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In addition to the information and route descriptions, there are “Options” and “Directions” sections for each hike, which are great. The Options section offers ways to make the hike shorter or longer by taking different routes so you can adjust the hike to your experience and fitness level. The Directions section includes not only road directions for access by car, but public transportation options, if available. I have found those to be extremely helpful as I, like many New Yorkers, do not own a car. I knew about a few hikes that you could get to by train, but there were several others in this book that I had no idea about. I would say at least a third of the hikes in this book are accessible by public transportation, with several others within reasonable distance of a train or bus stop (in which case he includes walking directions to the trailhead). With New York having one of the most extensive public transit networks in the world and a substantial carless poopulation, this book was very smart to take advantage of that, and it was the main appeal for me, in addition to the interesting bits of historical context and visual snapshots that make each adventure seem more interesting.

I just bought the book about a month ago and already went on two of the hikes in the book, which were awesome. I plan to go on at least 2 or 3 more before it starts getting cold. Again, make sure you buy the New York-New Jersey trail conference map for the area you plan to hike before setting out, which Skip Card himself encourages. Though the maps in this book are helpful, you will probably get lost if you rely on them alone. So buy this book, buy a map, and get out there! Happy Hiking!