“60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: St. Louis”

People frequently ask me how did I find “that place” or decide to walk a certain trail.  There are many different ways, of course, between social media, word of mouth, my own experience, internet searches, etc.  However, for today’s post, I want to discuss a great book that I frequently use for trails close to home.  The book, “60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: St. Louis”, is one of my favorite references.  I actually think that I bought the book as a gift to Debbie for her birthday or something after we had a great family hiking experience in Rocky Mountain National Park.  I was just sure that she would use it to plan future hiking trips closer to home.  While I am not sure she has picked it up since, except maybe to move it off the kitchen table or somewhere else I may have left it, I use it all the time.

 

The book was written by Steve Henry, who and his writing style is entertaining and easy to follow.  This is actually part of a series of books published by Menasha Ridge Press.  Quoting their own Forward, the series is “designed to provide hikers with information needed to find and hike the very best trails surrounding cities usually underserved by such guidebooks”.  It sounds like the editors sought out an experienced hiker from the area, asked him to research and explore the area trails, and write down the experiences to clearly explain his experiences, then published his accounts for the rest of us to use in our explorations.  I think it is a fantastic recipe.

 

The book begins with hiking recommendations, and lists trails by mileage, hikes suitable for children, flat hikes, steep hikes, remote hikes, less-busy trails, trails for wildlife viewing, scenic hikes, etc. After a brief primer on general hiking do’s and don’ts, it jumps right into 60 different hiking locations grouped by general area.  Each location has a description of the trail or trails for the specific area, general key information at a glance, directions to get there, and a clear map. After providing specific information about each trail, including the author’s preferences and opinions, there is usually a section of nearby activities to consider lumping in with the area.  I find the descriptions very helpful, and have taken Mr. Henry’s suggestions on which trail to try for a specific area or even which direction to take the trail.  So far he has not let me down.  In fact, as I have mentioned, I made a list of 60 trails to hike by September 1 and I think most of them are the same locations listed in the book, even if I have already walked them before.

 

While there are many options out there, I encourage you to pick up a copy of this book.  Looks like it was listed at $17.95.  Please note, I don’t know anyone involved with this book and I don’t get anything in return for my endorsement.  I’m just trying to share something that has been useful for me.  I do use the Alltrails App as well for both near and far, and will review that some other day.

 

Thanks for reading!  Feel free to share other books or websites that are helpful to you in the comments below.