Easy Hikes Close to Home: Phoenix

Note to readers: This is an excerpted review from a large print edition of the same book. I like the contents, but in large print edition, I commented more on the readability. This review is entirely about the content of this title.

Like many Menasha Ridge authors, Charles Liu has written an extensive hiking guide to the Phoenix region, and then excerpted some of the shorter hikes for a contribution to Menasha Ridge's "Easy Hikes Close to Home" series. Happily, this book does include some original material and anyone who enjoys southwest hiking will find some benefit from this title.

The book describes 20 different routes in the greater Phoenix area, all of which are within an hour's drive and none of which are longer than 6 miles. Still, readers who think they are getting all strolls in the park should be aware that no hike in the Phoenix area, especially in the summer, is truly easy. Be sure to carry plenty of water. Besides that, Liu has a passion for peaks, and this book includes several routes up the Phoenix mountains that are steep and moderately challenging. A few of these paths are not heavily frequented, but route descriptions are accurate, and this book includes a decent set of sketch maps.

As a (fairly regular) visitor to Phoenix, I prefer the short trail format. I get to see a lot of the region quickly in a morning or evening hike without having to acclimatize to the heat that dominates the area from April through October. I also appreciate the diversity of terrain in the book, including a waterfall! (Really.) So if you find yourself in Phoenix for a few days, this is a nice book to pick up. It will give you a variety of options for exploring a part of the city visitors rarely see. Even residents will benefit from this title, though Liu's longer book, 60 Hikes within 60 Miles, Phoenix, may be a better choice for those who live in the Valley of the Sun.