Guide to the Appalachian Trail in New England

Publication Year: 1952.

Guide to the Appalachian Trail in New England. Third edition xii + 432 pages, with six folding maps and five sketch maps. Washington, D. C.: The Appalachian Trail Conference, 1952. Price, $3.00.

One of the best examples of free and willing cooperation of a large number of enthusiasts is the locating, clearing, maintenance and administration of the Appalachian Trail. It is a footpath that extends from Mount Katahdin in Maine 2021 miles south to Mount Oglethorpe in Georgia. The project has been pushed through mainly by outdoor clubs located along the trail, and the work has been coordinated in recent years by Mr. Myron H. Avery. The effect of this organization in the protection of the small remaining area of wilderness from the machine age, and on conservation in general, has been incalculable.

One of the results of this project has been the publication of a series of guidebooks for the trail. The book under review is the third edition of the guide covering the trail from Mount Moosilaukee to the southern border, or the reverse, since the book gives explicit and detailed directions for a walker going in either direction, together with excellent maps of the various sections of the trail. It is in loose-leaf form so that only the necessary parts need be carried. The book also contains useful information for any walker in the woods regarding equipment, clothing, first aid and insect pests—though the advice on repellents seems a bit out of date. The A.T. Conference is to be congratulated on having brought this useful guide up to date.

Duncan A. MacInnes