Great Hiking Trails of the World: 80 Trails, 75,000 Miles, 38 Countries, 6 Continents

Ambitious hiking books like this come in two flavors: mainly informational or mainly inspirational. This is the latter. It's more of a really nice coffee table-style tome, filled with insights from the author on the character and history of each trail and packed with many fantastic photos. What kind of trails are included? The key word here is right in the title: GREAT. "Great" as in amazing - these are, without a doubt, mind-blowing trails. "Great" as in size - these are long trails. The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Via Alpina - virtually all of them are multi-day treks, with some taking months to complete. "Great" as in famous - these are well-established trails, many of which will be familiar (by name, at least) to avid hikers. So you won't find shorter trails such as the Sentiero degli Dei in Italy or The Narrows in Utah here (to pick two examples out of a hat). Nor will you find worthwhile yet lesser trod areas such as, say, the Cordillera Huayhuash, Dinaric Alps, or mountains of Georgia (the nation, natch). And the cover touting "80 Trails", while technically correct, is best thought of as 35 trails with a full write-up and 45 'honorable mentions'. The book features basic practical information, such as the length of the trail and the best season to go. This is smart - you could write an entire book devoted to any one of the trails here. This is not a trail guide, nor is it trying to be. If you're looking for an informational alternative, try Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World". However, if you're looking for a book to be inspired by, to gawk at, or to present as a gift for your favorite armchair traveler, this makes a great choice.

I would call Karen Berger's "Great Hiking Trails of the World" a "coffee table dream guide" as it can serve as a great tool for prioritizing your epic hikes. The title of the books is a bit misleading as it really only focuses on 35 hikes. The other 45 only get one paragraph each, which may not be enough information for making your list. Of these 35 longer reviews, there is just the right amount of information. As the author notes, her selections are a bit eclectic. Mt. Kenya gets a full review, while Mt. Kilimanjaro gets only a paragraph. I hiked Mt. Kenya two years ago and found Berger's review to be accurate and sufficient. The author is quite right that Mt. Kenya is unfairly overlooked because it is 2,000 feet shorter than Kilimanjaro, even though it is more beautiful, much less crowded, and the wildlife much more diverse. Of course, the best solution is to do them both! "Great Hiking Trails" has several minor short-comings. The book is long on beautiful photographs, but rather short when it comes to practical information about the actual hikes. The only maps are continental in scope to show the distribution of the hikes in the world. Since the book is organized by theme (such as pilgrimages and peaks) rather than region, the maps would be more useful if they included page numbers. The best way to overcome these shortcomings is to also get Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World." His book is shorter but goes into much more detail about each of his 23 selections. There is also surprisingly little overlap between the two books. For example, he has a detailed review of Kilimanjaro. My review of his book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3VLJBN5NTM8GJ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0393057968

I have heard about the author’s work, seen random things about her professional life on social media, and have come to respect and admire her as an author, an artist, and a motivator. I bought the book out of curiosity and immediately decided it was the perfect Christmas gift for my husband. We are periodic hikers but constant dreamers about such places, and nothing suits the bill better than to present this to him. We hiked to the summit of Mount Fuji 4 years ago and it’s long past time to take another significant hike together. This book is full of beautifully presented hikes around the world. The author is engaging and articulate, and knows her content first hand. So well done, such a beautiful volume for our home. It may be hidden in my sweater drawer waiting for Christmas, but I will admit here that I am guilty of pulling it out several times to turn the pages of this gorgeous gift, with dreams of the adventures that lie ahead.

Another great read for those like me who are scared to fly. I know I will never get to any of these places, but I get to see them through these wonderful photos. Beautiful large photos. Maps that let you see where the trails are. Well written descriptions. It is quite large and quite heavy. Not recommended for traveling with. Perfect for reading on cold dreary nights, helping you dream of these colorful places and what you would do if you traveled there.

Beautiful gift for the hiking lover in your life. Bought this for my brother's 40th birthday and it's really beautiful - quality is great. Came in perfect condition. I only had a chance to skim through it as it was a gift but the content was interesting with high quality images as well. Want to buy myself one!

I gave this book to my son and his gf for Christmas. They loved it and everyone else in the family was passing it around and ogling the hikes (beautiful photograph of each one) and dreaming about traveling to the spots (fun way they are noted with latitude and longitude points) in the future.

Fast shipping, securely packaged. My hiking obsessed sister loved it. She immediately opened and began browsing all the nice photos, marking off the places she has already seen, and the ones she wants to visit. Thank you!

My father and I love this book. I want to hike the world now. What gorgeous photos and explorations. Love the deep information too - deciding how far to go or what we will see.

gives a lot of info about the trails. why they are interesting, etc. I LOVE THIS BOOK.

It’s amazing! I had no idea it was going to be this nice.

Ambitious hiking books like this come in two flavors: mainly informational or mainly inspirational. This is the latter. It's more of a really nice coffee table-style tome, filled with insights from the author on the character and history of each trail and packed with many fantastic photos. What kind of trails are included? The key word here is right in the title: GREAT. "Great" as in amazing - these are, without a doubt, mind-blowing trails. "Great" as in size - these are long trails. The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Via Alpina - virtually all of them are multi-day treks, with some taking months to complete. "Great" as in famous - these are well-established trails, many of which will be familiar (by name, at least) to avid hikers. So you won't find shorter trails such as the Sentiero degli Dei in Italy or The Narrows in Utah here (to pick two examples out of a hat). Nor will you find worthwhile yet lesser trod areas such as, say, the Cordillera Huayhuash, Dinaric Alps, or mountains of Georgia (the nation, natch). And the cover touting "80 Trails", while technically correct, is best thought of as 35 trails with a full write-up and 45 'honorable mentions'. The book features basic practical information, such as the length of the trail and the best season to go. This is smart - you could write an entire book devoted to any one of the trails here. This is not a trail guide, nor is it trying to be. If you're looking for an informational alternative, try Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World". However, if you're looking for a book to be inspired by, to gawk at, or to present as a gift for your favorite armchair traveler, this makes a great choice.

I would call Karen Berger's "Great Hiking Trails of the World" a "coffee table dream guide" as it can serve as a great tool for prioritizing your epic hikes. The title of the books is a bit misleading as it really only focuses on 35 hikes. The other 45 only get one paragraph each, which may not be enough information for making your list. Of these 35 longer reviews, there is just the right amount of information. As the author notes, her selections are a bit eclectic. Mt. Kenya gets a full review, while Mt. Kilimanjaro gets only a paragraph. I hiked Mt. Kenya two years ago and found Berger's review to be accurate and sufficient. The author is quite right that Mt. Kenya is unfairly overlooked because it is 2,000 feet shorter than Kilimanjaro, even though it is more beautiful, much less crowded, and the wildlife much more diverse. Of course, the best solution is to do them both! "Great Hiking Trails" has several minor short-comings. The book is long on beautiful photographs, but rather short when it comes to practical information about the actual hikes. The only maps are continental in scope to show the distribution of the hikes in the world. Since the book is organized by theme (such as pilgrimages and peaks) rather than region, the maps would be more useful if they included page numbers. The best way to overcome these shortcomings is to also get Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World." His book is shorter but goes into much more detail about each of his 23 selections. There is also surprisingly little overlap between the two books. For example, he has a detailed review of Kilimanjaro. My review of his book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3VLJBN5NTM8GJ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0393057968

I have heard about the author’s work, seen random things about her professional life on social media, and have come to respect and admire her as an author, an artist, and a motivator. I bought the book out of curiosity and immediately decided it was the perfect Christmas gift for my husband. We are periodic hikers but constant dreamers about such places, and nothing suits the bill better than to present this to him. We hiked to the summit of Mount Fuji 4 years ago and it’s long past time to take another significant hike together. This book is full of beautifully presented hikes around the world. The author is engaging and articulate, and knows her content first hand. So well done, such a beautiful volume for our home. It may be hidden in my sweater drawer waiting for Christmas, but I will admit here that I am guilty of pulling it out several times to turn the pages of this gorgeous gift, with dreams of the adventures that lie ahead.

Another great read for those like me who are scared to fly. I know I will never get to any of these places, but I get to see them through these wonderful photos. Beautiful large photos. Maps that let you see where the trails are. Well written descriptions. It is quite large and quite heavy. Not recommended for traveling with. Perfect for reading on cold dreary nights, helping you dream of these colorful places and what you would do if you traveled there.

Beautiful gift for the hiking lover in your life. Bought this for my brother's 40th birthday and it's really beautiful - quality is great. Came in perfect condition. I only had a chance to skim through it as it was a gift but the content was interesting with high quality images as well. Want to buy myself one!

I gave this book to my son and his gf for Christmas. They loved it and everyone else in the family was passing it around and ogling the hikes (beautiful photograph of each one) and dreaming about traveling to the spots (fun way they are noted with latitude and longitude points) in the future.

Fast shipping, securely packaged. My hiking obsessed sister loved it. She immediately opened and began browsing all the nice photos, marking off the places she has already seen, and the ones she wants to visit. Thank you!

My father and I love this book. I want to hike the world now. What gorgeous photos and explorations. Love the deep information too - deciding how far to go or what we will see.

gives a lot of info about the trails. why they are interesting, etc. I LOVE THIS BOOK.

It’s amazing! I had no idea it was going to be this nice.

Ambitious hiking books like this come in two flavors: mainly informational or mainly inspirational. This is the latter. It's more of a really nice coffee table-style tome, filled with insights from the author on the character and history of each trail and packed with many fantastic photos. What kind of trails are included? The key word here is right in the title: GREAT. "Great" as in amazing - these are, without a doubt, mind-blowing trails. "Great" as in size - these are long trails. The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Via Alpina - virtually all of them are multi-day treks, with some taking months to complete. "Great" as in famous - these are well-established trails, many of which will be familiar (by name, at least) to avid hikers. So you won't find shorter trails such as the Sentiero degli Dei in Italy or The Narrows in Utah here (to pick two examples out of a hat). Nor will you find worthwhile yet lesser trod areas such as, say, the Cordillera Huayhuash, Dinaric Alps, or mountains of Georgia (the nation, natch). And the cover touting "80 Trails", while technically correct, is best thought of as 35 trails with a full write-up and 45 'honorable mentions'. The book features basic practical information, such as the length of the trail and the best season to go. This is smart - you could write an entire book devoted to any one of the trails here. This is not a trail guide, nor is it trying to be. If you're looking for an informational alternative, try Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World". However, if you're looking for a book to be inspired by, to gawk at, or to present as a gift for your favorite armchair traveler, this makes a great choice.

I would call Karen Berger's "Great Hiking Trails of the World" a "coffee table dream guide" as it can serve as a great tool for prioritizing your epic hikes. The title of the books is a bit misleading as it really only focuses on 35 hikes. The other 45 only get one paragraph each, which may not be enough information for making your list. Of these 35 longer reviews, there is just the right amount of information. As the author notes, her selections are a bit eclectic. Mt. Kenya gets a full review, while Mt. Kilimanjaro gets only a paragraph. I hiked Mt. Kenya two years ago and found Berger's review to be accurate and sufficient. The author is quite right that Mt. Kenya is unfairly overlooked because it is 2,000 feet shorter than Kilimanjaro, even though it is more beautiful, much less crowded, and the wildlife much more diverse. Of course, the best solution is to do them both! "Great Hiking Trails" has several minor short-comings. The book is long on beautiful photographs, but rather short when it comes to practical information about the actual hikes. The only maps are continental in scope to show the distribution of the hikes in the world. Since the book is organized by theme (such as pilgrimages and peaks) rather than region, the maps would be more useful if they included page numbers. The best way to overcome these shortcomings is to also get Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World." His book is shorter but goes into much more detail about each of his 23 selections. There is also surprisingly little overlap between the two books. For example, he has a detailed review of Kilimanjaro. My review of his book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3VLJBN5NTM8GJ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0393057968

I have heard about the author’s work, seen random things about her professional life on social media, and have come to respect and admire her as an author, an artist, and a motivator. I bought the book out of curiosity and immediately decided it was the perfect Christmas gift for my husband. We are periodic hikers but constant dreamers about such places, and nothing suits the bill better than to present this to him. We hiked to the summit of Mount Fuji 4 years ago and it’s long past time to take another significant hike together. This book is full of beautifully presented hikes around the world. The author is engaging and articulate, and knows her content first hand. So well done, such a beautiful volume for our home. It may be hidden in my sweater drawer waiting for Christmas, but I will admit here that I am guilty of pulling it out several times to turn the pages of this gorgeous gift, with dreams of the adventures that lie ahead.

Another great read for those like me who are scared to fly. I know I will never get to any of these places, but I get to see them through these wonderful photos. Beautiful large photos. Maps that let you see where the trails are. Well written descriptions. It is quite large and quite heavy. Not recommended for traveling with. Perfect for reading on cold dreary nights, helping you dream of these colorful places and what you would do if you traveled there.

Beautiful gift for the hiking lover in your life. Bought this for my brother's 40th birthday and it's really beautiful - quality is great. Came in perfect condition. I only had a chance to skim through it as it was a gift but the content was interesting with high quality images as well. Want to buy myself one!

I gave this book to my son and his gf for Christmas. They loved it and everyone else in the family was passing it around and ogling the hikes (beautiful photograph of each one) and dreaming about traveling to the spots (fun way they are noted with latitude and longitude points) in the future.

Fast shipping, securely packaged. My hiking obsessed sister loved it. She immediately opened and began browsing all the nice photos, marking off the places she has already seen, and the ones she wants to visit. Thank you!

My father and I love this book. I want to hike the world now. What gorgeous photos and explorations. Love the deep information too - deciding how far to go or what we will see.

gives a lot of info about the trails. why they are interesting, etc. I LOVE THIS BOOK.

It’s amazing! I had no idea it was going to be this nice.

Ambitious hiking books like this come in two flavors: mainly informational or mainly inspirational. This is the latter. It's more of a really nice coffee table-style tome, filled with insights from the author on the character and history of each trail and packed with many fantastic photos. What kind of trails are included? The key word here is right in the title: GREAT. "Great" as in amazing - these are, without a doubt, mind-blowing trails. "Great" as in size - these are long trails. The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Via Alpina - virtually all of them are multi-day treks, with some taking months to complete. "Great" as in famous - these are well-established trails, many of which will be familiar (by name, at least) to avid hikers. So you won't find shorter trails such as the Sentiero degli Dei in Italy or The Narrows in Utah here (to pick two examples out of a hat). Nor will you find worthwhile yet lesser trod areas such as, say, the Cordillera Huayhuash, Dinaric Alps, or mountains of Georgia (the nation, natch). And the cover touting "80 Trails", while technically correct, is best thought of as 35 trails with a full write-up and 45 'honorable mentions'. The book features basic practical information, such as the length of the trail and the best season to go. This is smart - you could write an entire book devoted to any one of the trails here. This is not a trail guide, nor is it trying to be. If you're looking for an informational alternative, try Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World". However, if you're looking for a book to be inspired by, to gawk at, or to present as a gift for your favorite armchair traveler, this makes a great choice.

I would call Karen Berger's "Great Hiking Trails of the World" a "coffee table dream guide" as it can serve as a great tool for prioritizing your epic hikes. The title of the books is a bit misleading as it really only focuses on 35 hikes. The other 45 only get one paragraph each, which may not be enough information for making your list. Of these 35 longer reviews, there is just the right amount of information. As the author notes, her selections are a bit eclectic. Mt. Kenya gets a full review, while Mt. Kilimanjaro gets only a paragraph. I hiked Mt. Kenya two years ago and found Berger's review to be accurate and sufficient. The author is quite right that Mt. Kenya is unfairly overlooked because it is 2,000 feet shorter than Kilimanjaro, even though it is more beautiful, much less crowded, and the wildlife much more diverse. Of course, the best solution is to do them both! "Great Hiking Trails" has several minor short-comings. The book is long on beautiful photographs, but rather short when it comes to practical information about the actual hikes. The only maps are continental in scope to show the distribution of the hikes in the world. Since the book is organized by theme (such as pilgrimages and peaks) rather than region, the maps would be more useful if they included page numbers. The best way to overcome these shortcomings is to also get Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World." His book is shorter but goes into much more detail about each of his 23 selections. There is also surprisingly little overlap between the two books. For example, he has a detailed review of Kilimanjaro. My review of his book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3VLJBN5NTM8GJ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0393057968

I have heard about the author’s work, seen random things about her professional life on social media, and have come to respect and admire her as an author, an artist, and a motivator. I bought the book out of curiosity and immediately decided it was the perfect Christmas gift for my husband. We are periodic hikers but constant dreamers about such places, and nothing suits the bill better than to present this to him. We hiked to the summit of Mount Fuji 4 years ago and it’s long past time to take another significant hike together. This book is full of beautifully presented hikes around the world. The author is engaging and articulate, and knows her content first hand. So well done, such a beautiful volume for our home. It may be hidden in my sweater drawer waiting for Christmas, but I will admit here that I am guilty of pulling it out several times to turn the pages of this gorgeous gift, with dreams of the adventures that lie ahead.

Another great read for those like me who are scared to fly. I know I will never get to any of these places, but I get to see them through these wonderful photos. Beautiful large photos. Maps that let you see where the trails are. Well written descriptions. It is quite large and quite heavy. Not recommended for traveling with. Perfect for reading on cold dreary nights, helping you dream of these colorful places and what you would do if you traveled there.

Beautiful gift for the hiking lover in your life. Bought this for my brother's 40th birthday and it's really beautiful - quality is great. Came in perfect condition. I only had a chance to skim through it as it was a gift but the content was interesting with high quality images as well. Want to buy myself one!

I gave this book to my son and his gf for Christmas. They loved it and everyone else in the family was passing it around and ogling the hikes (beautiful photograph of each one) and dreaming about traveling to the spots (fun way they are noted with latitude and longitude points) in the future.

Fast shipping, securely packaged. My hiking obsessed sister loved it. She immediately opened and began browsing all the nice photos, marking off the places she has already seen, and the ones she wants to visit. Thank you!

My father and I love this book. I want to hike the world now. What gorgeous photos and explorations. Love the deep information too - deciding how far to go or what we will see.

gives a lot of info about the trails. why they are interesting, etc. I LOVE THIS BOOK.

It’s amazing! I had no idea it was going to be this nice.

Ambitious hiking books like this come in two flavors: mainly informational or mainly inspirational. This is the latter. It's more of a really nice coffee table-style tome, filled with insights from the author on the character and history of each trail and packed with many fantastic photos. What kind of trails are included? The key word here is right in the title: GREAT. "Great" as in amazing - these are, without a doubt, mind-blowing trails. "Great" as in size - these are long trails. The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Via Alpina - virtually all of them are multi-day treks, with some taking months to complete. "Great" as in famous - these are well-established trails, many of which will be familiar (by name, at least) to avid hikers. So you won't find shorter trails such as the Sentiero degli Dei in Italy or The Narrows in Utah here (to pick two examples out of a hat). Nor will you find worthwhile yet lesser trod areas such as, say, the Cordillera Huayhuash, Dinaric Alps, or mountains of Georgia (the nation, natch). And the cover touting "80 Trails", while technically correct, is best thought of as 35 trails with a full write-up and 45 'honorable mentions'. The book features basic practical information, such as the length of the trail and the best season to go. This is smart - you could write an entire book devoted to any one of the trails here. This is not a trail guide, nor is it trying to be. If you're looking for an informational alternative, try Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World". However, if you're looking for a book to be inspired by, to gawk at, or to present as a gift for your favorite armchair traveler, this makes a great choice.

I would call Karen Berger's "Great Hiking Trails of the World" a "coffee table dream guide" as it can serve as a great tool for prioritizing your epic hikes. The title of the books is a bit misleading as it really only focuses on 35 hikes. The other 45 only get one paragraph each, which may not be enough information for making your list. Of these 35 longer reviews, there is just the right amount of information. As the author notes, her selections are a bit eclectic. Mt. Kenya gets a full review, while Mt. Kilimanjaro gets only a paragraph. I hiked Mt. Kenya two years ago and found Berger's review to be accurate and sufficient. The author is quite right that Mt. Kenya is unfairly overlooked because it is 2,000 feet shorter than Kilimanjaro, even though it is more beautiful, much less crowded, and the wildlife much more diverse. Of course, the best solution is to do them both! "Great Hiking Trails" has several minor short-comings. The book is long on beautiful photographs, but rather short when it comes to practical information about the actual hikes. The only maps are continental in scope to show the distribution of the hikes in the world. Since the book is organized by theme (such as pilgrimages and peaks) rather than region, the maps would be more useful if they included page numbers. The best way to overcome these shortcomings is to also get Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World." His book is shorter but goes into much more detail about each of his 23 selections. There is also surprisingly little overlap between the two books. For example, he has a detailed review of Kilimanjaro. My review of his book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3VLJBN5NTM8GJ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0393057968

I have heard about the author’s work, seen random things about her professional life on social media, and have come to respect and admire her as an author, an artist, and a motivator. I bought the book out of curiosity and immediately decided it was the perfect Christmas gift for my husband. We are periodic hikers but constant dreamers about such places, and nothing suits the bill better than to present this to him. We hiked to the summit of Mount Fuji 4 years ago and it’s long past time to take another significant hike together. This book is full of beautifully presented hikes around the world. The author is engaging and articulate, and knows her content first hand. So well done, such a beautiful volume for our home. It may be hidden in my sweater drawer waiting for Christmas, but I will admit here that I am guilty of pulling it out several times to turn the pages of this gorgeous gift, with dreams of the adventures that lie ahead.

Another great read for those like me who are scared to fly. I know I will never get to any of these places, but I get to see them through these wonderful photos. Beautiful large photos. Maps that let you see where the trails are. Well written descriptions. It is quite large and quite heavy. Not recommended for traveling with. Perfect for reading on cold dreary nights, helping you dream of these colorful places and what you would do if you traveled there.

Beautiful gift for the hiking lover in your life. Bought this for my brother's 40th birthday and it's really beautiful - quality is great. Came in perfect condition. I only had a chance to skim through it as it was a gift but the content was interesting with high quality images as well. Want to buy myself one!

I gave this book to my son and his gf for Christmas. They loved it and everyone else in the family was passing it around and ogling the hikes (beautiful photograph of each one) and dreaming about traveling to the spots (fun way they are noted with latitude and longitude points) in the future.

Fast shipping, securely packaged. My hiking obsessed sister loved it. She immediately opened and began browsing all the nice photos, marking off the places she has already seen, and the ones she wants to visit. Thank you!

My father and I love this book. I want to hike the world now. What gorgeous photos and explorations. Love the deep information too - deciding how far to go or what we will see.

gives a lot of info about the trails. why they are interesting, etc. I LOVE THIS BOOK.

It’s amazing! I had no idea it was going to be this nice.

Gave this to our niece for her birthday. She is an avid hiker and loved it!

I bought it as a Christmas present and was very pleased with it!

Love this book!

I got this as a gift for a friend who is an avid hiker. She loved it and is already planning so many hikes for the upcoming year!

Very nice quality. Got it for my boyfriend as part of gift and he enjoys it. He’s big into hiking. The pictures and reviews in this book are very nice.

It is a great book. It gives great ideas for hiking destinations. Even for non-hikers, it is fun to dream about exciting and faraway adventures.

Great for hiking trip!

Great looking book!

Wonderful product. Very pleased!. Beautiful pictures

Xmas gift - person loved it

Ambitious hiking books like this come in two flavors: mainly informational or mainly inspirational. This is the latter. It's more of a really nice coffee table-style tome, filled with insights from the author on the character and history of each trail and packed with many fantastic photos. What kind of trails are included? The key word here is right in the title: GREAT. "Great" as in amazing - these are, without a doubt, mind-blowing trails. "Great" as in size - these are long trails. The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Via Alpina - virtually all of them are multi-day treks, with some taking months to complete. "Great" as in famous - these are well-established trails, many of which will be familiar (by name, at least) to avid hikers. So you won't find shorter trails such as the Sentiero degli Dei in Italy or The Narrows in Utah here (to pick two examples out of a hat). Nor will you find worthwhile yet lesser trod areas such as, say, the Cordillera Huayhuash, Dinaric Alps, or mountains of Georgia (the nation, natch). And the cover touting "80 Trails", while technically correct, is best thought of as 35 trails with a full write-up and 45 'honorable mentions'. The book features basic practical information, such as the length of the trail and the best season to go. This is smart - you could write an entire book devoted to any one of the trails here. This is not a trail guide, nor is it trying to be. If you're looking for an informational alternative, try Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World". However, if you're looking for a book to be inspired by, to gawk at, or to present as a gift for your favorite armchair traveler, this makes a great choice.

I would call Karen Berger's "Great Hiking Trails of the World" a "coffee table dream guide" as it can serve as a great tool for prioritizing your epic hikes. The title of the books is a bit misleading as it really only focuses on 35 hikes. The other 45 only get one paragraph each, which may not be enough information for making your list. Of these 35 longer reviews, there is just the right amount of information. As the author notes, her selections are a bit eclectic. Mt. Kenya gets a full review, while Mt. Kilimanjaro gets only a paragraph. I hiked Mt. Kenya two years ago and found Berger's review to be accurate and sufficient. The author is quite right that Mt. Kenya is unfairly overlooked because it is 2,000 feet shorter than Kilimanjaro, even though it is more beautiful, much less crowded, and the wildlife much more diverse. Of course, the best solution is to do them both! "Great Hiking Trails" has several minor short-comings. The book is long on beautiful photographs, but rather short when it comes to practical information about the actual hikes. The only maps are continental in scope to show the distribution of the hikes in the world. Since the book is organized by theme (such as pilgrimages and peaks) rather than region, the maps would be more useful if they included page numbers. The best way to overcome these shortcomings is to also get Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World." His book is shorter but goes into much more detail about each of his 23 selections. There is also surprisingly little overlap between the two books. For example, he has a detailed review of Kilimanjaro. My review of his book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3VLJBN5NTM8GJ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0393057968

I have heard about the author’s work, seen random things about her professional life on social media, and have come to respect and admire her as an author, an artist, and a motivator. I bought the book out of curiosity and immediately decided it was the perfect Christmas gift for my husband. We are periodic hikers but constant dreamers about such places, and nothing suits the bill better than to present this to him. We hiked to the summit of Mount Fuji 4 years ago and it’s long past time to take another significant hike together. This book is full of beautifully presented hikes around the world. The author is engaging and articulate, and knows her content first hand. So well done, such a beautiful volume for our home. It may be hidden in my sweater drawer waiting for Christmas, but I will admit here that I am guilty of pulling it out several times to turn the pages of this gorgeous gift, with dreams of the adventures that lie ahead.

Another great read for those like me who are scared to fly. I know I will never get to any of these places, but I get to see them through these wonderful photos. Beautiful large photos. Maps that let you see where the trails are. Well written descriptions. It is quite large and quite heavy. Not recommended for traveling with. Perfect for reading on cold dreary nights, helping you dream of these colorful places and what you would do if you traveled there.

Beautiful gift for the hiking lover in your life. Bought this for my brother's 40th birthday and it's really beautiful - quality is great. Came in perfect condition. I only had a chance to skim through it as it was a gift but the content was interesting with high quality images as well. Want to buy myself one!

I gave this book to my son and his gf for Christmas. They loved it and everyone else in the family was passing it around and ogling the hikes (beautiful photograph of each one) and dreaming about traveling to the spots (fun way they are noted with latitude and longitude points) in the future.

Fast shipping, securely packaged. My hiking obsessed sister loved it. She immediately opened and began browsing all the nice photos, marking off the places she has already seen, and the ones she wants to visit. Thank you!

My father and I love this book. I want to hike the world now. What gorgeous photos and explorations. Love the deep information too - deciding how far to go or what we will see.

gives a lot of info about the trails. why they are interesting, etc. I LOVE THIS BOOK.

It’s amazing! I had no idea it was going to be this nice.

Wife hikes the world

Got it for a friend. I think he’ll like it.

super informative material; helpful to family traveling through Europe and camping and hiking.

Way over expectations

Incredibly impressed by this wonderful compilation. The photos are truly masterful and stunning. The narrative quickly draws you into each trail, then entices you to “explore” the next one. This book is not just for hikers and backpackers … everyone can enjoy their own amazing journey on the trails displayed in this book! Kudos to Karen Berger.

Beautifully illustrated. Very informative. Gave it as a gift and the recipient was very pleased and impressed.

Big, heavy book, but FULL of gorgeous photographs and great information!

Gorgeous book. Incredible pictures and interesting text that gives you an idea about the history, culture, and environment of the place. Perfect book to have on the coffee table where a guest can thumb through the picture, but also easy to lose an afternoon reading through some of the hikes. Got it as a gift and highly recommend

Beautifully written, with evocative photographs of the various trails. Perfect for armchair travelers or for those who want ideas for an upcoming trip. I turned the last page and was ready to put on my hiking boots and set out.

She Loved It

Ambitious hiking books like this come in two flavors: mainly informational or mainly inspirational. This is the latter. It's more of a really nice coffee table-style tome, filled with insights from the author on the character and history of each trail and packed with many fantastic photos. What kind of trails are included? The key word here is right in the title: GREAT. "Great" as in amazing - these are, without a doubt, mind-blowing trails. "Great" as in size - these are long trails. The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Via Alpina - virtually all of them are multi-day treks, with some taking months to complete. "Great" as in famous - these are well-established trails, many of which will be familiar (by name, at least) to avid hikers. So you won't find shorter trails such as the Sentiero degli Dei in Italy or The Narrows in Utah here (to pick two examples out of a hat). Nor will you find worthwhile yet lesser trod areas such as, say, the Cordillera Huayhuash, Dinaric Alps, or mountains of Georgia (the nation, natch). And the cover touting "80 Trails", while technically correct, is best thought of as 35 trails with a full write-up and 45 'honorable mentions'. The book features basic practical information, such as the length of the trail and the best season to go. This is smart - you could write an entire book devoted to any one of the trails here. This is not a trail guide, nor is it trying to be. If you're looking for an informational alternative, try Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World". However, if you're looking for a book to be inspired by, to gawk at, or to present as a gift for your favorite armchair traveler, this makes a great choice.

I would call Karen Berger's "Great Hiking Trails of the World" a "coffee table dream guide" as it can serve as a great tool for prioritizing your epic hikes. The title of the books is a bit misleading as it really only focuses on 35 hikes. The other 45 only get one paragraph each, which may not be enough information for making your list. Of these 35 longer reviews, there is just the right amount of information. As the author notes, her selections are a bit eclectic. Mt. Kenya gets a full review, while Mt. Kilimanjaro gets only a paragraph. I hiked Mt. Kenya two years ago and found Berger's review to be accurate and sufficient. The author is quite right that Mt. Kenya is unfairly overlooked because it is 2,000 feet shorter than Kilimanjaro, even though it is more beautiful, much less crowded, and the wildlife much more diverse. Of course, the best solution is to do them both! "Great Hiking Trails" has several minor short-comings. The book is long on beautiful photographs, but rather short when it comes to practical information about the actual hikes. The only maps are continental in scope to show the distribution of the hikes in the world. Since the book is organized by theme (such as pilgrimages and peaks) rather than region, the maps would be more useful if they included page numbers. The best way to overcome these shortcomings is to also get Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World." His book is shorter but goes into much more detail about each of his 23 selections. There is also surprisingly little overlap between the two books. For example, he has a detailed review of Kilimanjaro. My review of his book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3VLJBN5NTM8GJ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0393057968

I have heard about the author’s work, seen random things about her professional life on social media, and have come to respect and admire her as an author, an artist, and a motivator. I bought the book out of curiosity and immediately decided it was the perfect Christmas gift for my husband. We are periodic hikers but constant dreamers about such places, and nothing suits the bill better than to present this to him. We hiked to the summit of Mount Fuji 4 years ago and it’s long past time to take another significant hike together. This book is full of beautifully presented hikes around the world. The author is engaging and articulate, and knows her content first hand. So well done, such a beautiful volume for our home. It may be hidden in my sweater drawer waiting for Christmas, but I will admit here that I am guilty of pulling it out several times to turn the pages of this gorgeous gift, with dreams of the adventures that lie ahead.

Another great read for those like me who are scared to fly. I know I will never get to any of these places, but I get to see them through these wonderful photos. Beautiful large photos. Maps that let you see where the trails are. Well written descriptions. It is quite large and quite heavy. Not recommended for traveling with. Perfect for reading on cold dreary nights, helping you dream of these colorful places and what you would do if you traveled there.

Beautiful gift for the hiking lover in your life. Bought this for my brother's 40th birthday and it's really beautiful - quality is great. Came in perfect condition. I only had a chance to skim through it as it was a gift but the content was interesting with high quality images as well. Want to buy myself one!

I gave this book to my son and his gf for Christmas. They loved it and everyone else in the family was passing it around and ogling the hikes (beautiful photograph of each one) and dreaming about traveling to the spots (fun way they are noted with latitude and longitude points) in the future.

Fast shipping, securely packaged. My hiking obsessed sister loved it. She immediately opened and began browsing all the nice photos, marking off the places she has already seen, and the ones she wants to visit. Thank you!

My father and I love this book. I want to hike the world now. What gorgeous photos and explorations. Love the deep information too - deciding how far to go or what we will see.

gives a lot of info about the trails. why they are interesting, etc. I LOVE THIS BOOK.

It’s amazing! I had no idea it was going to be this nice.

This is like really nice. Much better quality than I’d have expected. Really sturdy hardcover coffee table book. Came well packaged so as to not ruin the cover

Bought this book as a gift. They loved the book but the binding was splitting instantly.

This was a present for one of those awkward johnnies who is impossible to buy for. But he loved this and it kept him happy all through Christmas. Job done.

Beautiful photos of gorgeous landscapes. A book full of things to add to your bucket list.

Ambitious hiking books like this come in two flavors: mainly informational or mainly inspirational. This is the latter. It's more of a really nice coffee table-style tome, filled with insights from the author on the character and history of each trail and packed with many fantastic photos. What kind of trails are included? The key word here is right in the title: GREAT. "Great" as in amazing - these are, without a doubt, mind-blowing trails. "Great" as in size - these are long trails. The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Via Alpina - virtually all of them are multi-day treks, with some taking months to complete. "Great" as in famous - these are well-established trails, many of which will be familiar (by name, at least) to avid hikers. So you won't find shorter trails such as the Sentiero degli Dei in Italy or The Narrows in Utah here (to pick two examples out of a hat). Nor will you find worthwhile yet lesser trod areas such as, say, the Cordillera Huayhuash, Dinaric Alps, or mountains of Georgia (the nation, natch). And the cover touting "80 Trails", while technically correct, is best thought of as 35 trails with a full write-up and 45 'honorable mentions'. The book features basic practical information, such as the length of the trail and the best season to go. This is smart - you could write an entire book devoted to any one of the trails here. This is not a trail guide, nor is it trying to be. If you're looking for an informational alternative, try Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World". However, if you're looking for a book to be inspired by, to gawk at, or to present as a gift for your favorite armchair traveler, this makes a great choice.

I would call Karen Berger's "Great Hiking Trails of the World" a "coffee table dream guide" as it can serve as a great tool for prioritizing your epic hikes. The title of the books is a bit misleading as it really only focuses on 35 hikes. The other 45 only get one paragraph each, which may not be enough information for making your list. Of these 35 longer reviews, there is just the right amount of information. As the author notes, her selections are a bit eclectic. Mt. Kenya gets a full review, while Mt. Kilimanjaro gets only a paragraph. I hiked Mt. Kenya two years ago and found Berger's review to be accurate and sufficient. The author is quite right that Mt. Kenya is unfairly overlooked because it is 2,000 feet shorter than Kilimanjaro, even though it is more beautiful, much less crowded, and the wildlife much more diverse. Of course, the best solution is to do them both! "Great Hiking Trails" has several minor short-comings. The book is long on beautiful photographs, but rather short when it comes to practical information about the actual hikes. The only maps are continental in scope to show the distribution of the hikes in the world. Since the book is organized by theme (such as pilgrimages and peaks) rather than region, the maps would be more useful if they included page numbers. The best way to overcome these shortcomings is to also get Peter Potterfield's "Classic Hikes of the World." His book is shorter but goes into much more detail about each of his 23 selections. There is also surprisingly little overlap between the two books. For example, he has a detailed review of Kilimanjaro. My review of his book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3VLJBN5NTM8GJ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0393057968

I have heard about the author’s work, seen random things about her professional life on social media, and have come to respect and admire her as an author, an artist, and a motivator. I bought the book out of curiosity and immediately decided it was the perfect Christmas gift for my husband. We are periodic hikers but constant dreamers about such places, and nothing suits the bill better than to present this to him. We hiked to the summit of Mount Fuji 4 years ago and it’s long past time to take another significant hike together. This book is full of beautifully presented hikes around the world. The author is engaging and articulate, and knows her content first hand. So well done, such a beautiful volume for our home. It may be hidden in my sweater drawer waiting for Christmas, but I will admit here that I am guilty of pulling it out several times to turn the pages of this gorgeous gift, with dreams of the adventures that lie ahead.

Another great read for those like me who are scared to fly. I know I will never get to any of these places, but I get to see them through these wonderful photos. Beautiful large photos. Maps that let you see where the trails are. Well written descriptions. It is quite large and quite heavy. Not recommended for traveling with. Perfect for reading on cold dreary nights, helping you dream of these colorful places and what you would do if you traveled there.

Beautiful gift for the hiking lover in your life. Bought this for my brother's 40th birthday and it's really beautiful - quality is great. Came in perfect condition. I only had a chance to skim through it as it was a gift but the content was interesting with high quality images as well. Want to buy myself one!

I gave this book to my son and his gf for Christmas. They loved it and everyone else in the family was passing it around and ogling the hikes (beautiful photograph of each one) and dreaming about traveling to the spots (fun way they are noted with latitude and longitude points) in the future.

Fast shipping, securely packaged. My hiking obsessed sister loved it. She immediately opened and began browsing all the nice photos, marking off the places she has already seen, and the ones she wants to visit. Thank you!

My father and I love this book. I want to hike the world now. What gorgeous photos and explorations. Love the deep information too - deciding how far to go or what we will see.

gives a lot of info about the trails. why they are interesting, etc. I LOVE THIS BOOK.

It’s amazing! I had no idea it was going to be this nice.