Best Loop Hikes: Colorado

by Bruce Grubbs

* 75 loop hikes throughout Arizona, from easy half-day trails to extended journeys
* Hikes for every season, with planning chart for best time to go
* Many hikes accessible from Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott, Phoenix, and Tucson

It's Arizona hiking with a welcome no tandem driving, no dropping off a car at the end of the trail, and no turning around to hike back the way you came. Bruce Grubbs has selected the best existing loop trails and stitched together segments of other trails to form new loops. This is a guidebook of tremendous variety. You have your pick of desert, canyon, mountain, or forest. There are hikes along old pioneer trails, through volcanic fields, and past petroglyph views. To top it off, you'll often hike through several different life zones on the same trail -- Grubbs is your guide in understanding these, too.

Best Loop Hikes Arizona includes elevation profiles and charts listing hikes by special interest and best times to go. Water availability is listed for each hike, plus tips on hiking in comfort and safety in Arizona's extreme conditions.

Regions covered in this guidebook include Grand Canyon, Mogollon Rim, White Mountains, Mazatzal Mountains, Superstition Mountains, and Southeast Mountains.

272 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2006

About the author

The author has a serious problem- he doesn't know what he wants to do when he grows up. Meanwhile, he's done such things as wildland fire fighting, running a mountain shop, flying airplanes, shooting photos, and writing books. He's a backcountry skier, climber, figure skater, mountain biker, amateur radio operator, river runner, and sea kayaker- but the thing that really floats his boat is hiking and backpacking. No matter what else he tries, the author always come back to hiking- especially long, rough, cross-country trips in places like the Grand Canyon. Some people never learn. But what little he has learned, he's willing share with you- via his books, of course, but also via his websites, blogs, and whatever works.

Reviews

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my limited hiking experience, I've determined that I prefer loop hikes and summit hikes. I'm not a fan of going back down the same way I came up (to the point of exploring ways down when I probably should just stick to the trail). Fortunately this book exists and provides loop hikes of various strenousness and locations. Although I've only tried a few of these, the information contained within would be very helpful for hikers of all levels.