Rocky Mountain National Park Dayhiker's Guide

by Jerome Malitz

Book Overview

From flora and fauna to the geology and history of Rocky Mountain National Park, author Jerome Malitz takes the dayhiker through incredible hikes of breathtaking Colorado backcountry. The succinct trail descriptions and colorful photographs are a welcomed companion to any hiker. All hikes described (except Longs Peak) require less than 4,000 feet elevation gain and a total round trip distance of no more than ten miles. For this revised edition, the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1555663400
• ISBN13: 9781555663407
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Bower House
• Length: 141 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

perfect addition

I just purchased the Rocky Mountain Nation Park Map. This booklet offers a great addition for a third person view. I've yet to visit the park so these reviews offer a good glimps of whats to come. I look forward to making my backpaing trip there.

EXCELLENT BOOK

A great guide! Very good photos of each area. Includes topo maps of each trail. Very informative.

Good book, but maps would help

Really liked this book. Displays elevation at destination, altitude gain, distance one way, and which trailhead to use at the beginning of each trail description. Lots of full color photos make it easy to tell your in the right place, but can take away a bit from the element of surprise for what you're going to see when you go there. Only one map in the book, so the purchase of a trail map may also be in order. All in all a good book with short, concise descriptions of trails and what can be seen from them, as well as precautions about altitude, exposure, and other concerns.

Fine Introduction to the Rocky Mountain Backcountry

This is an outstanding introduction for those preparing to shun the automobile for the Rocky Mountain National Park backcountry. In a brief 140 pages Jerome Malitz delivers a superb overview of 33 park trails and destinations. Malitz's introduction includes a nice survey of park flora and fauna, geology and history. There is also a concise overview of precautions before heading into the backcountry. (I've hiked extenstivley in RMNP and strongly advise heeding Malitz's cautions. However inviting the scenery and innocent appearing the trail, RMNP is not Disney World. People, especially those who casually head down the trail without forethought, can get into trouble.) Information on destinations is logically grouped by sections corresponding to general areas of the park. Each section begins with a very legible, color USGS topographical map with trails and campsites marked. Within each section, Malitz gives a nice description of the trail including the trailhead of choice, distance, altitude gain and elevation at the destination. Narrative is punctuated by color photography of key landmarks.This is a fine primer on RMNP backcountry and will whet the appetite of any who are ready to see what is beyond Trailridge Road or the parking lot. (For readers ready for the next level of detail, I also recommend Dannen's "Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park" (8th Ed.). Together, these two books provide the maps, photography, narrative and detail to send you on your way with zeal and confidence.

A good source of information for planning a visit

Not bad. Each hiking trail has 2 to 3 pages written about it and a couple of color pictures. The length (in miles), point to start, and elevation change is listed for each trail. We have two small children and are using this book to plan our visit to the park so we don't go to the wrong area. The shortest trail listed is 0.1 miles and the longest is 16 miles (round trip). The highlights of each trail (water fall, lake, view, etc.) are briefly described. I am happy I bought it but the maps are cut up (to cover each individual area of the park)so prior to visiting the park I still will need to purchase an overall map of the park.