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Colorado Hiking Excursion Guides
You will want to have a Colorado hiking excusion guide handy if you're planning to take on some of Colorado's beautiful terrain.
There are many guides to choose from many different locations in Colorado. Some have more detail than others, some may be more up to date than others.
The following Colorado hiking guides have detailed information to plan a great day hike or extended backpacking trip. Some information you will find is:
- Complete trail descriptions with maps and photos
- Hikes rated by skill levels
- Elevation gains
- Estimated hiking times
- Best seasons to go
- Driving directions
You can browse all of the
Colorado hiking guides here
. Search for the region you want to hike and after you have narrowed down your selection compare them to each other. Read the reviews and pick the one that's right for you.
Below I list 3 of the best guides for Colorado's trails based on customer reviews and rating. Top 3 Colorado Hiking Guides
| 1. 100 Classic Hikes in Colorado (Classic Hikes) |
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Sample Review:
The color photographs alone make this a "must have" guidebook if you enjoy Colorado hiking. Each hike is described in some detail with a ranking of how strenuous each trek is considered. The text is concise and to the point, but gives an adequate feel of each hike. There is at least one color photo for each journey and the photos are simply superb. Many such photos were the sole reason I decided to hike some of these mountains and I was never disappointed. You can literally spend hours just pouring over the incredible photos.
The quality of the book is superb. The pages are heavy glossy paper and the paperback binding holds up after major 1,000+ mile car journeys I've made with the book thrown in the backseat. If you buy one guidebook about Colorado hiking, make it this one. I highly recommend it for the description of each trail and the stupendous photographs.
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| 2. Complete Guide to Colorado's Wilderness Areas |
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Sample Review:
This book has become my "bible" for exploring the most beautiful and wild areas for Colorado hiking from my home in Colorado Springs. My original copy of the book was destroyed when it was left in a soft-top jeep with the windows off, during a rain storm (while hiking one of the trails in the book, nonetheless). That is why I am back here to purchase another! One word of warning: the author seems to underestimate, vs. overestimate, the trail distances. Be prepared to hike an extra mile or two! This book is great!
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| 3. Rocky Mountain National Park Dayhiker's Guide: A Scenic Guide to 33 Favorite Hikes Including Longs Peak |
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Sample Review:
I own shelves of hiking guides on Colorado hiking, and this one is near the top of the list. Not only is it informative, instructive and accurate, Malitz writes well and gives the hiker all the essential information needed to make the trek. I live outside of Colorado and only visit for a few weeks each year, specifically to climb 14-ers and the magnificent Rocky Mountain National Park. Being unfamiliar with the Colorado roads and most of their trailheads, I necessarily rely on this guide to get me to the trailhead with no hassle and accurate driving directions. Roach has never disappointed me. He gives exhaustive directions and includes a map for each trek. If you need a four-wheel drive vehicle to get to your destination, he will let you know. If you have a drive on a dirt road for 6 miles to reach the trailhead, that information will be included.
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| He also describes the trail conditions, whether it's rocky, has scree, is exposed and has a ranking system for how difficult the hike is. If there is scrambling involved or permanent snow fields, he lets you know. If it's a class 3 hike but listed in other guides as class 4, Malitz makes the correction and explains why he feels this way.
There are separate sections on the unique and often volatile weather in the Colorado hiking peaks. This is imperative for out-of-state hikers who aren't familiar with the frequent, violent afternoon thunderstorms in the Rockies. When I hiked in RMNP for the first time, I photocopied several chapters and took it with me in my pack, and was glad I did. When the thunderstorms began, I descended ASAP, following his advice. This is an outstanding Colorado hiking guide. I wouldn't hike in the Rocky Mountain state without it and neither should you. Enjoy! |
If one of my Top 3 Colorado hiking guides isn't exactly what you are looking for,
click here to check out over 100 Colorado Hiking Excursion Guides at Amazon.com.
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