Five Star Trails Palm Springs

A popular outdoor destination for the 7 million residents of Los Angeles, Palm Springs offers stunning hiking opportunities. With Joshua Tree National Monument to the east, the San Bernardino National Forest to the north and south, and the storied Pacific Crest Trail passing nearby, hiking expert Laura Randall has chosen the best hikes that highlight the area. Five-Star Trails: Palm Springs features child-friendly hikes and urban hikes that are easily accessible from resorts. Laura also includes hikes for the new Whitewater Preserve, as well as updated trails in La Quinta and Palm Desert. Extensive at-a-glance information makes it easy to choose the perfect hike based on length, difficulty, and scenery. Each trail profile includes maps, directions, driving times, nearby attractions, and other pertinent details.

This guide encourages readers to explore Southern California's desert resort area, which offers a wealth of outdoor adventures.

For 25 years, the bestselling 140 Great Hikes in and near Palm Springs has served as a staple for anyone exploring the trails surrounding Palm Springs, California. This revised seventh edition, in honor of the book’s 25th anniversary, contains five brand-new routes, updated trail descriptions, and modern color photography. Perfect for locals and visitors alike, this guide includes family friendly adventures, spring flower hikes, full-moon walks, dog-friendly frolics, and challenging hikes in the desert and mountains of the Coachella Valley.

Five-Star Trails: Raleigh and Durham is a guide to the best day-hiking trails within a two-hour drive of the urban areas of Raleigh and Durham. Raleigh is North Carolina's capital and an anchor for the state's famous Research Triangle that includes Durham and Chapel Hill. Amid this metropolitan complex that also embraces Cary, Apex, and Wake Forest--home to more than 1.7 million people--the author leads readers to myriad places for scenic beauty, to sites of historic significance, and to neighborhoods that showcase the charms of urban life. All of the routes stay true to the book's "Five-Star Trails" title, based on the book series' rating system for scenery, trail condition, suitability for children, difficulty level, and solitude. To be selected for the book, each trail must truly shine in one or more of those areas while, at the same time, all of the trails combine to offer diversity for a wide range of hikers. Thus, this is the guidebook for a hiker seeking an arduous climb to a scenic overlook as much as it is for a weekend walker who wants an easy trail for his or her family.

Each hike through the Adirondack Park is rated for scenery, difficulty, trail condition, and accessibility for children. Individual trail maps, elevation profiles, and GPS trailhead coordinates aid in navigating the myriad of unnamed roads. Featured trails range from easy strolls for the family to bone-crunching vertical ascents for the fearless hiker.

Five-Star Trails: Orlando is a handy guide for area residents, vacationers seeking outdoor fun, and for business travelers with a free afternoon. With a diverse collection of hiking routes, the book offers choices for everyone from solo trekkers to companions to families with either youngsters or oldsters to consider. Researched, experienced, and written by a local author, the guide provides in-depth trail descriptions, directions, and commentary on what to expect along the way. Each hike features an individual trail map, elevation profile, and at-a-glance key info, helping readers quickly determine the perfect trip for them when they are ready to head out the door. Sized to fit in a pocket, the book is convenient to keep in the car or toss into a backpack. Driving directions direct hikers to the nearest trailhead parking areas, and GPS trailhead coordinates get them to the start of the trail.

The South Carolina Upcountry is gaining more popularity and people visiting will need to know how to discover all it has to offer. Outdoor activities here abound and there are a good variety of trails for hikers of all levels. From waterfalls to amazing mountain views, each trail offers hikers an incredible experience. Since the Upcountry is relatively "undiscovered", there are very few books that have a true compilation of hikes in the area. Five-Star Trails: South Carolina Upstate will bring together those hiking trails that offer a "five star" experience. Each trail has been thoroughly researched, recently hiked and includes a detailed description, trail profiles and map. At a glance ratings in important categories such as Scenery, Trail Condition, Difficulty, Solitude and appropriateness for children let you quickly select a trail that fits your tastes and ability. Other useful information such as fees, restrictions for dogs on the trail as well as advice on when to visit offers you the best information so you can plan your trip with ease. Five-Star Trails: South Carolina Upstate provides directions and commentary for each trail on what to expect along the way, making it more than just an average guidebook. This guide will lead hikers off the beaten path to find exceptional beauty as well as peace of mind. The diversity in terrain invites all levels of abilities and skills. Outdoor enthusiasts of every level will have reason to grab this guide and take a hike. This book offers easy-to-moderate trails that are within driving distance from a reader's workplace or home in the South Carolina Upstate. Without this book, they might miss the hidden hiking treasures of the area, but with the expert help of Sherry Jackson, readers will enjoy the region's best trails!

Known as the City of Parks, Louisville has long valued the natural landscape and the provisioning of outdoor recreation. In 1891 Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture, was commissioned to develop an extensive park system for Louisville that eventually included 18 parks and 6 interconnecting parkways. Since that time, Louisville has continued to invest resources to build a first-class park system. Nestled within the Ohio Valley, and bordered by the knobs region to the south and the heavily forested areas of Indiana to the north, Louisville lies at the heart of an endless array of hiking opportunities. Five-Star Trails: Louisville showcases many of the hiking trails and walking paths within the city or within easy driving distance in central Kentucky and southern Indiana. Designed specifically for day trips, this book includes several of the area's most popular parks, as well as many of the lesser-known hiking trails in nature preserves, wildlife management areas, and national forests.