60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Phoenix: Including Tempe, Scottsdale, and Glendale

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles

by Charles Liu, Charles Liu (Mad Hiker)

With more than 4 million people, the Phoenix metropolitan area is one of the country's largest. Surprisingly, it's also one of the most diverse and dramatic for hikers, with scenic destinations ranging from area parks, greenbelts, and preserves to high and low deserts and breathtaking mountains. This easy-to-use guide features the best scenic day hikes, determined by author Charles Liu using state-of-the-art GPS technology. These hikes are geared to every skill level, whether it's a comfortable stroll for the family or a tricky trek for the more fearless hiker. Stretching from Hidden Valley to the south to the Superstition Wilderness to the north, the book contains clear trail maps and profiles complemented by detailed descriptions and useful at-a-glance information. All roughly within an hour's drive of the Valley of the Sun, the trails highlighted in this updated edition begin right inside the city limits with popular Camelback Mountain.

Genres: Travel, Reference, Nonfiction

262 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2006

About the author

Charles Tsun-Chu Liu is an American astronomer and astronomy educator. His research interests include merging and colliding galaxies, active galactic nuclei, and the star formation history of the universe. Liu is one of the original team members of the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS), the largest contiguous deep field ever observed with the Hubble Space Telescope. He is a former director of the William E. Macaulay Honors College and The Verrazano School at the City University of New York’s College of Staten Island. He currently serves as a professor of physics and astronomy at the College of Staten Island, and as President of the Astronomical Society of New York. In 2019, he was named a Fellow of the American Astronomical Society.

Reviews

[Edwin Priest · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 2018 edition is available and is the one I am reviewing. This is an excellent book and almost essential if you want to do any causal hiking in the Phoenix area. The trail descriptions are spot on, and the layout is great for picking and choosing just the right hike for your needs. 5 stars.

[Autumn Kearney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well-written, organized, and illustrated. It includes maps, color photos, and charts. Additionally, a guide is available on what to bring, how to reach each location, local supply stores, and hiking clubs. Each site features a difficulty rating, elevation information, and a recommended amount of water per person. Remember to stay safe and plan ahead. This book will be a tremendous help.

[Bita · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is good but I got it on Kindle. Might have been better if it wasn't ebook. Will have to try some of these hikes

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've done a few of these hikes, which is enough for me to tell you a little about this book. First, the directions are accurate and up to date. This is quite important when you want to hike in a desert. (We've already gotten lost once because of crappy directions we found online. Getting lost in the desert is a little more problematic than getting lost in the forest back in Indiana.)

Also, the book has awesome directories: if you want a good hike for pets, you can see a complete list of them at the front of the book. There are lists for easy trails, rugged trails, handicap accessible trails, trails with a good chance for seeing wildlife, trails with rock climbing, trails with a good chance of solitude, etc. I find these super-cool since we usually hike with a dog, and since we like rugged hikes.

If the Phoenix volume is any indication, this is a really handy series to check out if you're into hiking and don't want to trust some random trail someone's posted online, since some random person might secretly want you to wander off into the wilderness and DIE. Or they might just suck at giving directions.

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome guide to hiking in AZ!

[Scottsdale Public Library]

Features a wide variety of hikes in the valley. Very well organized and easy to read.

- Carrie M.

[Ed Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great list of hikes in the Phoenix area with notes on trails and descriptions.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Use it as a guide to decide where you want to go then do more research online if necessary