Several people asked at the Reference Desk this week for information about hiking in New Hampshire. With the weather cooling off and the leaves beginning to turn, this is a perfect time of year to go hiking. Do you know that more than 500,000 people visit New Hampshire to hike every year? Trails like Bald Mountain, Artist's Bluff, and the Basin-Cascades Trail are among the most popular. With the appropriate trail, the right gear and some majestic views, hiking can be a rewarding experience.

Actually hiking is a form of walking for the purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. One usually hikes on trails in rural or wilderness areas. Enthusiasts regard hiking as the best way to see nature. They regard it as better than a tour in a vehicle because the hiker's senses are not intruded upon by such distractions as windows or engine noise. Hiking over long distances or over difficult terrain does require some degree of physical ability and preparedness.

Hikers often seek beautiful environments in which to hike. Unfortunately, these environments can be accidentally destroyed by people. The action of an individual may not have an adverse effect on the environment. However, the mass effect of a large number of people can degrade the environment. For example, gathering wood in an alpine area to start a fire may be harmless once (except for wildfire risk). Years of gathering wood, however, can strip an alpine area of valuable nutrients. Usually such protected areas as parks have regulations in place to protect the environment. If hikers follow such regulations, their impact can be minimized. Such regulations may include forbidding wood fires, restricting camping to established camp sites, and imposing a quota on the number of visitors per day. You may be familiar with the philosophy of Leave No Trace, i.e. hiking in a way that future hikers cannot detect the presence of previous hikers. Practitioners of this philosophy follow it even in the absence of area regulations.

New Hanpshire Living presents a good deal of helpful information about hiking. Be sure to check ou their tips, resources, state parks guide and their disclaimer. If you are feeling ambitious, you may also wish to take a look at their New Hampshire four thousand footers. Hike New England presents trail reports including difficulty and distance.

And do check out some of our library's items about hiking in New Hampshire:
Foghorn outdoors: New Hampshire hiking,

Best hikes with children in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine by Cynthia C. Lewis & Thomas J. Lewis,

Best loop hikes New Hampshire to the Maine coast by Jeff Romano

and many additional selections.

So have fun, take care, and do stop by to tell us about your adventure.