Walking Distance

Extraordinary Hikes for Ordinary People

By Robert E. Manning and Martha S. Manning

Oregon State University Press

Walking is simple, but it can also be profound. In an increasingly complex and frantic world, walking can simplify our lives. It encourages intimate contact with places and people, promotes health, and is one of the most sustainable forms of recreation. Robert and Martha Manning invite readers to explore the pleasures of long-distance walking in their inspiring new book, Walking Distance.

At the heart of Walking Distance are firsthand descriptions of thirty of the world’s great long-distance hikes, spanning six continents and ranging from inn-to-inn to backpacking trips. Each entry—from Turkey’s Lycian Way to Vermont’s Long Trail—features personal anecdotes, natural and cultural history, and useful tips, including suggestions for preparing for hikes and for additional reading. Each trail narrative is richly illustrated with color photographs and maps.

RELATED TOPICS: Environmental Studies, Natural History, Nature, Reference

Long-distance walking is good for you and good for the earth... But most of all, walking is a joyful celebration of life and the diverse, beautiful, and curious world in which we live. from the Introduction

Robert E. Manning is professor and chair of the Recreation Management Program in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. Martha S. Manning is an artist who practices in her Burlington, Vermont studio. Over the past decade, Robert and Martha Manning have walked dozens of long-distance trails around the world, including all the trails described in Walking Distance.

The Walks

Alta Via 1 (Italy) • C&O Canal (Maryland, U.S.) • Camino de Santiago (Spain)• Cape Winelands Walk (South Africa) • Chilkoot Trail (Alaska, U.S. and B.C., Canada) • Cinque Terre (Italy) • Coast to Coast Trail (England) • Colorado Trail (Colorado, U.S.) • Cotswold Way (England) • Great Ocean Walk (Australia) • Inca Trail (Peru) • John Muir Trail (California, U.S.) • Kaibab Trail (Arizona, U.S.) • Kalalua Trail (Hawaii, U.S.) • King Ludwig’s Way (Germany) • Kungsleden (Sweden) • Long Trail (Vermont, U.S.) • Lost Coast Trail (California, U.S.) • Lycian Way (Turkey) • Milford Track (New Zealand) • Ocala Trail (Florida, U.S.) • Overland Track (Australia) • Paria River Canyon (Utah and Arizona, U.S.) • South Downs Way (England) • Superior Hiking Trail (Minnesota, U.S.) • Tahoe Rim Trail (California and Nevada, U.S.) • Tour du Mont Blanc (France, Italy, Switzerland) •Walker’s Haute Route (France, Switzerland) • West Coast Trail (B.C., Canada) • West Highland Way (Scotland)

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