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Falcon has more hiking guidebooks than anyone else in North America, some of them not very good.

Here’s their pitch:

FalconGuides are leading the way with more than 800 titles in over 30 series. Our 500-plus authors have personally hiked, climbed, pedaled, paddled, and recorded a total of more than 11,000 published FalconGuide trails, rides, and waterways and as many as 50,000 climbing routes in nearly every state in the nation and in nine European countries. All are documented on the more than 6,000 maps we produce every year for outdoor enthusiasts.

Falcon Trails

I’ve often seen the brand as an “impulse” buy. Available almost everywhere at a low cost. But not all that usable in the real outdoors.

To my happy surprise, on a 2-week hiking trip out of Moab, Utah, the Falcon was by far the best guidebook available. I bought Hiking Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, 2nd edition 2005.

It is written by Bill Schneider, founder of Falcon, now the retired President. It looked pretty good. Bill obviously loves this region. The text is well written, without conspicuous errors.

After my trip I emailed Bill to give him some feedback on the book.

First day we encountered two big snakes on the trail.

I whipped out my guidebook to check if they were a dangerous species. What? There is no section on animal dangers! What about scorpions, black widow spiders, rattle snakes and centipedes?

Ask a Ranger. It’s not in your guidebook.

A bigger frustration I have with this book (and others) many others is lack of an index. Bill tells me that creating a good index is far more difficult than people think. He would love to have one, but it is a lot of work for the publisher.

The most important part of any hiking guidebook to me are the maps. And, happily, the second edition maps are a HUGE improvement. They look very “clean”.

Too clean. Imagine my disappointment to discover that not all backcountry campsites are included on these Falcon maps.

Specifically I was looking for CP5 in Chesler Park. It’s not in my guidebook though it is on all the NPS on-line maps:

Bill pointed out that “no hiker should rely on the maps in any guidebook”. His book clearly states that it is to be used with a proper map.

Happily, I had bought a map at the trailhead. But when I opened my $3 Trails Illustrated Canyonlands-Needles National Park … I found it also left off the backcountry campsites.

You need to buy the $10 Trails Illustrated, Canyonlands National Park – Maze District of the entire Park if you want to be able to locate your campsite.

Bill explained, ” … listing designated campsites is a moving target for guidebook authors. Virtually every year, the NPS has to change campsite locations, close campsites, open new campsites, etc. for management reasons, but a guidebook is in print for many years.”

I sheepishly asked each hiker I met if they had any idea where I could find my campsite.

Despite my problems, we’ll be recommending Hiking Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. And I look forward to 3rd edition improvements. In the meantime, I recommend Falcon check some of the best hiking guidebooks in the world for inspiration.