Appalachian Trail Guide to Maryland-Northern Virginia

I ordered this item because my co-workers and I are going to hike the Maryland portion of the AT trail. I was really disappointed when I received the item due to the maps missing from the Ziploc bag that the book came in. The book is supposed to come with three detached maps and the paperback trail guide. I called Amazon and one of their outsourced representatives told me they would send me a replacement order in about seven days. We will see if that is actually the case. The paperback guide itself is a great product and worth the money by itself, but without the maps you are missing a key part. I hope to update this review with a positive message soon.

Looking down River from the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, Thomas Jefferson once remarked that the view was worth a trip across the Atlantic Ocean. It's still a great view, and it is one of the highlights of this section of the Appalachian Trail. The scene also graces the cover of this, the 17th edition of the state guide to the trail. Should you get it? If you are doing a section hike, of course. The maps alone are worth the price of the book, and if you are foolish enough to be doing northern Virginia, you will certainly want to see the elevation profile of the infamous "roller coaster" (ten brutal ascents/descents over 13 miles) before you actually embark on the hike. There is still time to change your mind and do Maryland, much gentler and more historically interesting, instead. Either way, you will want to end your hike in Harpers Ferry. And this book will literally give you directions to the tenth of a mile, as well as sharing lots of interesting history, and describing side trails like the famous Catoctin trail. But for all this guide, and accompanying maps, has going for it, you may be interested to know that thru hikers generally don't use these guides. They are heavy and bulky, and the tendency is to carry a data book with lists of relevant services and shelters. Such a book, covering the whole trail, weighs les than this little book alone. But you should get this book anyway. Reading it, on or off trail, will enhance your appreciation of the AT.

The product description stated this included the 3 maps... none sent.

I went on a ~40+ mile section hike earlier this year from Pen Mar to Harper's Ferry. This book was an asset to me and my hiking partners in becoming familiar with the terrain and logistics in getting there. The map that came with it we made copies of and referenced at almost every break stop to get an estimated visual on how much further we needed to walk to get to the next shelter area. I'm def getting this same brand for our next section hike in the future.

RIP OFF!

There is a lot of information here for you to read. You may be able to get the same information open source on the web without purchasing. The maps are what make this purchase worth the money.

Perfect compact book which provides valuable information on parking, water sources and shelter information along the AT.

Nice quality. Great information. My trip was postponed so I haven't got to use it yet