Hiking References for New England

Books You Might Want to Read Before Planning Your Next Hiking Trip in New England

​For those of us who live in Massachusetts there are lots of great hikes all around us; some that you can reach quite easily (e.g. Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, Wachusett Mountain State Reservation, Leominster State Forest, Douglas State Forest, Mass Audubon's Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, etc.,) - and others that you need to drive a couple of hours to get to the trailhead (e.g. Acadia National Park, the White Mountains, Franconia Notch, Mount Monadnock, the Berkshires, Smugglers’ Notch, etc.). Luckily there are lots of great books out there to help you find interesting New England hikes – both near and far.
 
This week another good book that you might want to consult prior to hitting the trails is making its debut: “50 Hikes in Eastern Massachusetts” in which Madeline Bilis shares her thoughts and advice about hikes in the Boston area. Madeline’s book has detailed information on 50 hikes for people in the eastern half of Massachusetts, of all skill and experience levels. From Cape Cod to Middlesex Fells, from Walden Pond to the Boston Harbor Islands – all sorts of hikes that are both beautiful and close to Boston.

The 256 page paperback book has detailed information on each of the 50 hikes, to include 50 color photographs and 50 maps, gathered by Madeline as she spent a year and 160 miles walking, researching and writing about the trails.
 
“Eastern Massachusetts is the loveliest place on earth. I can say this with 100 percent certainty, because I spent the better part of last year exploring all its nooks and crannies, trails and coastlines, hills and meadows. Every weekend for months, I went on a hike—oftentimes several—in this part of the state. Then I got home and wrote furiously, cataloging every one of those hikes for a new guidebook I was writing: 50 Hikes in Eastern Massachusetts.”
 
"It’s true that Eastern Mass. doesn’t have incredibly challenging hikes — it’s largely trails that are flat and easy, but also very beautiful."
 
In our opinion, if you live in New England, you should seriously think about adding Madeline’s book to your Hiking reference library. Here’s a link to the book on Amazon:
 
       “50 Hikes in Eastern Massachusetts” by Madeline Bilis" 

We’ve added it to our New England library which already included the following:

• “Best Tent Camping: New England” by Lafe Low
• “Hiking Waterfalls in New England” by Falcon Guides - Kindle Reader for iPad
• “Moon Spotlight Massachusetts Hiking” by Jacqueline Tourville
• “Hiking Massachusetts” by Falcon Guides - Kindle Reader for iPad
• “Moon Spotlight New Hampshire Hiking” by Jacqueline Tourville
• “Moon Spotlight Maine Hiking” by Jacqueline Tourville
• “Moon Spotlight Vermont Hiking” by Jacqueline Tourville
• “Foraging New England” by Tom Seymour  
• “Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods” by Thomas Elias and Peter Dykeman 
• “Medicinal Plants of North America: A Field Guide” by Falcon Guides