Book Mention: Hiking the Gulf Coast

I borrowed this from the library, and I am glad that I did in both ways that statement can be taken.  I was hoping to find some local hidden gems and perhaps find out a new thing or two about trails I've hiked, however was left with an overall sense of disappointment.  In the areas that I know well – the Forgotten Coast and the Mississippi Gulf Coast – the real centerpieces were skipped.  Furthermore, the book focuses on very short day hikes, with many of them being little more than short things that used to be labeled as nature walks and birding trails.

OK that's the bad, but there's still a lot of good stuff to be found in this book.  I really do need to get over to the St. Marks lighthouse area to explore some of those trails, and the Ochlockonee River Loop looks promising.  I used to go quite a bit to the Leon Sinks Loop back in the day, and it was good to be reminded to get back there.  It is extremely well organized, and there is a useful overview map showing all of the reviewed trails on page vi.  Beyond showing trails in general areas, it also reveals the author's bias towards his home in Mobile, where there is a thick cluster of listed trails.  I wish he'd just stuck closer to home and done a more thorough job.

If you're just planning a brief trip through any of the Gulf Coast that might include some short hikes, this book is an OK – but little more – place to start.  Pick your area and start digging deeper.  This blog is one place to start (hiking and for longer endeavors backpacking tags, and yes there is a lot of overlap), and there are about a zillion other resources.  Again, I'm glad that I borrowed this book from the library, but there's not as much there there in it as I'd hoped and will be glad to return it as well.