I call this guide "the campers bible". Don't leave home without it! We always travelled with confidence, assured that we would love the place we picked,we never worried about where we were going to stay.This guide also lets you go on spur of the moment trips without having to do lots of research and planning. Best of all, you can travel to the state of your choice and whenever you get tired of driving find the nearest campground where you're always with family. It's always packed away in our camper.

I have enjoyed Howard Stone's bike books for Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and as a new resident of Maine am delighted to have an opportunity to enjoy his rides in my new state. As always, Howard's ride descriptions and directions are very thorough and accurate. I especially appreciate the consistency with which he rates the difficulty of the rides. As an avid, but strictly recreational, cyclist, I found this to be an excellent book.

I read this book during the winter and couldn't wait for Spring to get going. You're in the saddle from the first tour to the last. I have ridden on two of the tours, one in North Hero and one in Stowe area, and the rides were deja vu...perfect directions and perfect suggestions. The simple route maps are outstanding. I'll be out there again this year with my dog-eared copy of 25 rides in Vermont keeping me company. I highly recommended this book to any serious or seriously casual rider.

Cape Cod is perhaps one of the best places to bike in New England. The rolling hills, the stunning views of the Atlantic and the jewel-like kettle-hole ponds in its interior sections make it a bicicyclists paradise. During 2 weeks in late springs several years ago, I used the bike routes in this book alone to make my way from the upper Cape near Sandwich down to the Outer Cape into Truro and Provincetown. I was not disappointed. The maps in combination with written directions offer just enough detail so that riders are always on the right track. And vista after vista was exactly what this rider was hoping for. The routes in this book helped me to come away with an intimate knowledge of Cape Cod and too many fond memories to count. It's obvious that the folks who wrote this book rode these routes time and time again, perfecting them and finally compiling them into this incredible guide to the most stunning bike routes on Cape Cod. If you want to get to know Cape Cod better, or if you're just looking for a variety of top-notch biking experiences in Eastern Massachusetts, this is the place and this is the book!

Rate my own book a "5"? Why not--it's worth it. Anyway, when you fill out these little forms, you have to pick a rating or it won't work. Why should I sell myself short? Anyway... I had a great time writing this "slamming, dirt-eating" mountain bike guide (Laura Jorstad wrote that. I love that girl! She was the best thing that ever happened to Backcountry Guides).

There's a lot of incredible riding in NJ. I guess I'd have to say that some of the flat tracking scenic stuff represents my personal favorites--rides like the Patriot's Path, The Delaware and Raritan Canal rides, etc. I had a really hard time putting together Allaire State Park, because of the profusion of trails and the odd signage. But that's a great ride, too...my advice for Allaire riders is to just forget the book's route directions after you've read the details, and ride. My favorite mountian trails would have to be Huber Woods and neighboring Hartshorne, where you can get an all-day non-headbanger ride on nice dirt treads that were designed for mountain biking. Both of those parks are good rides for groups of varying ability. BUT THE REAL REASON I'm wriing is to enlist your help.

This book is now 4 years old, and there may have been trail changes, policy changes, and sign changes since then. I'd like to invite all of you to comment on those changes if you'd like, in this somewhat easier forum than actually sitting down to write a letter to the editor. If I use your changes, I'll put you in the acknowledgements. It's a way you can make a difference, maybe. And sure, you'll be helping me out. A LOT. And how can I help you? Well, you have the book, don't ya?

Thanks for your contributions to trails advocacy in the state of New Jersey. And say hello to Wally Tunison and Lyle Lange for me. Regards, Peter peterwkick@aol.com

HI. I'm the author. In my humble opinion, this is a great book because it was truly a labor of love. I love to ride and I live in the Hudson Valley.

This book is getting on a bit. It was written in 1996 and just had its 3rd printing. The 3rd printing included a super-nice-looking new cover (don't cha think?), which is a huge improvement over the first cover, the one with Croton Dam and no bike. Oh, ok. A TINY little bike.

I have a comment to add about the back flap. Where it says I am also "the author of 25 Mountain bike Tours in the Hudson Valley" (well, obviously), it should say I'm also the author (of same) in the ADIRONDACKS. By the next printing, I hope this book will include the revisions it needs (including THAT one ???).

I also encourage any of you, my faithful (and beloved) readers, to send me any changes or new trail recommendations you might have.

Thanks for your interest in this guidebook. Regards, Peter peterwkick@aol.com

Connecticut residents who love the outdoors should consider this guide. The Hardy family offers an impressive array of hikes for people of all skill levels.

Each hike is thoroughly researched and includes detailed maps and photographs. I relied heavily on the maps and found them to be 100% accurate. The site descriptions are especially helpful. They include driving directions, parking instructions, and well-informed commentary about the trail itself. You will know precisely what vegetation or bird life to look for at specific points during your trip. Keep this book open during your hikes to fully appreciate the experience.

Logical organization enables efficient selection of hikes by region or length. Readers should be assured that this truly is a Connecticut book. The authors do not discriminate in favor of the oft-traversed northwest region. Connecticut hikers would do well to have this guide in their backpack.

Collaboratively developed and written by Stella Green and Neil Zimmerman, 50 Hikes In The Lower Hudson Valley is a practical and thoroughly enjoyable guide for hikers and nature walkers with an interest in enjoying the very best and most scenic routes in the Lower Hudson Valley area. Maps, trail descriptions, and black-and-white photographs round out this effectively put-together, "user friendly", and very highly recommended reference.

This book is by far the best trail guide I've ever used. (a) The directions to the trailhead are accurate to the tenth of a mile; (b) the directions on the trail are also very accurate; (c) each trail description has its own topo map; (d) the trails feature what the book says they'll feature; (e) the trails are fun!

The trail lengths in the book vary between 1-hour hikes to all-day affairs, with plenty of all types; also, the directions usually suggest other places to go or variations to shorter or lengthen the hike.

If you live in Pittsburgh or the area, buy this book.

I bought this book during one summer interning in New York City, and it opened up an entire new weekend agenda for me! Extremely specific about locations, activities, directions, it really helped me find ways to get out of the city for a breath of fresh air--and I think I ended up enjoying the city even more since I got to escape from it a couple of weekends. Well-organized information, and opens up a new world, especially for city-slickers.