I don’t often use books to plan travel, but here are some I find useful.

My Books

I’ve written three books about day hiking to the very best views in a given state.  Each is available through Amazon.com as a physical book and ebook.

A View Junkie’s Guide to Dayhiking Colorado

Amazon

This guide takes day hikers through some of the best of Colorado’s scenery…from the towering peaks of the Sawatch Range to the grassy Flat Tops…from the tundra of Rocky Mountain National Park to the famed spires of the Maroon Bells…and from the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains to the dark depths of Black Canyon of the Gunnison. With detailed descriptions of over 30 hikes and options for nearly 30 more, plus pictures of each hike to whet your appetite, this book is for both the causal and adventurous hiker who longs for views.

A View Junkie’s Peak Identification Guide While Dayhiking Colorado

Amazon

This companion guide identifies the peaks seen from the hikes in A View Junkie’s Guide to Dayhiking Colorado.

A View Junkie’s Guide to Dayhiking Washington

Amazon

This guide takes day hikers through some of the best of Washington’s scenery… from the towering cone of Mt. Baker to the grassy Summer Blossom ridgeline… from the beaches and sea stacks of Olympic National Park to the meadows of Mt. Rainier National Park… and from the craggy canyons and lakes of North Cascades National Park to rugged, nearly unknown Teanaway Peaks. With detailed descriptions of over 30 hikes and options for nearly 60 more, plus pictures of each hike to whet your appetite, this book is for both the causal and adventurous hiker who longs for views.

A View Junkie’s Guide to Wyoming Dayhiking

Amazon

This guide takes day hikers through some of the best of Wyoming’s scenery… from the towering crags of the Tetons to the rounded grasslands of the Black Hills… from Yellowstone’s colorful hot springs and geysers to the pristine lakes of the Medicine Bow Range… and from strolls around Devils Tower to the wild and nearly untouched depths of the Wind River Mountains. With nearly 50 trails and over 175 trail options and photos for each hike, this book is for both the novice and adventurous hiker who enjoys views.

More books coming soon!

Other Books (Travel)

Ramble On: A History of Hiking by Jeffrey J. Doran. Studies the roots and development of hiking, trails, national parks, hiking gear and apparel, and more.  See my review here.

Hidden Gems of the Western United States by Daniel Gillaspia.  Beyond the fact that I got a couple pictures in this one (yay!), it’s just a great idea book for places you may never have heard of… and a few you mostly likely have.

John Fielder’s Best of Colorado.  See my review here.

Yosemite National Park: A Complete Hikers Guide by Jeffery P. Schaffer.  This book has many longer backpacking trails, but it also includes a good number of day hikable trails.  There are so many trails in this book that you get to pick and choose!

Many travel guides are available at your local library.  Check them out!

Other Books (Fiction / Good Reads)

Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey.  Although the book at times is too gory / bitter / angry for my taste, it’s still a classic and passionate true tale of a man’s days as a ranger in Arches National Park before it became popular.

Forest Patrol by Jim Kjelgaard.  A young man lands the job of his dreams when asked to be forest ranger of a district for a year.  Note: Don’t read if you’re a conservationist.  Many aspects of the book reflect current thought of the 1940s.