Books » Outdoor Recreation Books

A comprehensive guide to one of America's unique national parks, The C&O Canal Companion takes readers on a mile-by-mile tour of the 184-mile Potomac River waterway and towpath that stretches from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland, and the Allegheny Mountains. Making extensive use of records at the National Archives and the Park headquarters, the author demonstrates how events and places along the canal relate to the history of the nation, from Civil War battles and river crossings to the frontier forts guarding the route to the West. With photographs and drawings, he introduces park visitors to the hidden history along the canal and provides practical advice on cycling, paddling and hiking -- all the information needed to enjoy fully the park's varied delights. The new edition of this popular book features updated maps and the latest information on lodgings and other facilities for hikers, bikers, and campers. For a weekend excursion or an extended outdoor vacation, this guide remains indispensable for visitors to the C&O Canal park.

Praise for The C&O Canal Companion:

"An informative and affectionate guide to the canal written by C&O devotee Mike High... And yes, it'll fit comfortably in your backpack." -- Mid-Atlantic Country

"High gives practical information about exploring the canal and provides extensive historical background... Provides many opportunities for using the canal as a means of exploring this region's history." -- Historic Traveler

"There are other guides to the canal, but High's is the latest and may be the best. It's a mile-by-mile guide, well-illustrated, full of history and surrounding cultural notes. The more one learns about the canal, the more intriguing it is."--Fredricksburg Free Lance-Star

"A contender for the hearts and minds of canal buffs. It shows the results of serious historical research, particularly about the Civil War, and is well-written and organized." -- Washington Times

When the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 added a vast and unmapped wilderness area to the fledgling United States, President Thomas Jefferson persuaded Congress to fund a "Corps of Discovery" to explore these lands, and he picked a young man by the name of Meriwether Lewis to lead the way. Lewis and his co-command, Captain William Clark, kept journals of the expedition, and what they found amazed the world: three hundred new species of plants and animals, as well as wilderness prairie and mountains previously undescribed.

This book is the first guide to contemporary recreational adventures along the route of America's most famous pioneer expedition. It includes abundant natural history, as well as profiles of the many state and national parks to be found in Lewis and Clark country. Author Elizabeth Grossman divides the trail into six sections and recommends ten "explorations" in each, along with many side trips. She offers suggestions for the best day hiking, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, biking, and wildlife viewing--as well as short, easy walks and car trips to interpretive centers, Native American villages, and scenic vistas. Information on the Corps of Discovery's original campsites is also included, along with excerpts from Lewis and Clark's journals. Though much of the wild lands described in the journals is now gone, travelers can still recognize some of the terrain from these two hundred-year-old descriptions.

The present-day adventurer along the Lewis and Clark Trail will doubtless feel a powerful connection with the remaining natural glories that bridge the time from then to now, and will appreciate the opportunity to see this land through the lens of its dramatic history.

Adventure awaits you in Hawai'i! Let Adventuring in Hawai'i show you how and where to find it. Here is a comprehensive, up-to-date guide to the many outdoor activities available year-round in the Islands: hiking, backpacking, cycling, mountain biking, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, windsurfing, kayaking, hunting, fishing. Covering all six of the main islands, Adventuring in Hawai'i is also a complete, stand-alone reference, providing brief overviews of geology, geography, climate, flora, and fauna. It furnishes insights into the history and culture of the Fiftieth State and offers current information on public transportation, campgrounds, beach access, and personal safety. A helpful list of Hawaiian words is included, as well as a mini-directory of addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and web sites that will help you plan your adventures. For the not-so-active, "Adventuring by Car" sections provide directions to lesser-known but fascinating locales accessible by vehicle.

So get out of that beach chair--and take this book with you!

New Zealanders call their country the "Last Great Paradise" -- and it's no wonder. Similar in size to Japan or Great Britain, New Zealand offers a diversity of scenery hard to match anywhere in the world: glaciated mountains, active volcanoes, vast tracts of dense rainforest, wild rivers and tumbling waterfalls, crystal-clear lakes, magnificent fiords, rich rolling farmlands, dramatic cliffs, and secluded beaches.

Adventuring in New Zealand is the essential guidebook for anyone who wants to discover this country's abundant natural wonders, from the beaches and rocky headlands of the North Island to the scenic fiords of the South Island. This comprehensive volume features:
An overview of New Zealand's geology, flora, and fauna, and a brief history of its inhabitants, including Maori culture
Profiles of twelve national parks, twenty-one forest parks, three maritime parks, numerous scenic reserves, eight coastal farm parks, and many protected islands
Complete information on a wide variety of outdoor activities, including swimming, surfing, sailing, snorkeling, diving, rafting, boating, kayaking, cycling, spelunking, hunting and fishing, and horse trekking
Recommendations for the best hiking and climbing, from gentle strolls to multi-day "bush" trips, with information on New Zealand's extensive network of walking trails and backcountry huts
Practical information on visa and visitor permits, transportation and accommodations, clothing and travel essentials, maps and exchange rates, and weather and seasons
Appendices listing common plants and commonly and rarely sighted birds, a Maori glossary, and a recommended reading list
More than thirty maps and black-and-white photographs

In Beyond Mammoth Cave: A Tale of Obsession in the World's Longest Cave, James D. Borden and Roger W. Brucker provide gripping first-person accounts of the discoveries, including Roppel Cave, that made Kentucky's Mammoth Cave three times longer than any other cave in the world.

Borden, a relative newcomer, and Brucker, a veteran explorer, bring a personal and sometimes conflicting view of their roles as adversaries in a race that lasted from 1972 through 1983 to find "big cave." They describe hazardous adventures, precarious climbs, and close calls from falling rocks. The perils are many and the trek arduous as they squirm through muddy tubes, wade in neck-deep cold water, and crawl over sharp rocks and gritty sand. Theirs is a tale of agonizing endurance spiced by spectacular discoveries.

But the cave was not the sole obstacle. The explorations were complicated by political intrigue and the rivalry between the Kentucky-based Cave Research Foundation and the Central Kentucky Karst Coalition, each seeking to make discoveries and hide secrets. Extreme stress, of course, evoked extreme behavior, ranging from selfishness to sacrifice, from outrageous humor to the deadly serious response.

Beyond Mammoth Cave includes maps by Patricia Kambesis that show the progression of cave discoveries in relation to the topography. Original line drawings by well-known illustrator Linda Heslop capture the dark mystery of the exploration. The book features five black and white photographs as a color gallery of photographs.

A sequel to The Longest Cave by Brucker and Richard A. Watson, this book is a comprehensive update of the speleological investigations in the Mammoth Cave region. Brucker's involvement provides continuity to the investigation.

This beginner's guide to speleology emphasizes safety and protection of fragile ecosystems. Learn how to plan a caving trip from start to finish. Instructions show how to maneuver through small areas and vertical caves using ropes and how to rig a pitch for ascending and descending a vertical climb. Knot-tying diagrams aid the first-time spelunker. The book gives background on the two main types of cave passages, vadose and phreatic, and tips on spotting rock formations and cave decorations such as flowstone, stalagmites, helicites, and rimstone pools. Sections on cave surveying and photography describe how more advanced cavers augment their experiences underground. Includes contact information for caving organizations in Australia, South America, Europe, Africa, and the United States.

Pages: 187, Edition: 3rd Rev, Paperback, National Speleological Society

Alaska is like no other state and few countries; men experience greater risk in her arms. This one-of-a-kind anthology captures the spine tingling adventures of daring men and women who venture into Alaska's vast wilderness and look death in the eye. Danger Stalks the Land relates gripping episodes of animal attacks, avalanches, aircraft disasters, fishing, hunting, and skiing accidents, and chronicles risky climbs and reckless mountaineering amid Alaska's fantastic peaks. Through exhaustive research and interviews, author Larry Kaniut has captured in one volume, the terror and beauty of man's attempt to explore a vast and unforgiving land.