Recommended Hiking/Trekking Books A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson This humorous account of one out of shape man’s…
Recommended Hiking/Trekking Books
- A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
- This humorous account of one out of shape man’s attempt to walk to length of the Appalachian Trail. A good primer for beginners.
- The Backpacker’s Field Manual, Revised and Updated: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Backcountry Skills by Rick Curtis
- An all-in-one background to hiking book. Trip planning, rating a trail, finding a route, trip preparation, and packing light.
- Backpacker Magazine
- US based backpacking magazine that features in depth trip reports, gear reviews, contests, photos, and much more.
- Classic Hikes of the World: 23 Breathtaking Treks by Peter Potterfield
- Potterfield lays out 23 of the world’s most fantastic hike.
- Lonely Planet Trekking, Hiking, and Walking Guides
- Destinations include the Alps, the Andes, the Himalayas, and many other mountain ranges and places with extensive trail networks.
- Falcon Guides
- Extremely well detailed hiking guides presented by state, region, and national park with maps and trail details for the discerning hiker.
- The National Outdoor Leadership School’s Wilderness Guide: The Classic Handbook, Revised and Updated by Mark Harvey
- Everything you need to know guide about leaving no footprints, surviving on your own, what to do in emergencies, what to wear, and how to navigate. An all in one survival guide.
- NOLS’s Wilderness First Aid Book by Todd Schimelpfenig, Linda Lindsey, and Joan Safford
- Comprehensive guide to diagnosing, treating, and transporting patients with 75 illustrations.
Useful Hiking/Trekking Websites
General
- Hiking Website (http://www.hikingwebsite.com)
- The aptly titled hiking website is just that, a website dedicated to the basic information on hiking.
- TierraWiki (http://www.tierrawiki.org)
- Wiki-style project to share bike, hiking, skiing, and running routes.
- The Trail Database (http://www.traildatabase.org)
- The world’s largest trail database with details and links to all sorts of information on hiking and trekking routes. A good place to start planning your trip.
North America
- National Park Service (http://www.nps.gov)
- Homepage of the US national park service with video features, trip planning, park stats, and news.
- Slackpacker (http://www.slackpacker.com)
- Hiking and backpacking information geared toward the United States, although there are some features on international destinations, with trail maps by state, trip reports, and photographs.
Asia
- Nepal Visitors (http://www.nepalvisitors.com)
- Nepali tourism website with basic background information including a trekking section outlining where to trek, how to get permits, trip grading, visa information, and timetables.
Australia
- Aussie Hiking (http://www.aussiehiking.com.au)
- Wide array of details from bush walking clubs to a directory of tracks. A one stop resource for hiking in Australia.
Britain
- The Ramblers (http://www.ramblers.org.uk)
- Association that organizers charities and promotes walking for a healthy lifestyle in England, Scotland, and Wales.
- Walking Routes (http://www.walking-routes.co.uk)
- Portal for information on hiking and walking routes in the UK with thousands of pages of trails, route directions, and maps. Highly organized.
Europe
- Hiking Switzerland (http://www.switzerland-rando.ch)
- Geared toward hiking and nature lovers of the Swiss Alps with regional information, hiking hotels, and links to clubs in several languages.
- Click here for Top 10 Hiking / Trekking Vacations - Overall