60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: San Antonio and Austin: Including the Hill Country Paperback – October 1, 2010

I have little idea of how exhaustive a list of hikes this book covers, but there were plenty of hikes. Almost all land in Texas is in private hands at the moment I liked how the book groups the hikes according to difficulty, scenery, and distance. Also liked the map in the front which indicated over all, where the hikes were in the region. The difficulty ratings initially threw me off--as a "moderate-difficult" hike to me was pretty easy. The graphs of elevation along the trails make them look steeper than they were. I really liked that in each of the three hikes that I did in the Hill Country area there were park rangers stationed there and well-stocked maps and other informational papers. The book, kindly indicated the hours of the ranger and also the park websites for more detailed trail maps. I have to say that coming from Rhode Island which is a truly beautiful area, that hiking the Hill Country (albeit just prior to the wildflower blooms) was fun but not 30% as pretty or intereseting as it is over here, but I'm glad I did them. The descriptions of the hikes could have had a little more, but I did appreciate what was offered, which was pretty much what was described in the official park handout maps, etc. Often the park maps had more details and more trails, not indicated in the book diagrams.

Other than the popular hike/bike/walk trails, I wanted to know what else was out there and this book does just that. This is the updated 2010 version and there's been a little more detailed added. I've already done four hikes in two weeks since owning the book, these were four hiking trails that I didn't even know were in Austin and the surrounding area - one was 13 minutes from my house. I'm not sure why the other reviewers are complaining about the book, I think it's organized well, starting with the shortest hikes - parks and trails that are less then a mile, then 1-3 three miles, etc. I like to know what I'm getting into before I head out to a trail.Each of the 60 hikes has a map and a description and sometimes actual pictures of the trail. The author(s) notes are very helpful, especially when trying to locate the entrance to a lesser known/little used trail, I was able to follow the directions in the book when trying to find Spicewood Valley Trail which is not marked, it's not city or state run and therefore seldom used and I would not have known about it unless I had the book. This trail turned out to my best experience yet, a really beautiful hike. So kudos to the authors for finding it.The book includes local, city, and state maintained parks and a little summary regarding difficulty, scenery you can expect to see, and miles you can expect to hike/walk either one way (in/out) or round trip. I'm really enjoying the book, its good addition to your collection.

I really enjoy this series of books. I have Houston, Seattle and now this San Antonio/Austin 3rd edition. I have completed 6 hikes in this book so far. These books are great for those new to town or those that have been around for quite some time. One thing to note in this 3rd paperback edition; many of the latitude/longitude GPS coordinates are incorrect. Minutes and seconds can only go to 60 yet many of these coordinates are greater than 60 i.e. Onion Creek Loop has an incorrect longitude of 97 degrees,72 minutes, 56.39 seconds. If you are using lat/longs in your GPS check all locations carefully before heading out in your vehicle. I have corrected many of the hikes using Google Earth Pro to pinpoint parking lot locations indicated on the maps. I don't see the 3rd edition paperback version offered here any longer; only the Kindle version. Perhpaps the Kindle version has been corrected.

60 Hikes within 60 Miles: San Antonio and Austin is a pretty decent collection of good hikes within the area. I live in San Antonio, so many of the hikes are within an hour and a half (given traffic on US 281 isn't too bad). Many of the hikes are of the shorter variety, around 1-2 miles. Overall, good book, good layout, great descriptions and trail write-ups and decent maps.

The book is good for finding random hikes, but they are poorly organized. You can't tell which ones are closer to San Antonio, or which ones are closer to Austin. Also, after living in the area (San Antonio) for 2 years now, we have found 2 "hikes" that aren't even in the book! Please don't be expecting any real hikes to be found in the area around San Antonio. They are more just little jaunts and winding paths...some of the hikes in this book are actually major streets in downtown San Antonio!! I was hoping to find some really unique trails in this book but it has let us down. I've decided you have to get out of Texas to really find any decent hiking.

I knew I would love this the moment I opened the book! Trying out a couple of the suggested hikes only confirmed my first thoughts, and I look forward to doing even more. I've lived in Austin for a long time and thought I knew some secrets, but the authors have all those and more to help make finding/doing the hikes easier and more enjoyable. Thanks for such a quality book.

What a great handbook for local trails in Central Texas. The maps in the latest edition are easy to follow as are the written directions. I have put completion of all 60 hikes in 2 years on my bucket list. Cheer me on!

So rad! Gonna do all 60 next year!