50 Hikes in Ohio: Day Hikes and Backpacks Throughout the Buckeye State

Ramey knows all the obscure places to hike in Ohio and this book 's organization by region lets you see what is availible in your corner of Ohio. The milage is usefull, though the estimated hiking times are a little long in many cases. I may just walk too fast. I think this is book is essential to help find new places to hike, that would otherwise go unexplored.One problem that takes away a star is confusing directions to the trailhead and sometimes on the trail. I try to research places before I go so I have back up directions. However, I'm thrilled that he has written a second book with 50 more hikes.

This book was a gift for my husband who is an avid hiker. Since our home is in Pennsylvania, he is very familiar with local forests, like Allegheny National Forest and Cook Forest. However, Ohio is less then a half hour away, and he needed more information about where to hike and where to take the Boy Scouts for both hikes and camping trips. We never realized Ohio had such wonderful and great sites until we saw this book. The maps and descriptions and information about difficulty of hiking for the various trails are great (except at least one map we used need updating for changes in the path). What is really enjoyed is the historical information given. Sometimes the Scouts need to be given some historical information to make the hiking more interesting, and history always aids in making memories. For an example in the section on Beaver Creek State Park there are a bunch of old locks and damns. One of the locks on the canal was named after the daughter of a worker on the canal who died. Her casket was buried in the lock, and when the worker was finished in Ohio he dug up the casket to take it back to his country. The ship sunk on the ocean and both the worker and the casket were never retrieved. This type of story makes the history of the time period more accessible to both the Scouts and to anyone who is hiking in the area. It certainly is a good reminder of how easy our lives are compared to the 1800's... Great reference book. Karen Sadler University of Pittsburgh

This book features some of the best hiking Ohio has to offer. The hikes range in distance from 1.6 miles to over 20 miles, thus accomodating hikers of every ability. Each hike contains a detailed description of the trail, a trail map, usually taken for the USGS maps, and directions to the trailhead. Ramey has a very warm, friendly writing style. In addition, his considerable experience in hiking and wildlife management makes Ramey the perfect guide for the trail. This book is an essential part of the library of any Ohio hiker.