With nearly 500 hikes in all regions of the state, Hiking North Carolina is the statewide guide of choice. This best-selling book is a truly comprehensive hiking guide, and the only one available that features plentiful photos and detailed trail maps. Both aid in the reader’s armchair understanding and enjoyment of trail descriptions, but they also aid in on-trail explorations.

North Carolina’s mountains-to-sea spectrum of scenic beauty ranks it among the nation’s top outdoor recreation states. From the Great Smokies and the Blue Ridge Parkway (the nation’s most popular national park-see two other guides to that park by this author) to surprising Piedmont sites and on to the world-class strand of the Outer Banks islands, North Carolina’s outdoors shouldn’t be missed.

This hefty guide richly delves into every region, ranging from city greenways, to national military parks, state parks and national forests. Hikes include a complete traverse of the Appalachian Trail (with a strong focus on the best day hikes and overnight backpack trips), and detailed sections on Grandfather Mountain, Linville Gorge and Shining Rock wilderness areas, and Roan Mountain’s meadow-covered Appalachian Trail summits. Major greenway coverage features Charlotte, the Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point), Durham, and Raleigh. Coastal hikes include Nags Head, Cape Lookout, Cape Hatteras-even an island ghost town.

Indeed, this book was designed to offer as many hikes in the North Carolina Mountains, near urban centers, or to waterfalls and other points of interest, as books targeted to those topics alone. Readers find ample options in those specialty areas-and the rest of the state, too.

This guide’s mile-by-mile trail descriptions, evocative black-and-white photos (praised by book buyers on Amazon.com), detailed maps, and a listing of trail-related Internet addresses, truly help hikers plan for and enjoy their next trip. Whether you want a challenging backpacking adventure deep into the heart of the Appalachian Mountains or an easy Maritime forest nature hike on your next trip to the beach, Hiking North Carolina will be an indispensable part of your North Carolina outing.