I always describe my family as "outside-sy" not outdoorsy. We love a fun, relatively short hike with a great pay off and this book was perfect for finding some for the family to do together. The lay out of this book makes it extra useful. In addition to sorting the hikes by state, there are short lists in a "Choosing Your Adventure" section that sort hikes by features (waterfalls, exceptional flora, etc) or optimal seasons, The authors also gave some background on their experience with hiking with their families and as children, along with a brief background on hiking terminology. For each hike, the authors provide a brief summary, beautiful photos, and a scavenger hunt of items to look for along the way, along with an infographic giving important information such as the length, level of difficulty, and elevation change for each hike. I can't wait to try some of these on our next trip with our camper!

50 Hikes with Kids Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio is an engaging, accessible, and very useful guide to family friendly local hikes all along the central states of the midwestern USA. Due out 9th July 2024 from Hachette on their Timber Press imprint, it's 284 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

This handbook is full of ideas for planning family hiking and finding opportunities to experience nature together. It's specifically aimed at kid friendly areas with practical suggestions for planning, choosing, and executing trips. All the hikes are under 5 miles in length and the authors have included fun activities like scavenger hunts along the way. The general introductory chapters contain numbered key tables with both names and features of each hike. Readers can look for general locations, plan an itinerary, or choose destinations based on geographical or historical features.

The hikes are arranged roughly geographically by state: Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Each trip guide includes maps, points of interest, length (important!), elevation gain, difficulty, seasons of interest (many are year-round), directions, fees, facilities, extra treats and features, and contact information for the sites.

The book is beautifully illustrated throughout, with topographical and local maps, color photography, and line drawn illustrations. There are beautiful clear photos of local nature and wildlife as well.

This is a valuable guide. It is part of a series of hike/destination planners for different areas of the USA from the same publisher. It would be a great choice for home use as well as library acquisition.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I have spent all of my life in the Midwest, and this book was a treat to discover! I've been to many of the parks and trails listed here, and discovered many more I'll visit in the future! This book takes us on adventures from Illinois to Indiana, then to Ohio. There is a list by feature as well—wetlands and lakes, waterfalls, history, flora and fauna, geology, overlooks and peaks, rivers and creeks, beach fun, and campgrounds. Truly a gem for anyone who lives in these areas or will visit them!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

This book was everything I wanted in a book about hikes with kids in this area. Clearly organized, this fantastic book has gorgeous illustrations and enough information about the areas that I felt like there was a good reason to go. Honestly, I live in this area and I learned so much, and now I have specific goals to visit some of the places I read about. There is also information on how to prepare for the hikes. I recommend this book for anyone wanting to explore these areas.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This is an excellent resource for hikes with kids in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. I have visited two of the featured parks in Indiana, McCormick's Creak and Brown County State Parks and I can attest to the beauty of each. I hope to add many more visits to the locations featured. This book was set up nicely with names of each park listed in the tables in the front and tips, maps, features with beautiful photos throughout the book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this delightful title with me.

Children and adults need lots of outside time, and when planning what to do with a family on vacation on a budget, hiking comes to mind as a great way to take care of each of those needs. Hiking has many benefits including physical health benefits and reducing stress; hiking can also serve as a time when families can grow closer together. In their book 50 Hikes with Kids Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, Sharon Dewar and Wendy Gorton write about hikes that are all under three miles, which is helpful for hiking with children. Dewar and Gorton share about scavenger hunts that can be done while hiking, and they describe the hikes in the book as easy to moderate trail levels so that families can decide whether the hike will be appropriate for their skill level. Throughout the book, there are many pictures of hiking trails and nature's surprises that one can find along the way. There are handy charts that explain the closest major city to the hiking trail, which can be helpful when planning the rest of the vacation. Dewar and Gorton share important information about bugs, such as ticks, to be alert for, and they give tips on how to create a nature journal for what one sees on the hike. In the book is also a list of helpful websites that are related to hiking. 50 Hikes with Kids Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio is a great resource for families looking for ways to get out in nature in the Midwest. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Super cute and nicely layed out!! Excited to visit some of the recommended parks
Do wish they had more recommendations on things to do in the areas of the parks

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a fun read about the various easy and fun hikes in Illinois,Indiana and Ohio. The facts and photos are great as well.

I requested this one so I could take my 8 year old and 3 year old on some easy beginner hikes. Hopefully my kids will appreciate nature as much as I do. Thanks Netgalley for letting me get to this one early.

I received a free copy of, 50 Hikes with Kids Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, by Shawn Dewar; Wendy Gordon, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have actually been to one of these places, Little Red School, way back in grammar school, on a field trip. This is a great book for families and kids to see what is in their state to explore. this is a very informative book.