Day Hiking: New England by Jeff Romano

Lisa Pengel, a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club, Maine Chapter Executive Committee, recently sat down with author Jeff Romano, to discuss his recently published book, “Day Hiking: New England”.

“Day Hiking: New England” was released in May of 2015, and is Jeff’s third published hiking book. His first book was released in 2006 and is titled “Best Loop Hikes: New Hampshire’s White Mountains to the Maine Coast“. His second book was released in 2010 and is titled “100 Classic Hikes in New England“. All three of his books are published by Mountaineer Books, a nonprofit publishing division of The Mountaineers, an organization founded in 1906. They are available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in many book stores.

Author Jeff Romano with his latest book

(Lisa) Tell us a little bit about yourself, where you grew up and how you began hiking:

(Jeff) I was born in CT, grew up in southern NH, and did my first hike at 3 years old, Mt. Monadnock, with my family. Mt. Monadnock is one of the most popular hikes in the world. I don’t remember the hike at all, but have been told I completed it on my own with a little assistance up a handful of small ledges. I am the youngest of three boys. We started hiking regularly when I was 6. The White Mountains of NH are where we spent the most time and I fell in love with the hikes and trails there. I love the variety, it is such a great place. I basically grew up hiking there. It is still my favorite place to be.

I grew up in NH, went to college in NH, and received a BA in politics from Saint Anselm College. I lived in VT for a few years when I attended Vermont Law School, where I earned a JD. I spent 3 years living in VT and got to know that state a lot more. I moved back to NH temporarily to work on a political campaign which eventually brought me to Maine. I moved to Maine in 1997, and currently live in Hallowell, Maine with my wife Maria and our 14 year old son Anthony. I am employed by Maine Coast Heritage Trust and coordinate their public policy activities.

(Lisa) Tell us about your most recently published book, “Day Hiking: New England“:

Jeff Romano and his son Anthony Romano

(Jeff) This is my third published book, 115 day hikes in New England covering all six states (ME, NH, VT, CT, MA, RI). The bulk of the hikes are in the 4-8 mile range. However, there are a few shorter walks as well as longer treks for the more adventurous. When possible, I chose trailheads where people can get a variety of mileage options. For example, there are hikes in here with a suggested itinerary of a half dozen miles or so, but once at the trailhead you may have the option to do an all day hike in excess of 10 miles, depending on your schedule or ability. Readers will find the reverse as well. Each hike comes with a map of the trails and a photo that captures one of the journey’s natural or scenic features.

The information for each hike, in addition to the maps and photos, includes distance, difficulty, and whether it is hike-able all year.

The book also uses icons to signify whether a hike is kid friendly, dog friendly, enjoys abundant wild flowers, is an excellent spot for bird watching, includes waterfalls, wetlands, or geological features, or is historically significant.

(Lisa) Besides a great list of 115 day hikes, what else does this book provide?

(Lisa) For the answer to this question and many more, and to read the entire interview, please pick up a copy of our newest Appalachian Mountain Club Wilderness Matters newsletter, coming out July 1st! To obtain our newsletter electronically, update your newsletter preferences in AMC’s Member Center.