What do you think?
Rate this book
A Walk in the Park
* Winner of the 2024 National Outdoor Book Award in Outdoor Literature * Winner of the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction * Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, Air Mail, Smithsonian Magazine, and Financial Times
“A triumph. Fedarko doesn’t describe awe; he induces it.” —The New York Times Book Review * “Passionate…memorable…life-affirming.” —The Wall Street Journal
This New York Times bestseller from the author of The Emerald Mile is a rollicking and poignant account of an epic 750-mile odyssey, on foot, through the heart of the Grand Canyon.
Two friends, zero preparation, one dream. A few years after quitting his job to pursue an ill-advised dream of becoming a whitewater guide on the Colorado River, Kevin Fedarko was approached by his best friend, National Geographic photographer Pete McBride, with a vision as bold as it was harebrained. Together, they would embark on an end-to-end traverse of the Grand Canyon—a journey that, McBride promised, would be “a walk in the park.” Against his better judgment, Fedarko agreed, unaware that the small cluster of experts who had actually completed the crossing billed it as “the toughest hike in the world.”
The ensuing ordeal, which lasted more than a year, revealed a place that was deeper, richer, and far more complex than anything the two men had imagined—and came within a hair’s breadth of killing them both. They struggled to make their way through the all-but impenetrable reaches of the canyon’s truest wilderness, a vertical labyrinth of thousand-foot cliffs and crumbling ledges where water is measured out by the teaspoon and every step is fraught with peril—and where, even today, there is still no trail spanning the length of the country’s best-known and most iconic landmark.
Along the way, veteran long-distance hikers ushered them into secret pockets of enchantment, invisible to the millions of tourists gathered on the rim, that only a handful of humans have ever seen. Members of the canyon’s eleven Native American tribes brought them face-to-face with layers of history that forced them to reconsider myths at the very center of our national parks—and exposed them to the threats of commercial tourism. Even Fedarko’s dying father, who had first pointed him toward the chasm more than forty years earlier but had never set foot there himself, opened him to a new way of seeing the landscape.
And always, there was the great gorge austere and unforgiving, yet suffused with magic, drenched in wonder, and redeemed by its own transcendent beauty. A singular portrait of a sublime place, A Walk in the Park is a deeply moving plea for the preservation of America’s greatest natural treasure.
“A triumph. Fedarko doesn’t describe awe; he induces it.” —The New York Times Book Review * “Passionate…memorable…life-affirming.” —The Wall Street Journal
This New York Times bestseller from the author of The Emerald Mile is a rollicking and poignant account of an epic 750-mile odyssey, on foot, through the heart of the Grand Canyon.
Two friends, zero preparation, one dream. A few years after quitting his job to pursue an ill-advised dream of becoming a whitewater guide on the Colorado River, Kevin Fedarko was approached by his best friend, National Geographic photographer Pete McBride, with a vision as bold as it was harebrained. Together, they would embark on an end-to-end traverse of the Grand Canyon—a journey that, McBride promised, would be “a walk in the park.” Against his better judgment, Fedarko agreed, unaware that the small cluster of experts who had actually completed the crossing billed it as “the toughest hike in the world.”
The ensuing ordeal, which lasted more than a year, revealed a place that was deeper, richer, and far more complex than anything the two men had imagined—and came within a hair’s breadth of killing them both. They struggled to make their way through the all-but impenetrable reaches of the canyon’s truest wilderness, a vertical labyrinth of thousand-foot cliffs and crumbling ledges where water is measured out by the teaspoon and every step is fraught with peril—and where, even today, there is still no trail spanning the length of the country’s best-known and most iconic landmark.
Along the way, veteran long-distance hikers ushered them into secret pockets of enchantment, invisible to the millions of tourists gathered on the rim, that only a handful of humans have ever seen. Members of the canyon’s eleven Native American tribes brought them face-to-face with layers of history that forced them to reconsider myths at the very center of our national parks—and exposed them to the threats of commercial tourism. Even Fedarko’s dying father, who had first pointed him toward the chasm more than forty years earlier but had never set foot there himself, opened him to a new way of seeing the landscape.
And always, there was the great gorge austere and unforgiving, yet suffused with magic, drenched in wonder, and redeemed by its own transcendent beauty. A singular portrait of a sublime place, A Walk in the Park is a deeply moving plea for the preservation of America’s greatest natural treasure.
Audible Audio
First published May 28, 2024
5444 people are currently reading
35049 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Fedarko
7 books312 followersKevin Fedarko lives in northern New Mexico and works as a part-time river guide in Grand Canyon National Park. In addition to his travel narratives in Outside, where he worked as a senior editor, Fedarko’s work has appeared in Esquire, National Geographic Adventure, and other publications, and has been anthologized in The Best American Travel Writing in 2004 and 2006. Fedarko was a staff writer at Time magazine from 1991 to 1997, where his work helped garner an Overseas Press Club Award for a story on the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. Fedarko earned a Masters of Philosophy in Russian history at Oxford in 1990. His 2013 release, The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon, won a NOBA- a National Outdoor Book Award.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,220 reviews
November 10, 2024
My favorite quote about reading is by Kevin Ansbro: A book should grab you by the lapels and kiss you into tomorrow. Kevin Fedarko's, A Walk in the Park, grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. I listened to Fedarko narrate this incredible journey on audiobook.
I recently read Fedarko's book, The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon and could not put it down. His writing style is captivating and descriptive with thorough research. The fast pace of both books kept me continually engaged.
A month ago, a friend and I hiked the Grand Canyon from the North Rim to the South Rim. Our goal was to complete it in one day, despite the signs in the Grand Canyon and all the information on the internet that recommends spending one night in the Canyon. We ended up spending one unplanned night in the Canyon.
A Walk in the Park is Fedarko's experience spending one year in the Grand Canyon hiking without trails. Lots of lessons learned!
I highly recommend it!
I recently read Fedarko's book, The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon and could not put it down. His writing style is captivating and descriptive with thorough research. The fast pace of both books kept me continually engaged.
A month ago, a friend and I hiked the Grand Canyon from the North Rim to the South Rim. Our goal was to complete it in one day, despite the signs in the Grand Canyon and all the information on the internet that recommends spending one night in the Canyon. We ended up spending one unplanned night in the Canyon.
A Walk in the Park is Fedarko's experience spending one year in the Grand Canyon hiking without trails. Lots of lessons learned!
I highly recommend it!
July 3, 2024
This is certainly one of the BEST non-fiction books I've read this year. . .in my top 10 for sure!
The author, Kevin Fedarko and his good buddy Pete McBride (a National Geographic photographer) decide that a hike through the Grand Canyon was just the thing to fill in the bare spots on their calendars. This would be a thorough hike - from start to finish - and had rarely if ever been completely done, by live people. That is, as in still living. Yes, there are some dark shades in this read.
The plan is Kevin will write a book about it. Pete will take the pictures, and they will both take care of each other. Documented is the birth of the idea, the research, the team gathering, the support building, fund finding, and then the first steps on to the path as the delivery team drives away with encouraging cheers. They are on their own.
The author entertains, amuses, appalls, overshares and gets down and gritty with historical outrages as he steps foot on land that hasn't been stepped on in ages. Literally. From scavenging for dinner, to being taken into deep history by surprise indigenous team members, to eye-to-eye moments with unexpected creatures, readers are pulled right along with the hikers. Captivated by this travel tale, hanging off rocks, sliding down inclines, the wide-ranging thought process of the author waxed lyrical in surprisingly right places. He's full of history, telling both sides of the story - of the whites who "discovered" the place and then have spent the next few centuries exploring it. Then swings to the other side - the people who lived here in the cracks and crannies, for millennia - who called it home until they left - for reasons unknown, and then in later days for reasons shamefully known.
Along the hike's winding dangerous path were so many close calls, so thirsty, cold, hurt, stung, stabbed, burnt, dazzled, charmed, harmed and utterly spent. They were out in the Wild and in the beauty of all that red, orange, yellow, marbled layered world - as I read I could just about hear their crunching footfalls, deep breathing while the rustling of their packs carried up the echoes bouncing up the surfaces. Transported. That's what I was. An incredible gift as I will never be able to go there myself.
*A sincere thank you to Kevin Fedarko, Scribner, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*
The author, Kevin Fedarko and his good buddy Pete McBride (a National Geographic photographer) decide that a hike through the Grand Canyon was just the thing to fill in the bare spots on their calendars. This would be a thorough hike - from start to finish - and had rarely if ever been completely done, by live people. That is, as in still living. Yes, there are some dark shades in this read.
The plan is Kevin will write a book about it. Pete will take the pictures, and they will both take care of each other. Documented is the birth of the idea, the research, the team gathering, the support building, fund finding, and then the first steps on to the path as the delivery team drives away with encouraging cheers. They are on their own.
The author entertains, amuses, appalls, overshares and gets down and gritty with historical outrages as he steps foot on land that hasn't been stepped on in ages. Literally. From scavenging for dinner, to being taken into deep history by surprise indigenous team members, to eye-to-eye moments with unexpected creatures, readers are pulled right along with the hikers. Captivated by this travel tale, hanging off rocks, sliding down inclines, the wide-ranging thought process of the author waxed lyrical in surprisingly right places. He's full of history, telling both sides of the story - of the whites who "discovered" the place and then have spent the next few centuries exploring it. Then swings to the other side - the people who lived here in the cracks and crannies, for millennia - who called it home until they left - for reasons unknown, and then in later days for reasons shamefully known.
Along the hike's winding dangerous path were so many close calls, so thirsty, cold, hurt, stung, stabbed, burnt, dazzled, charmed, harmed and utterly spent. They were out in the Wild and in the beauty of all that red, orange, yellow, marbled layered world - as I read I could just about hear their crunching footfalls, deep breathing while the rustling of their packs carried up the echoes bouncing up the surfaces. Transported. That's what I was. An incredible gift as I will never be able to go there myself.
*A sincere thank you to Kevin Fedarko, Scribner, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*
May 23, 2024
At the start of this story, I just thought it was simply a story of taking on a through hike of the Grand Canyon. What I was not prepared for was the intricate details and imagery painted by the author. The history of the tribes within the grand canyon, and the details of their struggles, cultures, beliefs and hope for the future were so inspiring. I hope everyone takes a moment to read this book and to appreciate the greatness of the canyon.
July 21, 2024
If I'd had a dollar for each time I yelled "Oh, fuck off" while reading this, I'd have been making a living wage.
June 20, 2024
I’m clearly in the minority in not falling in love with this book. The stop and start between the hike, the historical detail and the author’s personal sidebars dragged for me. I kept waiting to be swept up and carried to the end. Alas it didn’t happen. I love true adventure stories with momentum & this one fell
short.
short.
October 6, 2024
5 🥾🥾🥾🥾🥾
This story provided way more than I was expecting except the hard copy photographs, some of which can be viewed at hiking partner/photographer/filmmaker Pete McBride’s website
https://petemcbride.com/photography/g...
or in his book The Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim.
Seriously breathtaking images.
Without going there, this book will help you see it through their eyes and experience.
I had NO idea what it meant to hike the entire 750 miles of Grand Canyon National Park—one of the hardest things you can do on earth.
I laughed, I cried, I got angry. I was totally in love with their misadventure and so sad to have the journey come to an end. The author's narration was excellent and most entertaining.
But wait! For the abridged version there’s a documentary film (currently showing on Disney+).
View the trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu2Fp...
This story provided way more than I was expecting except the hard copy photographs, some of which can be viewed at hiking partner/photographer/filmmaker Pete McBride’s website
https://petemcbride.com/photography/g...
or in his book The Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim.
Seriously breathtaking images.
Without going there, this book will help you see it through their eyes and experience.
I had NO idea what it meant to hike the entire 750 miles of Grand Canyon National Park—one of the hardest things you can do on earth.
I laughed, I cried, I got angry. I was totally in love with their misadventure and so sad to have the journey come to an end. The author's narration was excellent and most entertaining.
But wait! For the abridged version there’s a documentary film (currently showing on Disney+).
View the trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu2Fp...
March 30, 2024
This book is a disappointment (at least for me, not for some others). It strikes me as a wannabe Bill Bryson “A Walk In The Woods” without the humor (although there are numerous attempts at being humorous, but most fall flat) nor the engaging writing style. I had high hopes for this book as I am a fan of the Grand Canyon, but alas it was not to be.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
July 11, 2025
The Grand Canyon. Magnificent views. Old Indian lands. Some venture down to the river along one of the trails. Some start at the north rim and hike to the south rim. A 24 mile Rim to Rim is a pretty rigorous hike. But these two, a writer and a photographer, take on 235 miles through the canyon along the river east to west. There is no trail so they map out their own plan. It’s 750 miles. They’ll go up and down along the cliffs and crevaces. They’ll need regular water sources. More people have walked on the moon than done this. And they were amateurs.
March 8, 2025
3.5 stars. I liked that the author included relevant history about the area, from everything to cave drawings and ancient civilizations to the terrible way that Native American tribes have been and continue to be treated. I would say this side of his writing made up close to half the book, the other half of course being his sectional hikes.
July 18, 2024
This went on a little too long towards the end (much like the actual hike in the book, I guess), but this was an enjoyable read, albeit not aspirational in the way of big hike books like Wild or A Walk in the Woods…basically, don’t try to hike the entire length of the Grans Canyon, you will probably die trying (and I honestly can’t believe these guys didn’t). Nevertheless, I did appreciate the humility and thoughtfulness of Kevin Fedarko’s reflections on the trip, and his attention to the history and present concerns of the Native tribes in and around the canyon also felt like an important corrective to canonical Southwest texts like Desert Solitaire.
May 29, 2024
More than 6 million people visit the Grand Canyon each year, and yet it remains a beautiful mystery. A Walk In The Park is the story of a year long journey along the length of the canyon through the interior and up and down the vertical walls. A 750 mile path. Limited access to water. No through trail. Together with his photographer friend they encounter long-lost Native American ruins, the remains of Old West prospectors’ camps, present day tribal activists, and signs that commercial tourism is impinging on the park’s remote wildness.
An epic adventure, action-packed survival tale, and a deep spiritual journey, A Walk in the Park gives an inside look at the Grand Canyon and all the wonders within.
This book!!! So good! It's everything I wanted to read. Last year I read Brave The Wild River which was about a journey along the Colorado River. I loved it. I never thought the Grand Canyon is something I'd be so interested in. But reading A Walk In The Park you can't help being amazed at it. I've never been there but through Kevin Fedarko's writing I feel a little bit closer and have gained an understanding. The descriptions are breathtaking, seriously great nature writing. I took a long time reading this book. It's over 500 pages but I also wanted to soak in every detail. It was a long trek so why not a long read. But it was never, never boring or slow. How could it be when there was action and drama. It was also funny. Just wait until you read about how the trip came about. Don't skip the footnotes. Those are also fun.
A Walk In The Park is nature writing, adventure, survival, and history all rolled into one. It's such an interesting book. I learned so much. Within the first 20% of the book I had looked up names, places, events. Many other books have now been added to my TBR.
I've found my top read of the year and can't wait to get a physical copy. A Walk In The Park is available now. Thank you so much to Scribner Books and Netgalley for the chance to read!
An epic adventure, action-packed survival tale, and a deep spiritual journey, A Walk in the Park gives an inside look at the Grand Canyon and all the wonders within.
This book!!! So good! It's everything I wanted to read. Last year I read Brave The Wild River which was about a journey along the Colorado River. I loved it. I never thought the Grand Canyon is something I'd be so interested in. But reading A Walk In The Park you can't help being amazed at it. I've never been there but through Kevin Fedarko's writing I feel a little bit closer and have gained an understanding. The descriptions are breathtaking, seriously great nature writing. I took a long time reading this book. It's over 500 pages but I also wanted to soak in every detail. It was a long trek so why not a long read. But it was never, never boring or slow. How could it be when there was action and drama. It was also funny. Just wait until you read about how the trip came about. Don't skip the footnotes. Those are also fun.
A Walk In The Park is nature writing, adventure, survival, and history all rolled into one. It's such an interesting book. I learned so much. Within the first 20% of the book I had looked up names, places, events. Many other books have now been added to my TBR.
I've found my top read of the year and can't wait to get a physical copy. A Walk In The Park is available now. Thank you so much to Scribner Books and Netgalley for the chance to read!
June 16, 2024
I enjoyed the sections about the trip itself but really got bogged down in the expansive history and details about the Grand Canyon itself. Appreciate the history but was looking for a more personal account.
July 5, 2024
3.5 stars rounded down.
In 2015, journalist Kevin Fedarko and photographer Pete McBride began a 750 mile hike thru the interior of the Grand Canyon, with some support in exchange for profiling their journey in National Geographic magazine (here's a NatGeo article about their journey). In addition the NatGeo pieces and social media fodder, their hike has produced a photo book (McBride's The Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim) published in 2018, and now, this 2024 512 page book/15 hour audiobook. Not many people have completed the 750 mile Grand Canyon hike (around 2 dozen as of 2015), and even fewer have completed the journey in one uninterrupted stretch. Fedarko and McBride were woefully unprepared during the start of their hike, packing way too heavily and not being physically fit enough to keep pace with their much more experienced hiking group, and they both had to be medically evacuated after a few weeks (this part reminded me quite a bit of Cheryl Strayed's lack of preparation for her Pacific Crest Trail hike in Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail). They took some time off, heeded advice from more experienced hikers, and resumed their journey through the fall, winter and spring of 2015-2016, sometimes as a duo and sometimes with a group. In the end, in a paradoxical move, Fedarko chose to leave a small segment of the hike incomplete so he would not be added to the completion list.
This book is definitely interesting and eye-opening. In terms of pacing, I felt like the book dragged on too long and got sidetracked by many tangents. Fedarko explores the history of the Grand Canyon pretty extensively, including the Native American tribes for whom the Grand Canyon are their ancestral lands, the ongoing battles between Native Americans and the US government and developers over land rights, the current state of the canyon in terms of ecotourism, and other hikers who've successfully or unsuccessfully hiked the canyon (including several who've died in their attempt).
Personally, I visited the Grand Canyon on a family vacation when I was around 6 years old, and I remember being hot, miserable, and not impressed. Our Grand Canyon visit consisted largely of driving to a few curated tourist overlooks and peering at the canyon over the guardrail; we didn't opt for rafting, hiking, or horseback riding into the canyon. It's not a very accessible park to people who don't want to venture into the canyons (and venturing into the canyons if you're not prepared/experienced has many risks, as Fedarko outlines -- both to yourself, to rescue workers who risk their lives to come to your aid in a Medevac emergency, and long-term environmental risks to the canyon's unique ecosystem). I've personally found some of the red rock National Parks of Utah to be a much better, more accessible experience for those of us less athletically-inclined.
Further reading - American journeys/the American West/hiking (in roughly chronological order):
Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America by Linda Lawrence Hunt
Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa Sevigny
Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery
Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey (a book I started but couldn't finish)
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck
Dear Bob and Sue by Matt and Karen Smith
The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-mile Horseback Journey into the Old West by Will Grant
Ghost Town Living: Mining for Purpose and Chasing Dreams at the Edge of Death Valley by Brent Underwood
My statistics:
Book 143 for 2024
Book 1746 cumulatively
In 2015, journalist Kevin Fedarko and photographer Pete McBride began a 750 mile hike thru the interior of the Grand Canyon, with some support in exchange for profiling their journey in National Geographic magazine (here's a NatGeo article about their journey). In addition the NatGeo pieces and social media fodder, their hike has produced a photo book (McBride's The Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim) published in 2018, and now, this 2024 512 page book/15 hour audiobook. Not many people have completed the 750 mile Grand Canyon hike (around 2 dozen as of 2015), and even fewer have completed the journey in one uninterrupted stretch. Fedarko and McBride were woefully unprepared during the start of their hike, packing way too heavily and not being physically fit enough to keep pace with their much more experienced hiking group, and they both had to be medically evacuated after a few weeks (this part reminded me quite a bit of Cheryl Strayed's lack of preparation for her Pacific Crest Trail hike in Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail). They took some time off, heeded advice from more experienced hikers, and resumed their journey through the fall, winter and spring of 2015-2016, sometimes as a duo and sometimes with a group. In the end, in a paradoxical move, Fedarko chose to leave a small segment of the hike incomplete so he would not be added to the completion list.
This book is definitely interesting and eye-opening. In terms of pacing, I felt like the book dragged on too long and got sidetracked by many tangents. Fedarko explores the history of the Grand Canyon pretty extensively, including the Native American tribes for whom the Grand Canyon are their ancestral lands, the ongoing battles between Native Americans and the US government and developers over land rights, the current state of the canyon in terms of ecotourism, and other hikers who've successfully or unsuccessfully hiked the canyon (including several who've died in their attempt).
Personally, I visited the Grand Canyon on a family vacation when I was around 6 years old, and I remember being hot, miserable, and not impressed. Our Grand Canyon visit consisted largely of driving to a few curated tourist overlooks and peering at the canyon over the guardrail; we didn't opt for rafting, hiking, or horseback riding into the canyon. It's not a very accessible park to people who don't want to venture into the canyons (and venturing into the canyons if you're not prepared/experienced has many risks, as Fedarko outlines -- both to yourself, to rescue workers who risk their lives to come to your aid in a Medevac emergency, and long-term environmental risks to the canyon's unique ecosystem). I've personally found some of the red rock National Parks of Utah to be a much better, more accessible experience for those of us less athletically-inclined.
Further reading - American journeys/the American West/hiking (in roughly chronological order):
Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America by Linda Lawrence Hunt
Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa Sevigny
Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery
Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey (a book I started but couldn't finish)
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck
Dear Bob and Sue by Matt and Karen Smith
The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-mile Horseback Journey into the Old West by Will Grant
Ghost Town Living: Mining for Purpose and Chasing Dreams at the Edge of Death Valley by Brent Underwood
My statistics:
Book 143 for 2024
Book 1746 cumulatively
August 14, 2024
I enjoyed the first two-thirds of this book but the last third was a slog. I dreaded going back to it. I ended up listening to it at 1.5 speed just to get through it and be done.
Several things ruined it for me. The most profound was that it turned into a sanctimonious heavy-handed rant against the commercialization of the Grand Canyon. Of course his point is valid but his diatribe against the helicopter tours was tedious and tiresome and felt neverending. I wish an editor or friend or someone had helped him to see that making his point and moving on would be more effective.
Minor irritations: he hiked with his friend Pete and in the audiobook he used a comical Beavis and Butt-Head voice that was fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Finally he used too many overblown metaphors. I get that it’s very difficult to try to capture the grandeur and majesty of the Grand Canyon but simple is better.
That said the part of the book where he focused on and described the through-hike itself was very enjoyable. He was honest and forthright about the many mistakes he and his friend made due to their naïveté and lack of preparation. He was appropriately grateful for the help and support others supplied and gracious in acknowledging their efforts. Despite the sometimes overly florid language he did a very good job of describing the richness and variation of the Grand Canyon while providing insight into its history and its significant role in the lives of the indigenous Native Americans.
Several things ruined it for me. The most profound was that it turned into a sanctimonious heavy-handed rant against the commercialization of the Grand Canyon. Of course his point is valid but his diatribe against the helicopter tours was tedious and tiresome and felt neverending. I wish an editor or friend or someone had helped him to see that making his point and moving on would be more effective.
Minor irritations: he hiked with his friend Pete and in the audiobook he used a comical Beavis and Butt-Head voice that was fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Finally he used too many overblown metaphors. I get that it’s very difficult to try to capture the grandeur and majesty of the Grand Canyon but simple is better.
That said the part of the book where he focused on and described the through-hike itself was very enjoyable. He was honest and forthright about the many mistakes he and his friend made due to their naïveté and lack of preparation. He was appropriately grateful for the help and support others supplied and gracious in acknowledging their efforts. Despite the sometimes overly florid language he did a very good job of describing the richness and variation of the Grand Canyon while providing insight into its history and its significant role in the lives of the indigenous Native Americans.
June 23, 2024
“Who are these Clowns” as in title of Chapter 10
A poorly designed and executed endeavor doing great disservice to the sublime natural wonder it claims to be honoring. As in Chapter 10. Ham handed writing style as well. We and the Canyon deserve something much more Grand. Really 0 instead of 1 star.
A poorly designed and executed endeavor doing great disservice to the sublime natural wonder it claims to be honoring. As in Chapter 10. Ham handed writing style as well. We and the Canyon deserve something much more Grand. Really 0 instead of 1 star.
August 6, 2024
I really want to rate this book more highly, as the information about the Canyon in deep and insightful. BUT, I just hate books that expect the reader to admire the unpreparedness, and ignorance of the main characters in the wilderness. Cheryl Strayed book has the same criticism. I don't really need to know you're a doofus.
October 10, 2024
Like the canyon through which its author trekked, "A Walk in the Park" meanders intransigently. There is a central plot, but it is often so obscured by side stories and tangents that by the time the book returns to its central story, the reader has to go back several pages to recall salient details from the previous section. I thought the book's central premise was promising, but ultimately I put it down before finishing (not unlike most hikers who attempt a through hike of the Grand Canyon like the one Fedarko embarked upon).
Fedarko uses similes liberally. In the beginning, they pop with color and light up the scene. But after a while, his semantic pattern becomes rote and the similes loose their power. The Grand Canyon's beauty and grandeur are worthy of superlative praise, but Fedarko's descriptions fall flat after a few chapters.
Despite my grumblings with the writing, I do think Fedarko is on to something here. When he tells the story of the canyon's history (both geological and sociological), his descriptions are always vivid and compelling. I loved learning about the eminent men and women whose histories are intertwined with the rock. "A Walk in the Park" is at its best when it is performing as a quick, accessible history of the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, those moments are too fleeting.
Fedarko uses similes liberally. In the beginning, they pop with color and light up the scene. But after a while, his semantic pattern becomes rote and the similes loose their power. The Grand Canyon's beauty and grandeur are worthy of superlative praise, but Fedarko's descriptions fall flat after a few chapters.
Despite my grumblings with the writing, I do think Fedarko is on to something here. When he tells the story of the canyon's history (both geological and sociological), his descriptions are always vivid and compelling. I loved learning about the eminent men and women whose histories are intertwined with the rock. "A Walk in the Park" is at its best when it is performing as a quick, accessible history of the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, those moments are too fleeting.
December 5, 2024
The bulk of Kevin Fedarko’s memoir describes his near traverse of Grand Canyon National Park with his friend Pete McBride, which they completed in stages with help from experienced backpacking guides. They started off woefully unprepared, as the author freely admits and does not recommend. Several of their trips become treks of survival in the extreme heat with little water. In addition to the hiking, they must occasionally make excursions up to the rim and rappel back down.
The author provides side discussions of related topics, such as geology, history, weather, issues related to the region’s indigenous peoples, flora and fauna, environmental concerns, tourism, and stories of people who have made an impact on the region. Fedarko includes personal details such as how he became interested in the Grand Canyon, his previous experiences with Colorado River expeditions, and his family’s history. There are many stories of people who did not fare well during their treks. If you enjoy reading about walking trips in perilous terrain, this is one is excellent. As a bonus, you are guaranteed to learn something. I found it a most enjoyable read.
4.5
The author provides side discussions of related topics, such as geology, history, weather, issues related to the region’s indigenous peoples, flora and fauna, environmental concerns, tourism, and stories of people who have made an impact on the region. Fedarko includes personal details such as how he became interested in the Grand Canyon, his previous experiences with Colorado River expeditions, and his family’s history. There are many stories of people who did not fare well during their treks. If you enjoy reading about walking trips in perilous terrain, this is one is excellent. As a bonus, you are guaranteed to learn something. I found it a most enjoyable read.
4.5
June 21, 2024
**Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review.**
Those of you who have been around a while know how much I love adventure memoirs. A trip to the top of Everest? YES. A swim across the Florida straits? YES, PLEASE!
A hike through the entire Grand Canyon? UHMMM YES, IS THIS EVEN A QUESTION ANYMORE?!
There is something just so provoking, so inspiring, so enticing about deep diving into a grand adventure. Especially the grand adventures that are not just merely concocted by the imaginations of their authors.
A WALK IN THE PARK by Kevin Fedarko is absolutely no exception to this most beloved favorite genre of mine. And, as an Arizona girl deeply moved by the geography of her backyard, the stories of the Grand Canyon sit even deeper within my own heart.
What A WALK IN THE PARK achieves is so much more deeper than a "simple story" about two guys walking through the park. Yes, it is a story about the land (in all it's beautiful iterations and seasons), but it is also a story rooted deeply in the histories of the people who came far before any of us -- who cultivated, cared, and preserved this wonder of the world far before any modern man set his eyes upon it.
It is as much of a story about preservation as it is about change and wonder... and how wonder has the power to change. It is a pondering and a celebrating. A humbling and a growing.
A WALK IN THE PARK is one of the best adventure memoirs I've read in a long time and I'm just so thankful to Simon Books for offering me an early opportunity to read.
Don't miss out on this one friends! It's a fun ride!
A WALK IN THE PARK is out on 5/28!! In the meantime, you can check out Pete and Kevin's adventure via documentary ("Into the Grand Canyon") on National Geographic/ Disney+!
Those of you who have been around a while know how much I love adventure memoirs. A trip to the top of Everest? YES. A swim across the Florida straits? YES, PLEASE!
A hike through the entire Grand Canyon? UHMMM YES, IS THIS EVEN A QUESTION ANYMORE?!
There is something just so provoking, so inspiring, so enticing about deep diving into a grand adventure. Especially the grand adventures that are not just merely concocted by the imaginations of their authors.
A WALK IN THE PARK by Kevin Fedarko is absolutely no exception to this most beloved favorite genre of mine. And, as an Arizona girl deeply moved by the geography of her backyard, the stories of the Grand Canyon sit even deeper within my own heart.
What A WALK IN THE PARK achieves is so much more deeper than a "simple story" about two guys walking through the park. Yes, it is a story about the land (in all it's beautiful iterations and seasons), but it is also a story rooted deeply in the histories of the people who came far before any of us -- who cultivated, cared, and preserved this wonder of the world far before any modern man set his eyes upon it.
It is as much of a story about preservation as it is about change and wonder... and how wonder has the power to change. It is a pondering and a celebrating. A humbling and a growing.
A WALK IN THE PARK is one of the best adventure memoirs I've read in a long time and I'm just so thankful to Simon Books for offering me an early opportunity to read.
Don't miss out on this one friends! It's a fun ride!
A WALK IN THE PARK is out on 5/28!! In the meantime, you can check out Pete and Kevin's adventure via documentary ("Into the Grand Canyon") on National Geographic/ Disney+!
September 5, 2024
I'm sorry, this guy is a jerk. He writes a non-fiction book lauding the beauty and majesty of the Grand Canyon and then says, "Don't visit it, you'll ruin it." Not to mention in the audio reading of his work (at least he did that himself), he gives his "greatest friend's" voice a dumb and dopey tone. Also, it's totally fine for him to go traipsing through the Canyon, but other visitors are portrayed as vapid trolls if they haven't explored in the same fashion. I would actually NEVER in a million years back-country hike for fun, as I have no desire to drink contaminated water or experience seizures due to extreme temperatures and dehydration, but I thought this might be an interesting dive into an adventure. Sadly, it's merely 14-plus hours of listening I'll never get back. Yuck. I might check out his friend's "coffee table" book though.
September 8, 2024
Made it half way, chapter 25 or so, when there was a line to the effect of, "now we could finally set off on our epic walk."
Seriously. The "walk" starts over 200 pages into the book!
This book needed an editor. It's just too long, and not nearly as compelling as it should have been.
Seriously. The "walk" starts over 200 pages into the book!
This book needed an editor. It's just too long, and not nearly as compelling as it should have been.
October 3, 2025
This is a very divisive book for me, and I could easily give it 1 or 4 stars, so I settled on a solid 2 with a LOT of caveats. Below are the reasonings:
4 STARS: Objectively, I think the book is well-written, it was interesting. I actually did enjoy the brief historical side trips while they learned more about the Native people who inhabited the Canyon before them and their fight with the United States government to have sovereignty, even though I think some of it could have been left out in order to better facilitate that sense of adventure. Also, the first 10 chapters were kind of useless and the book could have started like 200 pages in, but I digress. Overall, once it got going, I was in.
1 STAR: In the nicest way possible, it is so distinctly clear that this book was written by a white man. Multiple times throughout this book I was just flabbergasted by how someone could have THAT much audacity and still think that he and his friend are just humorous instead of the incompetent bigots that they are.
For context, the whole point of the misadventure is that Fedarko and his companion, Pete, are WOEFULLY unprepared to hike through the Canyon. Like, imagine you, tomorrow, decided you were just going to start hiking the Grand Canyon. No training, no idea what you're doing, nothing. And you go along with an experienced group who warn you not to do this, but your hubris wins out and you do it anyway. As a result, you put every single human life on that trip in danger, causing them to be in harms way literally directly because how behind you put them on their own hike that had been meticulously pre-planned, and then the most reflection you can give on that is that you understand now that what you did was insane and you're surprised the leader of that expedition still chooses to talk to you as if it's a joke that people, quite literally, almost died because of your incompetence.
You would think, given their lack of experience, that the next time that they went into the Canyon, they would be more prepared - but no, they learn about how to pack light, but they repeatedly said there was no point in physical training or anything, and even as they're talking about the stories they heard from the Natives, they kept wondering WHY they had to do certain traditions while in their homelands. All of it just struck me as a white man being incompetent and thinking it's funny because nobody's going to directly call him out about it, and I found both Kevin and Pete to be the most unlikable people because they never really reflected on the harm that they caused.
So yeah? Frustrating, but like, okay?
4 STARS: Objectively, I think the book is well-written, it was interesting. I actually did enjoy the brief historical side trips while they learned more about the Native people who inhabited the Canyon before them and their fight with the United States government to have sovereignty, even though I think some of it could have been left out in order to better facilitate that sense of adventure. Also, the first 10 chapters were kind of useless and the book could have started like 200 pages in, but I digress. Overall, once it got going, I was in.
1 STAR: In the nicest way possible, it is so distinctly clear that this book was written by a white man. Multiple times throughout this book I was just flabbergasted by how someone could have THAT much audacity and still think that he and his friend are just humorous instead of the incompetent bigots that they are.
For context, the whole point of the misadventure is that Fedarko and his companion, Pete, are WOEFULLY unprepared to hike through the Canyon. Like, imagine you, tomorrow, decided you were just going to start hiking the Grand Canyon. No training, no idea what you're doing, nothing. And you go along with an experienced group who warn you not to do this, but your hubris wins out and you do it anyway. As a result, you put every single human life on that trip in danger, causing them to be in harms way literally directly because how behind you put them on their own hike that had been meticulously pre-planned, and then the most reflection you can give on that is that you understand now that what you did was insane and you're surprised the leader of that expedition still chooses to talk to you as if it's a joke that people, quite literally, almost died because of your incompetence.
You would think, given their lack of experience, that the next time that they went into the Canyon, they would be more prepared - but no, they learn about how to pack light, but they repeatedly said there was no point in physical training or anything, and even as they're talking about the stories they heard from the Natives, they kept wondering WHY they had to do certain traditions while in their homelands. All of it just struck me as a white man being incompetent and thinking it's funny because nobody's going to directly call him out about it, and I found both Kevin and Pete to be the most unlikable people because they never really reflected on the harm that they caused.
So yeah? Frustrating, but like, okay?
September 3, 2024
I have been to the Grand Canyon several times, and twice hiked to the bottom, staying overnight at Phantom Ranch. When A Walk in the Park was published and received favorable reviews, I knew this should be a book for me. The primary focus of author Kevin Fedarko is his 750 mile hike with friend Pete McBride from one end of the Grand Canyon to the other. It’s important to note the trails in the Grand Canyon run primarily from the rim to the river so the vast majority of this hike is off trail, and extremely difficult and dangerous.
Fedarko is a journalist who also has enjoyed spending part of the year on the Colorado River, assisting a tour company carrying visitors through the Grand Canyon. (I’ve found journalists to be excellent writers of nonfiction books because they know how to make their story interesting, and keep it moving along.) Fedarko provides background on the park and the challenges others have faced, both hiking and river running. He is a gifted storyteller who will keep you interested as he discusses the challenges of the hike, past hikers, geology, native tribes of the Canyon, environmental issues, and the potential of future development. Clearly this book was a labor of love for the author.
As supported by the excellent GR ratings, I thought A Walk in the Park was very worthwhile and should be enjoyed by many readers.
Note: I read the Kindle edition, but alternated between my Kindle and the iPad app because there are maps and photographs (black and white, as well as color) that are better viewed on the iPad.
Fedarko is a journalist who also has enjoyed spending part of the year on the Colorado River, assisting a tour company carrying visitors through the Grand Canyon. (I’ve found journalists to be excellent writers of nonfiction books because they know how to make their story interesting, and keep it moving along.) Fedarko provides background on the park and the challenges others have faced, both hiking and river running. He is a gifted storyteller who will keep you interested as he discusses the challenges of the hike, past hikers, geology, native tribes of the Canyon, environmental issues, and the potential of future development. Clearly this book was a labor of love for the author.
As supported by the excellent GR ratings, I thought A Walk in the Park was very worthwhile and should be enjoyed by many readers.
Note: I read the Kindle edition, but alternated between my Kindle and the iPad app because there are maps and photographs (black and white, as well as color) that are better viewed on the iPad.
June 4, 2024
As a newbie hiker with plans to do the AT after retirement, I am enthralled with people who can take me places that I can't go. In fact, I watch more YouTube of hiking than regular tv shows. This one was brought to my attention by Anne Bogel and her Summer Reading Guide for which I will forever be grateful.
This was a fabulous story telling of a hike through the bottom of the Grand Canyon (one I had no idea existed). Fedarko paints such vivid images thru his writing you could see yourself right there. And I will admit that sometimes when books like these incorporate history into them, I will sometimes scan thru those parts. Not with this one. I was just as fascinated with the Indigenous history as with the adventure.
This is a true buddy hiking novel (unlike that disappointment A Walk in the Woods).
This was a fabulous story telling of a hike through the bottom of the Grand Canyon (one I had no idea existed). Fedarko paints such vivid images thru his writing you could see yourself right there. And I will admit that sometimes when books like these incorporate history into them, I will sometimes scan thru those parts. Not with this one. I was just as fascinated with the Indigenous history as with the adventure.
This is a true buddy hiking novel (unlike that disappointment A Walk in the Woods).
August 6, 2024
painful. DNF, that’s how you know it’s bad: an audiobook about the outdoors yet I can’t finish it. Dude whipped out his thesaurus and changed every single word he possibly could to make him sound smarter. also, maybe next time have a professional read the audiobook. sorry for the negativity but woof.
dnf
October 2, 2024I listened for a couple of hours and looked through the print book, but could not get past my opinion that the author was spinning a story about how unprepared he was for this huge hike. I would rather read Grandma Gatwood's Walk than this tale of mediocrity and annoyance.
September 13, 2024
DNF. The story probably got more interesting, but I could not get past continued discussion about how unprepared he was for everything he set out to do.
April 23, 2025
I thought this was a stellar 5 star book! I grew up in SOUTHERN Arizona, and have always loved the extraordinary national parks and monuments in that state. But I have always remembered how completely stunned I was when I had my first view of the Grand Canyon! It is such a national treasure and Kevin Fedarko beautifully describes the beauty and the danger of that marvelous space. Thank you for writing this book.
July 11, 2024
First of all, I have a huge place in my heart for canyons, rocks, hiking, landscapes, and nature. So this was basically made for me. I've been the the Grand Canyon a few times, by mule led by my grandpa as a kids, a few hikes down into the canyon a few miles. North and South rims, all the viewpoints...I need to go again. One of these days I will do the rim to rim hike.
Now this book is way beyond that and is about Fedarko and photographer that hiked the CANYON, way more than rim to rim, across, but all the way through starting at Lee's Ferry. Quite the adventure.
I loved all the little details about the indigenous peoples and the effect of tourism on them and the canyon and what has been done over the years. The details about the animals, the flora and fauna. The deaths that have occurred over the years. So many fun details.
At times it did feel a bit laborious, but I listened to it on audio and it meandered back into interesting time. I loved all the afterword info as well.
Now this book is way beyond that and is about Fedarko and photographer that hiked the CANYON, way more than rim to rim, across, but all the way through starting at Lee's Ferry. Quite the adventure.
I loved all the little details about the indigenous peoples and the effect of tourism on them and the canyon and what has been done over the years. The details about the animals, the flora and fauna. The deaths that have occurred over the years. So many fun details.
At times it did feel a bit laborious, but I listened to it on audio and it meandered back into interesting time. I loved all the afterword info as well.
October 13, 2024
For first 1/3 of the book the author is an irritating, arrogant character who risks not only his own life but the life (and property) of others. He finds himself humorous. And child-like. It's not endearing. Even when he was able to humble himself, just a little, his story was tedious. I gave up the read at about the halfway point in the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,220 reviews