Guide to the Hiking Areas of New Mexico

I purchased this book in 1996 while moving to attend UNM in New Mexico and learning (by asking) as a fairly new comer where to go and how strenuous the hikes were for a Jersey transplant. While building up my lung capacity on the Sandia Crest hike, I referred to this book over and over again to plan my hikes and really see this beautiful State from the trails. And I still recommend it to those folks traveling to New Mexico for the first or the 10th time. It is the best book written by a local devout hiker and used by local devout hikers. You can not go wrong with this book-it will show your topo maps, truly rate the hikes and give you the details needed to plan, it will be a treasured addition to your library and a good travel companion for beginners and seasoned hikers. Don't forget your water & happy trails, enjoy!!!!

There are several books available on hiking in New Mexico. This was the one I wound up using the most on a recent trip to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Others, such as Parent's book, were also useful and I would therefore suggest having a look at all available guides. However, Hill's work includes legible photocopies of USGS topographic maps, and most of the newer hiking guides tend to feature homemade maps which give the user far less information. In my particular case, the material on trails in and around the Guadalupe Reef was most helpful, as Bill Schneider's recently re-released book on the Guadalupe Mtns and Carlsbad Caverns National Parks doesn't include information on the trails in that part of the Reef in between these two parks, certainly worth visiting for those who are lucky enough to get to this area. That the book is ten years old is an obvious drawback; things happen, even in a state like New Mexico that has so much public land. For example, a very hot fire had burned up most of the north face of Capitan by Roswell, rendering the trail up the NE side pretty faint. But of course, if you're not willing to ask questions of the locals in this fairly genial state, and do a bit of poking about yourself, you probably don't belong in a place with such rough and potentially lethal geography anyway.

My fiancée and I bought this book before we moved to New Mexico in March of 2000. It has proven to be a fantastic guide and we believe that it's the only book you need to explore the state on foot. Well organized by area with great trail descriptions and maps. A wonderful book!