How a Professional Guidebook Author Researches Trails

It’s a new year and another year for new hikes! Sure, I have my favorite places that I periodically return to. But for the most part, each year I seek out scores of new trails. I have an insatiable wanderlust and I want to see as much as I can and experience as many trails as possible before I hike the trail in the sky. One of the reasons I became a hiking guidebook author was to hike as many trails as possible. With more than 25 books now, it’s safe to say I’ve hiked a few trails — more than 2,000 in Washington alone! Yet, the trail inventory out there is inexhaustible. I’ve got my work cut out for me!

So how do I go about taking on such a daunting project as writing a trail guidebook? First I determine the scope of the book. What region do I want to cover and how do I define its boundaries? But more importantly I need to determine if there’s a need for the book. Hiking is never wasted time. But if I put together a book that few folks are interested in purchasing, I’m not going to have a successful career and I’ll be forced to — gasp! — take a real job!

Craig Romano researching hikes at the West Fork Humptulips River. Photo by Jay Thompson.

I start on a book by determining the area I wish to cover. Once I do that, it’s time to collate the trails I wish to include. I pride myself on writing comprehensive books, in part by including often-overlooked trails. My purpose for this is twofold. One is to give folks lots of options —especially for lesser-visited trails — and the second is to draw interest to trails that we’re dangerously close to losing if we don’t use them.

How do I find all of these trails in the first place? Through a lot of sleuthing and researching. I peruse road and land agency maps. I look at old maps, too, as newer ones may leave off obscure trails. I go through old guidebooks and park and forest literature. I scan online maps looking for trails and green spots. I visit various land agency, WTA and conservation organization websites. And I check crowd-sourced information — although I have to be careful because many of these sites often contain conflicting information and highlight unofficial trails on private property and unauthorized trails on public lands — to find trails I don’t know.  I will then contact land agencies and conservation organizations if I have any doubts about a trail’s status or need more reliable info on it.

Researching trail up Little Giant Pass. Photo by Craig Romano.

I also reach out to my trusted contacts in hiking and conservation circles to see if there are new trails in the works or old ones being revitalized. And then I put my initial trail list together. And while I have a set number of hikes (usually dictated by print space), I always leave room for the possibility of a trail that I will find by surprise while I’m out researching. This can happen while I am out on a predetermined trail and come to a new trail — in which case I almost always will explore it right away. Other times I will be tipped off to a new trail by folks I meet along the way or by a trail advocate, parks staff and conservation organization personnel. I then make it a point to fit in the research to check out the trail and see if it’s worthy of inclusion in my work in progress. Occasionally, a trail I was planning on including doesn’t make the cut (often due to it being in disrepair or dangerous to negotiate) leaving the option to include the new surprise hike in its place.

Now with my list in place, I determine my plan of attack on how I am going to get to all of those trails. I hike every trail that I write about so that I can provide firsthand, trusted information. With some of my books including 136 hikes, that’s a lot of mileage to cover in the 18 months to 2 years usually allotted for the project. And I’m almost always working on at least two books concurrently, as well as doing research for various articles and trail map companies. 

My plan of attack is mostly based on seasonal feasibility. I start the year with hikes that aren’t snow-covered and, as the year progresses, I go higher and farther into the backcountry. I make sure to schedule hikes around restrictions such as limited access or closures. Some trails can be rather complicated to get to — such as those in Stehekin — requiring me to make travel plans and reservations months out. But in most cases, I plan my hikes just a week or two ahead of time based on the weather. I have a flexible work schedule, so I take advantage of every sunny day that I can and save the wet miserable days for time on the computer writing about the hikes.  And realizing that life happens, I always have a backup plan to research a nearby trail if I suddenly find that the one I was planning on getting to is inaccessible. I will often then plan to return to that trail once (and if) the factor rendering it inaccessible has been addressed (like the road fixed or bridge replaced); or if not, adjust my return hike to deal with the issue, like mountain bike a closed road to get to the trailhead or prepare for a creek ford when safe to do so.

Craig Romano researching hikes at Pyramid Mountain in the North Fork Entiat area. Photo by Craig Romano.

I spend a lot of time traveling for this work, so I cluster my hikes together around base camps, including car camps, friends’ and relatives’ homes and cabins, lodges and hotels. I also try to piggyback my research on other projects I’m working on to minimize my expenses and maximize my time. I cluster talks and other assignments around areas I’m researching. And I reach out to trusted hiking partners to see when they’re free to join me. While I do a lot of my research solo, I love company, too. For especially challenging hikes, I prefer to have a trusted companion. And besides, I need these people to model for the photos I take on trail!

The on-the-trail research is the absolute best part of my job and it never gets old. But this is only about a third of my time working on a book. The other two-thirds is spent writing the book, collating photos, sketching maps, and presenting and marketing. Many folks meet me on the trail, leading them to think that all I do is hike for a living. I wish! I may dispel their desire for my job once I tell them on how much time I spend in front of a computer and how little my pay is compared to the amount of work I put in. But, yes, the benefits of hiking a lot are hard to top.

When writing my trail description I try to be succinct, engaging and motivating. Physical guidebooks can’t compete with websites in terms of how much information can be included, but I can use my expertise to include easy-to-read, accurate information. In my hike descriptions I also like to add some cultural, historic and natural notes. I have room in my books for a few sidebars, too, where I can elaborate on interesting topics, such as a major environmental concern or a significant historical event that impacted the trails and region.

Craig Romano researching Columbia River Gorge book in Oregon's Cottonwood Canyon State Park. Photo by Craig Romano.

One of the advantages websites have over books is that they can display countless photos. I often have room to display only one photo per hike, so I really have to make it pack a punch and capture the true essence of the hike. This could be the classic view associated with that hike, a shot of a famous (or infamous) section of the hike, or something unique like an historic structure, fascinating landmark, or specific flora or fauna associated with the trail.

I GPS track all of my hikes and then compare my tracks to various maps. Trails change and can be incorrectly displayed on many maps. I provide accurate info by hiking the route and making on-the-ground observations. And finally, I have many trusted sources proofread my manuscript not only for grammatical errors but also to question my descriptions and to make sure they’re clear and accurate. The end result to all of this is a trusted hiking resource to help you discover and enjoy the wide array of trails available. And hopefully to also entice you to hike as many trails as you can!

Use my expertise to plan your own hikes

• Decide the region where you would like to hike. (I’m choosing based on the needs of my next book, but you can choose based on whatever factor interests you: scenery, great wildlife viewing, historical areas, etc.)
• Begin sleuthing. Crack open one of my guidebooks, read the hike suggestions in this magazine, check WTA’s website, look at maps. 
• Ask your contacts. Do you have trusted hiking friends who have similar hiking styles? Ask them for their tried-and-true trails, or their new favorites.
• Make a plan. Once you have a list of hikes you’d like to try, think about what time of year would be best for them, and check if you need to figure out permits or any challenging travel logistics. 
• Recruit friends. If you want company, connect with your hiking companions to see who can join you. This is especially helpful if you’re hiking an unknown trail or anywhere that might have sketchy sections. 
• Write it up. For me, this means a lot of time at a computer, writing, editing and doing various additional research. For you, that might mean writing a trip report on wta.org, writing a journal entry, making art or making notes in your guidebook. 
• Review your photos. I have to choose one or two best photos. You obviously can keep more, but it’s worth spending time culling your photos to only the ones you want to keep. (See WTA's resources for some tips on managing your hiking photos.)