America’s Great Forest Trails by Tim Palmer
I picked up America’s Great Forest Trails by Tim Palmer after seeing it on a shelf at my local bookstore. It’s a coffee table reference book highlighting America’s great forest trails—of which we have thousands and thousands of miles.
The book has lovely photography throughout. But unlike some coffee table books that are all pictures and no substance, this one actually has write-ups that are fascinating and well-informed.
Tim Palmer is a nature photographer who has done conservation and advocacy work for decades. He knows not only the trails and the forests, but also the context behind them—what makes them special, unique, and worth conserving for the future.
What I Liked
The book’s layout is excellent. Palmer made smart choices about which trails to include. Sure, most anyone can look up a list of America’s Scenic Trails like the Appalachian Trail or the North Country Trail. But Palmer went the extra mile to find forest trails that—even though they might be in small state parks or smaller groves off the beaten track—highlight interesting aspects of North America’s forests.
For example, there’s a state park in Pennsylvania that has one of the largest and tallest groves of ash trees remaining. I immediately added it to my list of places to visit. Ash trees were once a dominant, majestic species across the Eastern Woodlands, and they have been slowly dying back because of the emerald ash borer. The same goes for beautiful hemlock groves and so many other tree species.
Many of these species either grow in very specific areas (and so are threatened by human development and habitat change), or they’re under attack from invasive species, or they’ve just never quite recovered from the mass logging that took place at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Palmer clearly knows his subject matter. The photography is stunning without being overly manipulated or Instagram-perfect. The trails featured represent real diversity—not just the famous ones that show up in every outdoor magazine.
What I Did Not Like
The book is expensive for what it is. It’s a coffee table book, so that’s expected, but it’s a significant purchase rather than an impulse buy.
I wish Palmer had included more specific trail details—mileage, difficulty ratings, seasonal considerations. Some entries have this information, others don’t. For a reference book, consistency would be helpful.
The organization could be better. The trails aren’t arranged geographically or by difficulty or theme. It makes the book great for browsing but harder to use if you’re actually planning trips.
Wrap-up
Overall, America’s Great Forest Trails is a fascinating book. It’s the kind of coffee table book that will earn a permanent spot on my shelf for many years to come.
I’d highly recommend it for anyone who wants to get off their phone and look at beautiful pictures of places that may never appear in your Instagram feed, but absolutely deserve protection, respect, and just enough visitors to keep the trail maintenance funded.
- Combines beautiful photography with substantive, well-researched text
- Features diverse trail selection beyond the usual famous trails, including hidden gems in small state parks
- Provides valuable conservation context about threatened tree species and ecosystems
- Expensive for a coffee table book—a significant purchase rather than impulse buy
- Inconsistent trail information (some entries have mileage and difficulty ratings, others don't)
- Poor organizational structure—not arranged geographically, by difficulty, or theme, making trip planning difficult
