El Malpais, Mt. Taylor, and the Zuni Mountains - (Coyote Books) by Sherry Robinson (Paperback)

About the Book

A richly illustrated guide to the trails of this unique and varied western New Mexico area.

Book Synopsis

West central New Mexico offers some of the most diverse and fascinating landforms in the Southwest. Volcanic activity shaped the tortured landscape of El Malpais in the recent geologic past. The broad mass of Mount Taylor, an 11,389-foot volcano from another age, is the setting for a popular quadrathlon. And the gentle and park-like Zuni Mountains are ideal for hiking, biking, or a Sunday drive.

The three areas provide unique outdoor experiences made more accessible by Sherry Robinson's El Malpais, Mt. Taylor, and the Zuni Mountains. Descriptions of hiking trails for each area include levels of difficulty, access, directions, photographs, and maps. Biking, skiing, caving, and auto tours are also included.

Learning about the natural history of this special place can only enhance the experience, so Robinson provides descriptions of the geology, flora, and fauna of all three areas. She covers the region's unusual and little known history in lively and readable accounts that include the Acoma, Zuni, Laguna, and Navajo people's use of and relationship to the area.

Whether you're a hiking buff or history buff, an outdoor enthusiast or an armchair traveler, you'll enjoy El Malpais, Mt. Taylor, and the Zuni Mountains.

Review Quotes

"As a hiking and history guide, it is an excellent tour book for the armchair hiker because there is nothing cut and dried about Robinson's style or passion for her subject. Not only do you get precise trail information, maps, and intriguing black and white photographs, but she weaves geological and human history, and local mythology into her documentation. . . It is a real Southwest treasure."