Arizona Trails for Children
by Eileen Moore

 

Arizona Trails for Children is a hiking guide for families, describing over 135 trails throughout Arizona, suitable for both young and mature hikers. Each trail features a specific destination or a unique ecological zone. Families will enjoy exploring the ruins of ancient Native Americans, swimming in natural water holes with sparkling waterfalls, gazing out from high peaks or investigating sheltered canyons. This book has been well received by both children and adults as it provides unique information in exploring the geology, the history and the natural environment of our state.

Arizona is a beautiful state with stunning, often stark, scenery. Whether visitors enjoy the desert or high mountain regions, the state has something that appeals to everyone. If you are eager to test the soles of your boots while exploring this southwestern state, consider the book, Arizona Trails for Children.


Many parents are eager to introduce their children to the outdoors but staring at a Forest Service map offers few clues to the hundreds of trails in Arizona. Arizona Trails for Children divides the state into eleven regions, with each chapter describing between ten and fifteen hikes in a particular region that are suitable for day hikers. Don’t be deceived by the title. The book has been well received by both adults and children. However, unlike many other hiking books, the trails we have chosen are within the capabilities of most children, five years and older. There are also some shorter hikes meant for younger hikers just learning to explore the outdoors. Whether hiking with children or grandchildren, Arizona Trails for Children is an excellent guide for teaching the younger generation about the outdoors.

Each hike is given two pages with a brief description and a fact summary allowing adult hikers to quickly assess whether the trail is appropriate for their children. A map shows the access to the trailhead with general topographical markers to guide hikers as they move along the trail. Each hike has at least one feature such as a stream or historical ruin that will give families an interesting destination and encourage hikers to consider the history, geology and ecological features of our state.

If you enjoy long, multi-day hikes that take you to the ragged edge, this book may not be for you. If you are looking for hikes averaging one to five miles in length to interesting destinations, we encourage you to check out Arizona Trails for Children.

Retail List Price: $14.99 plus $2.01 shipping and handling anywhere in the USA,   $17 total

 

Chapters within Arizona Trails for Children
Introduction
Includes historical, geological and natural history information as well as tips for hiking with children.
Chapter 1: Northwest Arizona and the Grand Canyon’s North Rim
Chapter 2: Northeast Arizona and the Navajo & Hopi Reservations
Chapter 3: Western Arizona: The Colorado River and Neighbors
Chapter 4: Central Arizona: Prescott
Chapter 5: Central Arizona: Flagstaff and Neighbors
Chapter 6: Central Arizona: Verde Valley, Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon
Chapter 7: Central Arizona: Payson and the Eastern Highlands
Chapter 8: Phoenix
Chapter 9: White Mountains and the Blue Range Wilderness
Chapter 10: Tucson, Nogales and South Central Arizona
Chapter 11: Southeastern Arizona
Index lists trails by page number for easy reference

ISBN 0-9672576-0-3
355 pages, 93 photos

 

Standing Watch:
The Fire Towers of Arizona
by Eileen Moore

 

Standing Watch introduces readers to the 81 fire towers and cabins across Arizona that are used by fire spotters in their efforts to protect our forests against wildfire. The book details the history of the towers built as early as 1902 to the more modern structures erected as recently as 1984. The book offers profiles of the Civilian Conservation Corp, an Apache Hot Shot crew, and a native fire technician along with a number of lookouts.

Whether readers have just moved to the state or are long time residents, Morten Moore offers books that will challenge and interest those seeking to learn more about Arizona. For more information check the links to each book or proceed directly to our order tab at the top of the screen.

A fire tower stands at the summit of Mount Eldon ridge, overlooking the city of Flagstaff. For many residents, a quick glance at the peak during a busy day will be the closest they come to learning about the lookout that watches for the threat of wildfire to their mountain city.

Standing Watch takes the reader to the 81 fire towers and cabins throughout Arizona that shelter the lookouts as they peer through haze and brilliant sunlight at the forest crowding our highest peaks for the threat of wildfire. The book gives us a glimpse of their daily routine, the difficulties and the unexpected highlights of their lonely watch. Each chapter details the towers of a specific public agency, whether Forest Service, Park Service, Bureau of Land Management or native tribe. Along with the towers, the book offers profiles of an Apache hotshot crew, a fire tech on the Navajo Reservation, the life cycle of ladybugs, two devastating wildfires and the close quarters of a couple working together on a fire tower. A special feature also looks at the tree towers that were once at the heart of fighting wildfire on the north Kaibab National Forest.

As Arizona moves from its status as a rural state into the modern technological age, with urban areas crowding the edges of the wilderness, Standing Watch is a tribute to the fire towers and the lookouts that have preserved the wild places of this state for the generations to come.

Retail List Price: $13.99 plus $2.01 shipping and handling anywhere in the USA,   $16 total

 

Chapters within Standing Watch: The Fire Towers of Arizona
Introduction
Includes a brief history of the Forest Service and Fire prevention along with fire tower styles and construction.
Chapter 1: The Towers of the National Park Service
Chapter 2: The Towers of the Bureau of Land Management
Chapter 3: The Tower for the Hualapai Reservation
Chapter 4: The Towers of the of the North and South Kaibab National Forest
Chapter 5: The Towers of the Coconino National Forest
Chapter 6: The Towers of the Navajo Nation
Chapter 7: The Towers of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
Chapter 8:The Towers of the Fort Apache Reservation
Chapter 9: The towers of the San Carlos Apache Reservation
Chapter 10: The Towers of the Tonto National Forest
Chapter 11: The Towers of the Prescott National Forest
Chapter 12: The Towers of the Coronado National Forest
Chapter 13: The View From the Outhouse

ISBN 0-9672576-1-1
256 pages, 115 photos