utah is knowing and choosing where to go among countless options (a nice problem to have).  This guide gives you an insider's knowledge to help make that choice: the best trails described; time and number of days needed for a trail; elevations and feet gained and lost on a trail; best time of year to make the hike; key highlights of the trail; a nice rating system letting us know which trails the writer feels are the most exceptional hikes; and great photography.  It is well organized, first by Northern and Southern Utah, then trails are grouped in the same vicinity, so you'll know what else is close by if you want to plan for more than what one trail requires.

The book is a great read to boot, and it gets me excited to make my next trip.  Finally, the true hallmark of a superior guidebook is when you discover lesser known gems about places you've already visited.  This book is full of such tips--I learned fantastic things about trails near my home town, and even about national parks where I had been and used excellent maps, that I did not know before.  If you plan to hike or camp in any of Utah's back country, your trip will be better with this book as your resource.  Get this book and you'll wear it out.
4568591
It's so important to have such a guide. Few years ago me and two of my friends got lost on hiking trip. It was a very hot day, we ran out of water, the phone had no service and not a soul passed in the area.
Luckily we found our way back at the last minute but it might end in tragedy.
A guide like this can save life and must be among all hiker especially families with children. The book is comprehensive and it written in such organized way so actually can use as a check list before going out.
Very recommended.
4519745
Mr. Adkins' hiking books (all of them, not simply this one) are painstakingly researched and detailed. I've utilized them for 10+ years during weekend adventures around the greater Washington DC area. Nary do I go on a hike without bringing a photocopied map/synopsis of that hike from his book. I HIGHLY recommend purchasing his books if you're looking for a hiking guide in Maryland, Virginia, or elsewhere. Thank you Mr. Adkins for your contribution to the Great Outdoors!

Happy Trails,
4486739
I write trail guides--Hiking North Carolina, Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway, Southern Snow: The Winter Guide to Dixie--books that take a lot of time and passion, but the subject is my back yard. Imagine the effort, persistence, passion, and sheer willpower it took for Synnott to spend years exploring Baffin Island to the depth he has--let alone write what is likely the definitive book on the island. Without demeaning the book, I also know that guidebooks are at times great resources for the casual researcher, whether you're a student, possible visitor, or just interested in a region. If the Arctic is your area of interest--this book is an indispensable resource, one of the key references. If you're a climber or skier, the book is the ONLY resource. No backhand compliment that! This thorough diverse, detailed and stunningly photographed book is exactly what you'd expect from one of the great climbers of our time. Synnott has climbed all over the globe, he's a sought-after guide, and one of The North Face athlete-adventurers. He's also a great writer--a skill that somehow seems to land (lucky for us) on truly great mountaineers (Greg Child comes to mind). That's actually appropriate, when you imagine the scenes these people see, and how important it is that they tell us about it. In Synnott's case, the words and photos in this book measure up to the awesome beauty and allure of his subject.