This is by far the most detailed hiking guide to the Wasatch I have come across. It covers a good range of difficulties, from easy hikes to mountaineering scrambles. Has much more detail than books that cover the entire state of Utah. I recently moved to SLC and have been using this book consistently. I find that hike descriptions given in the book match reality in almost all cases for me which is not the case with some other similar books (especially hiking times).

John Veranth's book, Hiking The Wasatch, is the greatest work ever written for people who hike in the Salt Lake County Area of the Wasatch. It covers everything from easy family hikes to challenging ridge and mountaineering scrambles for the most experienced hiker. It includes great route descriptions, moderate hike times, trailhead locations, geological information, and historical references. There are other books that cover Wasatch Front Hiking, but only Veranth's book is a complete guide. I enjoyed this book, because it helped me accomplish my goal of climbing all of Salt Lake County's 32 10,000-foot peaks. If you enjoy peak-bagging, check out "Climbing Salt Lake County's 32 10,000-foot Peaks" by James Barlow, and Keith Stevens. His book is better than "Climbing...Peaks", because it also includes trails that are not routes up these peaks. It also has sections for the Foothills, Milcreek Canyon (North Side), and North & East Areas, where the peak-bagging book doesn't mention, due to lack of peaks. All the peaks are accessed from Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood, American Fork, or Milcreek (South Side). It also goes into much greater detail than Michael R Kelsey's "Utah Mountaineering Guide", and David Hall's "Hiking Utah", because it focuses just on the Salt Lake County section of the Wasatch, not the entire Range, or State of Utah. In the end, it is the Bible of general hiking in the Wasatch Range.

I can't believe this book is out of print. You can still find copies in bookstores and bike shops around Salt Lake City, so check around. Anyone who rides a mountain bike in northern Utah should have this book. Whatever sort of ride you're in the mood for can be found with a quick browse through the summaries at the beginning of each description. I have used it in planning epic weekend rides and in searching for shorter rides that I can get to after work when I get sick of my usual trails midway through the summer. The maps are well-done (unlike most other trail guides) and are worth the price of the book. There was a lot of time researching and preparing this guide and it shows in the pages.

I have heard that the author is writing a new book for the Wasatch area, but I also heard it was supposed to be in press back in spring 2002. I was searching for the new book when I saw this one was out of print. I haven't found a better trailguide for this region. Pick it up if you can find it.

It has finally arrived. The bible that everyone in the Salt Lake valley has been waiting for. No, it's not another religious doctrine. It is the guide to the diverse canyons of the Wasatch Range surrounding Salt Lake City, Utah. It's bigger and a whole lot better than the Ruckman's old guide. The guidebook covers all of the canyons that were in the previous guide, plus it covers new developments such as City Creek and Neffs Canyon. The Ruckmans follow the same format they used in their old guide, so don't expect many changes in that department. However, to say that this is only a revised edition is an understatement.

The guide is twice as thick as previous editions and covers almost twice as many routes. It is a little bit more expensive, but it is worth it if you want to find the areas like the Shore Line Crag, Broads Fork and a plethora of new routes throughout the Wasatch. The only shortcoming of the guide is its short mention of the bouldering areas. The guide des! cribes the locations of the bouldering areas but it does not describe any of the routes. This was probably done in order to save space and money but it would be nice for the Ruckmans to pass on some bouldering beta. Overall impression, the guide is an excellent investment and a good excuse to replace your old torn up guide.

It's rare to see a book of this exceptional quality for this price. Beautiful photos, interesting text - this is a really pretty book that will give you an overview of the area, which is really a beautiful place.