Hiking North Carolina: A Guide to Nearly 500 of North Carolina's Greatest Hiking Trails

If you want a detailed, rock-by-rock guide to the AP, this book is not for you. However, if you're a casual hiker like my wife and I, this book allows you to carefully evaluate (before it's too late!!) the various hiking opportunities throughout the state. We use it 3-4 times a year, and it has saved us grief, time, and frustration, by getting us to places that are suitable for us.I've got a big railfan guide on the net, and I know how time-consuming a book like this must be to put together -- hundreds and hundreds of hours of on the ground research. This book is a terrific bargain -- worth every penny and then lots more.

In my experience the quality of Falcon Guides varies quite a bit. However, this one ranks near the top of that list in terms of quality & information. This book has hikes for all sorts of people...whether you want a casual stroll to a waterfall or an overnighter on the southern balds. You'll get detailed information on elevation gain, mileage, and trailhead access. A few things could be better though. Having read many a mountain climbing guide with topo maps I'd think such an addition to this book would be a good one. In addition, the water availability section almost always say 'better to bring your own'. Well with all due respect to the author I refuse to carry 3 days worth of water. I've hiked the longer routes described in this book and have always found enough water along the way though that has been through other guide books. One book I strongly recommend for the appalachian trail in the south, including north carolina, is Exploring the Appalachian Trail:The southern appalachians. Its far more detailed and includes topo maps + water availability, and detailed mile by mile description of the routes.

This book has wonderful text describing the hiking trail. Right on the mark! Good directions to trail heads and sketches of maps.

The author brings the trails to life with vivid descriptions, plenty of useful facts, and many high quality (for a paperback) black & white photographs. Each trail description is accompanied by a sketch map that clearly shows the trail and is especially helpful for finding the trailhead. You'll need to buy your own topo maps, however, for all but the shortest hikes. Good references help you locate the best maps for each hike.I really like this guide, but there's room for improvement in the next edition. The Appalachian Trail and Great Smoky Mountains aren't covered nearly as thoroughly as the other hiking opportunities. And the order in which the trails are listed is a bit haphazard. Overall, though, it's a winner.