Hiking Kentucky: Scenic Trails of the Bluegrass State

Each of the books available on Kentucky hiking possesses a different strength. The strength of this guide has to be the volume of hikes described. From Cumberland Gap on the Virginia state line to the Mississippi River in the west, this guide features over 180 hiking trails in Kentucky. The guide covers all of the major hiking areas (and some not so major areas) in the state. Each hike contains a trail map, detailed directions to the trailhead, a black-and-white picture, and a brief description of the hike. Hikes range from 1 to 12 miles in length, with the average at around 4-5. This guide is exclusively devoted to day hikes, but longer hikes are referenced in an appendix. The trail maps are hand-drawn, but since I have personally hiked many of the trails in this guide, I can tell you that most of them are rather accurate. However, they still lack details such as elevation changes, so you probably won't want to venture into one of the more remote areas described here without a better map such as a USGS topo map. Also, the authors have not measured some of the distances very carefully, as I have found some of the distances given in this guide to be somewhat over-stated.In addition to the above, the major drawbacks with this book are the scant amount of information given about each area's geological or cultural history and the lack of detail in the trail descriptions. The author suffices with only 1 paragraph in introducing each hike, and many of the trails receive only 1 or 2 sentences in a description. Also, there is no trail summary at the beginning of the book, so it is not easy to choose a trail to hike.In summary, if I were to own only one guide describing the "greatest" hikes in Kentucky, this would probably NOT be the one. For that purpose, I would recommend "50 Hikes in Kentucky" by Hiram Rogers (a book I have personally read) instead of this book because of its superior trail descriptions, maps, and ease of use. However, if you are looking for a more comprehensive guide to add to your library, this is a well-written, informative guide that deserves serious consideration.

From Cumberland Gap on the Virginia state line to the Mississippi River in the west, this guide features over 180 of the best hiking trails Kentucky has to offer. Each hike contains a trail map, detailed directions to the trailhead, a picture, and a brief description of the hike. Hikes range from 1 to 9 miles in length, covering all of the major hiking areas (and some not so major areas) in the state. Longer hikes are referenced in an appendix. The major drawback is the scant amount of information given about each area's geological or cultural history. Nevertheless, if you are looking for suggested hikes in the bluegrass state (such as I was), this is one of the better resources on the market.