Ramble On: A History of Hiking

by Jeffrey J. Doran

Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk in the woods for pleasure?

While there are enough books about mountaineering to fill a small library, very little has been written on the rich and fascinating history of hiking. Ramble On: A History of Hiking is the first book to explore how hiking evolved into one of the world’s most popular outdoor recreational activities.

Extensively researched, Jeff Doran provides a broad overview of the origins of hiking, as well as the cultural trends, movements, events, and innovations that spurred its growth and allowed it to eventually flourish.

This is an updated, improved and expanded edition:

This second edition builds upon the original to reflect additional research and to expand more broadly on a few key topics. For example, I wanted to provide a deeper understanding of how the Enlightenment and the Romantic Era influenced art, aesthetics, literature, religion and thought, which in turn allowed hiking to bloom and eventually flourish. I also thought that it was important to chronicle in more detail the crucial role the multi-generational Crawford family of New Hampshire played in the development of hiking in America. This edition also explores how the term “hiking” surprisingly evolved after the Philippine-American War to assume the meaning we understand today.

316 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2018

About the author

Jeff Doran grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and now resides in East TN. A graduate of Xavier University, Jeff worked in marketing before starting his own online hiking trail guide business. After many years of hiking in some of America's most beautiful national parks, he founded HikinginGlacier.com, RockyMountainHikingTrails.com and TetonHikingTrails.com, which provide detailed trail information, including many historical anecdotes. In addition to being an avid hiker and a history buff, Jeff is also an avid cyclist.

Reviews

[K.A. Doran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fairly quick read which takes you from the initial roots of hiking to how hiking clubs were formed, the establishing of trails and national parks to how equipment and clothing have evolved over the years. Along this journey the author includes lots of interesting stories and tidbits of trivia like the different initiations were required to join some hiking clubs (some of which still require). As a woman, I really enjoyed how women evolved into the sport. He spends time talking about the women who pushed the envelope and opened the door for other women to be able to join men on the trails, along with the clothing requirements women were forced to endure.

As the book progresses, the author discusses the challenges we currently face with over-crowding in our national parks and what some of the parks are doing to alleviate the problem along with proposals for the future.

If you enjoy history and want to learn more about how one of the most popular sports evolved and what we can expect in the future, you'll enjoy this book.

[Lisa Wehrle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for anyone who is a hiker and wants to learn more about the evolution of hiking.

[Anne Whiting · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like factoids and history - especially about the outdoors movement in America - this is a great book. It's mostly an overview with lots of facts along the way, with more detailed history of two or three national parks. Womans' history of hiking, hiking attire over the years, milestones in hiking, the possible future of hiking - it's all here. Recommended for anyone who loves hiking and the outdoors.