100 Classic Hikes in Arizona

100 hikes, 10 new to this edition, with color photos and maps.

Now includes detailed topographic maps, elevation trail profiles, and a trails-at-a-glance chart indicating distance, level of difficulty, and seasonal considerations.

Includes a mix of trails from easy day trips, to never-dull loop hikes, to more remote long-distance treks. No hiking guide captures the beautifully complex and varied landscape of Arizona like Scott Warren's. Thoroughly updated and expanded with useful topographic maps and elevation trail profiles, this third edition of 100 Classic Hikes in Arizona offers a wide range of the state's most scenic hiking trails. You can stand in a mile deep canyon one day, hike through a saguaro cactus forest the next, and stand on a nearly 10,000 foot "sky island" in the Chiricahua Mountains yet another day. You can hike Lenox Crater, an actual volcano with a nearby lava flow, or lose yourself on Dutchman's Trail, a solitary long distance trek in the fabled Superstition Mountains.

This classic guide gives you the best trails for both day hikes and overnight backpacking trips in the state.

Amazon.com Review
Whether you want to scramble up the parched red rock of Boynton Canyon, soak your weary feet at the base of Havasu Falls, or cross Hidden Valley's desert sands dotted with Saguaro cactus, Arizona has a hike to suit your inclination and ability. Classic Hikes offers 100 choice trails for day hikers and backpackers alike to explore five regions of Arizona, including the Colorado plateau, central highlands, central deserts, southeastern basin and range, and western deserts. The guide features awe-inspiring color photos by the author, along with maps and at-a-glance information that details mileage, hiking time, elevation, seasonal considerations, and contact information. Each trail description contains directions to the trailhead, possible hazards, trail gradation, major junctions, and notable vegetation.

Longing for solitude far from frequently used trails? Warren examines little-known routes where "stone spires, totems, and hoodoos" will surround you, but also covers trails where rafters and "4WD vehicles packed with tourists" become part of the landscape. He also touches on the region's rich history, noting facts about the people who once lived there and the ruins they left behind. In other words, Classic Hikes offers something for everyone ready to explore Arizona's storied past and diverse wilderness. --Jenny Burritt