Books - (PA Outdoors)

Nowadays, paper reference books seem to be in the decline with all the digital media and digital tools (GPS) that are present. I still like the feel of book and unfolding a 24"x36" road map just to attain a sense of scale that you can't get from a computer screen of from a GPS device.

While at the PA Farm Show, I stopped at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) stand and picked up a "free" book called "Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail". The name is a bit misleading, for it is about a large chunk of PA. Published by the PA Audobon society, it details multiple birding and recreation locations in 39 counties that either touch or neighbor the Susquehanna River.

The "Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail" book is well organized with great birding art (by John Audobon) and costs $9 if you order it online. What I like about the book it's not just a State Park or State Forest recitation, but it offers detailed descriptions of trails and what/when to expect to see, in city & county, state parks, forests, game lands, and even private preserves.

If you can't pick up the book, the website has an interactive trail guide which details everything in the book, but in bite-size digital pieces.

A nice feature included in the descriptions are directions and icons of what to see plus a cross reference to the page number in PA Atlas and Gazetteer (~$20, a must own book that I value). In lieu of road maps, the PA Atlas and Gazetteer has 72 pages of highly detailed road and topo maps.

Feel free to share your favorite PA Outdoor reference books.