LITMIR.BIZ

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from small, intimate gorges (which escaped the leveling glacial flows that transformed other parts of Indiana) to the shallow lakes and waterfowl-breeding grounds of the Muscatatuck Plateau.

      How to Use This Guidebook

      The following section walks you through this guidebook’s organization, making it easy and convenient to plan great hikes.

      Overview Map, Map Key, & Map Legend

      The overview map on the inside front cover shows the primary trailheads for all 37 hikes. The numbers on the overview map pair with the map key on the facing page. A legend explaining the map symbols used throughout the book appears on the inside back cover.

      Trail Maps

      In addition to the overview map on the inside cover, a detailed map of each hike’s route appears with its profile. On each of these maps, symbols indicate the trailhead, the complete route, significant features, facilities, and topographic landmarks such as creeks, overlooks, and peaks.

      To produce the highly accurate maps in this book, I used a handheld GPS unit to gather data while hiking each route, then sent that data to Menasha Ridge Press’s expert cartographers. Be aware, though, that your GPS device is no substitute for sound, sensible navigation that takes into account the conditions that you observe while hiking.

      Further, despite the high quality of the maps in this guidebook, the publisher and myself strongly recommend that you always carry an additional map, such as the ones noted in each profile opener’s “Maps” listing.

      Elevation Profile (Diagram)

      For trails with significant changes in elevation, the hike descriptions include this graphical element. Entries for fairly flat routes, such as a lake loop, do not display an elevation profile. Also, each entry’s key information lists the elevation at the start of that specific route to its highest point.

      For hike descriptions that include an elevation profile, this diagram represents the rises and falls of the trail as viewed from the side, over the complete distance (in miles) of that trail. On the diagram’s vertical axis, or height scale, the number of feet indicated between each tick mark lets you visualize the climb. To avoid making flat hikes look steep and steep hikes appear flat, varying height scales provide an accurate image of each hike’s climbing challenge.

      The Hike Profile

      Each profile opens with the hike’s star ratings, GPS trailhead coordinates, and other key at-a-glance information—from the trail’s distance and configuration to contacts for local information. Each profile also includes a map (see “Trail Maps”). The main text for each profile includes four sections: Overview, Route Details, Nearby Attractions, and Directions (for driving to the trailhead area).

      STAR RATINGS

      The hikes in Five-Star Trails: Louisville and Southern Indiana have been carefully chosen to give the hiker an overall five-star experience and represent the diversity of trails found in the region. Each hike is assigned a one- to five-star rating in each of the following categories: scenery, trail condition, suitability for children, level of difficulty, and degree of solitude. While one hike may receive a five-star rating for its stunning scenery, that same trail may rank as a two-star trail for children. Similarly, another hike might receive two stars for difficulty but earn five stars for solitude. While it’s unlikely that any one trail could receive a five-star rating in all five categories, each trail offers excellence in at least one category, if not others.

      Here’s how the star ratings for each of the five categories break down:

      FOR SCENERY:

      FOR TRAIL CONDITION:

      FOR CHILDREN:

      FOR DIFFICULTY:

      FOR SOLITUDE:

      GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES

      As noted in “Trail Maps,” I used a handheld GPS unit to obtain geographic data and sent the information to the cartographers at Menasha Ridge. In the opener for each hike profile, the coordinates—the intersection of latitude (north) and longitude (west)—will orient you from the trailhead. In some cases, you can drive within viewing distance of a trailhead. Other hiking routes require a short walk to the trailhead from a parking area.

      This guidebook uses the degree–decimal minute format for expressing GPS coordinates. The latitude–longitude grid system is likely quite familiar to you, but here’s a refresher, pertinent to visualizing the coordinates:

      Imaginary lines of latitude—called parallels and approximately 69 miles apart from each other—run horizontally around the globe. The equator is established to be 0°, and each parallel is indicated by degrees from the equator: up to 90°N at the North Pole and down to 90°S at the South Pole.

      Imaginary lines of longitude—called meridians—run perpendicular to lines of latitude and are likewise indicated by degrees. Starting from 0° at the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, England, they continue to the east and west until they meet 180° later at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. At the equator, longitude lines also are approximately 69 miles apart, but that distance narrows as the meridians converge toward the North and South Poles.

      To convert GPS coordinates given in degrees, minutes, and seconds to degrees–decimal minutes, the seconds are divided by 60. For more on GPS technology, visit usgs.gov.

      DISTANCE & CONFIGURATION

      Distance indicates the length of the hike from start to finish, either round-trip or one-way depending on the trail configuration. If the hike description includes options to shorten or extend the hike, those distances will also be factored here. Configuration defines the type of route—for example, an out-and-back (which takes you in and out the same way), a point-to-point (or one-way route), a loop, a figure-eight, or a balloon.

      HIKING TIME

      Two to three miles per hour is a general rule of thumb for hiking the trails in this book, depending on the terrain and whether you have children with you. That pace typically allows time for taking photos, for dawdling and admiring views, and for alternating stretches of hills and descents. When deciding whether or not to follow a particular trail in this guidebook, consider your own pace, the weather, your general physical condition, and your energy level on a given day.

      HIGHLIGHTS

      This section lists features that draw hikers to the trail: waterfalls, historic sites, and the like.

      ELEVATION

      In each hikes’s key information, you will see the elevation (in feet) at the trailhead and another figure for the peak height you will reach on the trail. For routes that involve significant ascents and descents, the hike profile also includes an elevation diagram.

      ACCESS

      Fees or permits required to hike the trail are detailed here—and noted if there are none. Trail-access hours are also listed here.

      MAPS

      Resources for maps, in addition to those in this guidebook, are listed here. As noted earlier, we recommend that you carry more than one map—and that you consult those maps before heading out on the trail in order to resolve any confusion or discrepancy.

      FACILITIES

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