As I write this review, autumn is fast approaching us here in Utah. Fall is among the best times to go backpacking in the southwestern states, with cooler temperatures, colorful foliage, and less crowds. So while looking for some new ideas about backpacking trips I’ve never done before, I received a copy of the new guide book, Best Backpacking Trips in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico by Mike White and Douglas Lorain.
The book, published by University of Nevada Press, details 11 different trips in the three states. Eleven trips doesn’t seem like a lot, considering that the book is over two pages long. But that is what makes this book great – it isn’t some quick hit guidebook that gives you the bare minimum details. Rather, this book digs deep into each individual route, with around 20 pages dedicated to each trip.
The authors seem to have gone through painstaking detail to write this book, and the research they performed is considerable. Each route gives you an intro, number of days required, distance, type of hike, scenery scale, solitude scale, technical difficulty, physical difficulty, elevation gain/loss, best season, maps, local resources, contact information, permit info, regulations, campgrounds, nearest airports, nearest outdoor retailers, outfitters, transportation logistics, backcountry logistics, attractions, directions to trailhead, trip description, itinerary, alternate routes, green tips and more.
Looking at the Utah chapter, there are 7 classic backpacking trips featured: Highline Trail, Under-The Rim Trail, Zion Park Traverse, Coyote Gulch, Salt Creek Canyon/Chesler Park Traverse, Grand Gulch/Bullet Canyon Traverse, and Buckskin Gulch/Paria River Canyon. After reading, I found each one to be not only informational to the most minute detail, but also an entertaining read as the routes include historical information and route descriptions that are almost literary.
As the days get cooler and darker and I think about it being time to go backpacking in the desert, I’ll most definitely be bringing my copy of Best Backpacking Trips in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico along with me.
Purchase your copy at University of Nevada Press.