Barbara McMartin has been hiking in the Adirondacks for decades; her family, for generations. She has distilled her vast experience into the 50 hikes offered here, representing a cross-section of the wilderness and wild forest: rugged peak climbs, gentle trips to distant waterfalls, bushwhacks to wild rivers. In all she describes 360 miles of trails to caves, uninhabited lakes, wetlands, cliffs, and fire towers across the Park's 6 million acres.

The hikes range in length from 1.5 to 13.5 miles. Each hike description includes a topographic map, mile-by-mile directions, and information on distance, difficulty, terrain, and hiking time. An overview chart makes it easy to pick a hike for every ability. Throughout, McMartin provides commentary on the natural history of the region, along with colorful incidents from Adirondack history.