4 comments about Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park.

1. There is only general info in here for facilities, accomodations and activities other than hiking. The title is deceptive. On the positive side, it has useful maps and data for hikes all of which include a graph showing the altitude change along the path.



2. This is the newest guide for the whole family that wants to hike or backpack 70 of the best trails through the combined US/Canadian national parks of Glacier and Waterton Lakes, now Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park.
   
   * A completely revised guide with lots of fun to-do's for kids
   * USGS map information and trail profiles
   * Informative sidebars and trip finders
   
   In 1932, Glacier National Park in Montana and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada were joined together to create the world's first International Peace Park. More than a political union, the park was created in recognition that the beautiful, rare, and delicate ecosystems of the northern Rockies shouldn't end at national or political boundaries.
   
   From nature walks and short hikes to glute-burning backpacking trips, this book showcases 70 of the best trails. Each area of the park is accompanied by a trip finder, which shows the difficulty of specific routes and the special highlights of each trail. This new edition also has more complete information blocks with USGS map information and trail profiles.



3. I bought this book in 2005 to help plan a week-long backpacking trip to Glacier NP. At the same time I bought the similar book from Falcon Press. I am re-reading both now because I am taking the family out there this summer to do day hiking and family light-weight things.
   
   Although both did the job well, I especially like Vicky Spring's version. It was mainly little things. I liked how the maps were drawn in a relief or 3-D style. Her photos often had people in them which made them less static. The hikes are well organized by logical areas in the park. Vicky Spring does a good job of covering everything from easy family-friendly strolls to strenuous multi-night backpacking trips.
   
   The previous review was correct in that the title is misleading. This is definitely a hiking/backpacking book for Glacier National Park and a good one at that.



4. I agree with other reviews about the title; it's a bit misleading, but thankfully there are reviews. It's basically a trail guide book for Waterton Park in Canada and Glacier National Park in the US, but that is exactly what I was looking for. It details the trails well, elevation changes throughout the trail, degree of difficulty etc. Since we went numerous day hikes, we carried it in our back packs on each trip and would double check it periodically if needed. It was very handy. Good purchase.

4 comments about Hiking Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness.

1. If you are planning a trip to the Bob Marshall you will do yourself a great favor by purchasing this book, then wrapping it in a zip-lock bag for your journey. The book provides a comprehensive overview of every trail in the Wilderness area. It gives a succinct synopsis of each trail by describing level of difficulty, frequency of maintenance, and elevation change. The book further describes the ecosystem that you are hiking thru and assists you in understanding the bio-diversity of each area. Perhaps most valuable, the book also provides a precsient review of the hazards of each seperate area--and methods of countering these hazards. These hazards include micro-organisms in the water and of course the ever-present grizzly and black Bears. Don't leave home without it!



2. If you really want to know about trails in The Bob Marshall Wilderness area this is covers the most important trails. The hike descriptions and profiles are quite helpful in planning a trek. I have used this book a few times although it is a bit heavy to carry on the trail. Use it to plan and take a copy of the hikes needed to cover your trek.



3. Erik Molvar has written numerous hiking guides for Falcon; this one is probably his magnum opus. Comprehensive and thoroughly researched, it's replete with natural history notes as well as hike descriptions and directions to trailheads.
   
   The sheer size of the Bob Marshall Complex presents a particular challenge to a would-be author of a hiking guide, namely, how to encompass its breadth without making every hike a hundred miles in length. Molvar's solution is to segregate particular sections of trail into hikes whose starting and ending points lie conveniently at or near the junctions of other trails, which he in turn describes in other hikes. You can thus piece them together to create trips of your own design. He also includes side trips (such as to summits in the interior) and numerous day hikes along the margins and boundaries of the Bob.
   
   Appendices include segmented mileages of trunk trails that provide access to more remote portions of the wilderness (I appreciate the meticulous mileage notes throughout the book), and descriptions of several classic extended trips such as Spotted Bear to Benchmark and Benchmark to Holland Lake. Also covered are hikes in adjoining roadless areas (such as the Rocky Mountain Front and Jewel Basin) that lie outside the wilderness proper.
   
   Molvar has seemingly tromped every mile of the places he describes. Buy this book and follow in his footsteps.



4. I was definitely disappointed in this book as I had expected to have it provide more information on the Continental Divide Trail in the Bob Marshall wilderness. The trail descriptions were difficult to follow without a detailed map in hand to keep track of where you were. For some reason Mr. Molvar was reluctant to identify the trails as being a part of the Continental Divide Trail. I never found any trail he described that I knew for a fact was on the CDT that he so identified. Consquently the book was not of a great deal of value to me, as I had hoped to use it to plan a CDT hike.

2 comments about Montana's Best Fishing Waters: 170 Detailed Maps of 34 of the Best Rivers, Streams, and Lakes (Wilderness Adventures Press Map Book) (Wilderness Adventures Press Map Book).

1. This book provides information for travel and fishing at many popular rivers in Montana. The detailed maps and GPS information crate a mistake free excursion.



2. A book of maps with extremely limited text info. Includes GPS coord. Mostly rivers, with each broken down into several pages. As a general all-purpose look at rivers in MT it's great, and I enjoy looking through it. However, if you are going to a specific area and want detailed information, get a real map.

No comments about National Geographic Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks Road Guide: The Essential Guide for Motorists (National Park Road Guide).

No comments about Rand Mcnally Easy to Read Montana/Wyoming: State Map (Rand McNally Easy to Read!).

5 comments about Benchmark Montana Road & Recreation Atlas.

1. Benchmark maps are the only maps I will use. Very accurate, easy to read. They are always with me when I travel.



2. I recently completed a two-month road trip, of which two weeks were spent in Montana. This atlas was a godsend, showing me forest roads that were not always noted on other maps. National forests, BLM lands, all were clearly shown in this atlas. I could open to whatever page I needed and find a campground, trailhead or a forest to camp in. Special notes of interest were also annotated, showing Lewis and Clark sites, Indian encampments and other historical events.
   
   The accuracy of this atlas was impressive. For the Bozeman area I had a special map that showed that area in great detail. The details were so clear that when I finally left Montana for Wyoming, I felt completely lost without my Benchmark map showing me the way. All my old Delorme gazetteers will be replaced with Benchmark maps.
   
   Since I use both Benchmark and Delorme maps, I've realized from my road trip that for western states that have greater public lands, the Benchmark atlases serve a better purpose than the road atlas of Delorme.
   
   If you like the outdoors, enjoy hiking, camping and American history, this is the atlas for you. Scenic drives, bike trails, major trailheads and even waterfalls are noted here.



3. My husband and I really love this map. It shows all the back roads as well as list names of some of the bigger farms in the area. We highly recommend this atlas to keep in your vehicle just in case you decide to take one of those "shortcuts" that leaves you in the middle of nowhere.



4. Very good maps. I downgraded one star because I did not feel there was adequate compground coverage. Other than that the maps are indespensible.



5. I had never seen a Recreation Atlas before this one. My family does a lot of camping out in the wilderness and we thought we'd try this one. It is very helpful because it not only shows the roads but has lists of campgrounds, recreation spots, and a lot more. It also has detailed section maps of the state so that you can get a close up look at an area. We horseback ride and this atlas even shows the trails that you can hike, bike, or horseback ride on! We were pleasantly surprised with this product.

3 comments about Best Easy Day Hikes Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks (Best Easy Day Hikes Series).

1. The entire series of Falcon Guides: THE BEST EASY DAY HIKES xxxxx are a delight to read and then follow. For those with a minimal amount of time to see vistas, canyons, and other scenery in parks and other areas of the country you can really experience a good variety of the locale by taking any of the hikes in these books.
   
   I have about a dozen of these books, mostly of the western US and have referenced all of them in my hiking plannings. They are pocket size which makes them easy to carry with you and easy to read an understand.



2. The actual national park guides are really as good, but it is a decent second source to read about the hike. I did use it. But not a must.



3. Zion National Park was the first park where I was truly captivated by the scenery. I was 9 and had just completed my first ascent of Angel's landing and realized hiking was the best sport in the world. Now, of course, I have a job and my time for visiting Zion, or indeed any park, is severely limited. I want to spend a few days, see the highlights, and then return to work so I can pay for my next excursion. At this stage in my life, books like this one from the Best Easy Day Hikes Series are a joy. They provide a sampling of short to intermediate hikes that I can use to plan my day. Molvar and Martin's contribution to the series, however, is better than most.
   
   Despite having Zion and Bryce in the title, this book actually provides a selection of walks and hikes for much of southern Utah. It does offer 10 hikes in Zion, including Angel's Landing and the East Rim (neither of which should be considered "easy) and 6 more in Bryce. But it also covers Cedar Breaks and a variety of hikes in forests and state parks throughout Utah's "Dixie" lands. I would have added a few walks in Snow Canyon, the colorful low elevation rival to Zion, but this is still a fine selection of hikes. So if you are planning a short visit to southern Utah to explore parts of canyon country, this book is a good choice. It includes the classic hikes in the region, and more than a few hidden gems you would not know about otherwise.

5 comments about Montana Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. These Delorme Atlas & Gazetters are wondeful. They show you many features not available through GPS, maps or other atlases. It is a great feature to have the BLM lands marked as well as the back roads. Good resources are also included in each states atlas. A good addition to anyone's travel tools.



2. 
   I've found these to be quite useful. I have 2 others besides Montana
   and have found them to be detailed enough that it is not hard to navigate even on unmarked dirt roads. I have never noticed any mistakes,
   such as roads not being where they are shown on the map. The worst
   thing I have seen are rail lines that are gone that still show up on
   the map. These are far more detailed than the average road map and I
   think they are worthwhile if you're visiting an unfamiliar place.



3. Considering the vast spaces of a highly rural state like Montana, this guide worked very well.



4. I grew up in Montana and after retirement my goal is to explore and photograph all 56 counties. I have collected county maps, BLM maps and maps from other venders and the State of Montana. This is the most usable map for drivers and includes enough detail to get you off the beaten trails. Good buy and I'm sure their Atlas and Gazetteer for all the other states are just as good.



5. Delorn always does a fine job on all of their atlases and this is no exception, lots of detail, well worth the purchase

3 comments about Glacier & Waterton Lakes National Park, MT - Trails Illustrated Map #215 (National Geographic Maps: Trails Illustrated).

1. I got this map for my parents before their trip to Glacier and my dad couldn't put it down. they haven't left yet but he already knows where and how to get to everything he wants to see. he has trails picked out and anything else you can pick out on a piece of paper. this map got him very excited for his trip and he said that it looks like a good map.



2. I like to hike in the national parks and use Trails Illustrated maps when they are available. Trail books often have small maps of the trails they describe, and those maps are fine for short hikes, but it's a good idea to have a larger topographic map for longer hikes. TI maps are durable and have a water resistant coating. (Good for when you get caught in the rain; probably less so if you fall in a creek.) TI maps mark the trails and their topographic features. The elevation markings give you a good idea of how steep a portion of a trail is. I've used TI's Glacier/Waterton map for several trails and always found them to be accurate and helpful.
   
   I recently purchased this 2004 revision. Unfolded, the map paper is the same size as the 2000 revision, but feels substantially heavier. The park map, however, is now a bit bigger and is split with the north half of the park on one side and the south on the other (with a generous overlap between the two). The written information about the park that was previously on the back is still present, but is reduced in size and located in several smaller boxes spread around the map. An improved feature of this revision is the inclusion of more area beyond the park boundaries. A bit more area is covered on the west side of Waterton, but a lot more area is covered to the south and west of Glacier. This includes the area between Whitefish Lake, Columbia Falls, and Kalispell, as well as the Flathead National Forest and the Great Bear Wilderness. I don't use it, but this version indicates that it is GPS compatible with a full UTM grid.
   
   TI's Glacier/Waterton map is worth having if you plan to do any hikes longer than a few miles. The 2004 revision is a good buy, particularly if you have an older version that is showing some wear. If your older revision is in good shape (they are durable after all!) you can probably get by with it.



3. I originally bought Trails Illustrated Yosemite National Park Map, which was great. My favorite part of it was that it showed you exactly how long part of a trail was, so you could plan far ahead how far you were willing to go and when to turn back. I was very disappointed when I discovered that this map did not have these on there. It's very difficult to determine how long parts of a trail are, especially in regions of dense switchbacks. I can't compare to other companies' maps, but this is nothing like the Yosemite Park map.

3 comments about Best Easy Day Hikes Canyonlands and Arches, 2nd (Best Easy Day Hikes Series).

1. Excellent guide to hikes in and near the two National Parks. If your going to go to the Moab area, have never been there before and enjoy hiking, this is the guide for you. Take it with you and enjoy.



2. If you plan on hiking any of the two parks this guide covers, this compact but thorough guide will be a real asset. Meant for the day hiker, it offers all the info you need to know. I particularly liked the fact that the author went out of his way to include info he might just as easily left out, such as where the shady spots are, which hikes have tough stretches, and which ones are appropriate for kids. Very well done and worth every penny.



3. Great for families who want to get out of the car and off the road to see the park. All of the advice was current and we enjoyed each of the hikes we chose.