Product Description

Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway is designed to be an indispensable resource for anyone who uses the Parkway -- America's most heavily visited unit of the National Park system -- as a portal to the Southern Appalachian experience. Hikers and motorists alike can continually refer to the book's mile-by-mile mileage log to overlooks and waysides, entrances and exits, interpretive sites, museums, visitor centers, craft shops, and all the easy "leg-stretcher" trails that are such an accessible part of a Parkway trip. But this is more than just a guide to Parkway facilities and paths. By including the best trails in the national forests, state parks, and private preserves that line the 469-mile scenic road, Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway is a single-volume solution for the serious explorer, whether on foot or in a car. To aid the reader in experiencing the Parkway's best trails, this books contains more than 70 detailed topographic route maps, dozens of descriptive photographs, and in-depth trail descriptions with difficulty ratings and detailed directions. Author Randy Johnson has helped design Parkway trails and, as a noted Southern Appalachian author, has explored the unique richness of Appalachian culture. This book meshes the best of the Parkway's outdoor experiences with a keen sense of the cultural heritage that makes the Parkway a national treasure -- a motor trail to the heart of the United States' least homogenized region.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #220564 in Books
• Brand: Globe
• Published on: 2003-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780762711055
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review

From the Back Cover
Stop your car, lace up your boots, and experience the best trails in the national forests, state parks, and private preserves that line the Blue Ridge Parkway. From the southern end of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, this single-volume solution for the serious explorer points the way to the best of the 469-mile Parkway's outdoor experiences. Author and trail designer Randy Johnson leads you past historic homesteads and landmark sites, through multiday explorations of isolated wilderness enclaves, and up to some of the East's highest peaks, offering insights into Southern Appalachia's unique cultural heritage and showcasing the natural beauty that makes this scenic roadway a historical and national treasure.

Inside you'll find: in-depth descriptions with difficulty ratings and detailed directions; more than 70 detailed topographic trail maps; a complete Parkway mileage log to all overlooks and waysides, entrances and exits, interpretive sites, visitor centers, craft shops, dozens of descriptive photographs, and easy "leg-stretcher" trails.

No matter what your skill level or abilities, Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway is an indispensable resource to the most heavily visited unit of the National Park system and a portal to the Southern Appalachian experience.

About the Author
Randy Johnson divides his time between Greensboro, North Carolina, and his home in the mountains near Banner Elk. He is the senior editor of United Airlines' award-winning inflight magazine, Hemispheres, and is the author of Hiking Virginia, Hiking North Carolina, and Best Easy Day Hikes Blue Ridge Parkway.