The Complete Guide to Walking in Canada: Includes Day-Hiking and Backpacking

Sandy Campbell is a reference librarian in the Science and Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

The first half of this book is a description of gear, good preparation,
and safety issues related to hiking and walking. Most of the content is
not very detailed, but there are some gems, including the sections on
packs and choosing sleeping bags; the food section has instructions for
growing sprouts in your backpack as you hike!

The second part claims to be a “comprehensive guide to Canadian
trails.” Unfortunately, it falls far short of comprehensiveness. For
example, in the British Columbia section, the Queen Charlotte Islands
are the only islands mentioned, in spite of the fact that each of the
Gulf Islands provides good walking opportunities. In the Alberta
section, for the Edmonton area, a single trail looping the city is the
only one mentioned; the extensive river valley trail network in the
heart of the city—the trails most accessible to visitors—are
completely overlooked. The question of “mall walking,” which for
many people is the most reasonable alternative to outdoor hiking in the
depths of winter, has been ignored. The trail descriptions in the other
provinces appear to be similarly limited to a major trail for each area.

This book would be useful for a novice hiker or someone looking for
general information about hiking opportunities in Canada. Anyone
planning a walking or hiking trip would require a much more detailed
guide for the area they are planning to hike.