The Southwest is riddled with public lands, and they are riddled with hiking opportunities. Where you go could be as simple as following your sightline into the landscape. But if you're not comfortable with that, it's nice to have a guidebook to help you find your way. This is one option.

Park lovers will be happy to know Sandra Hinchman includes hikes in Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado National Monument, El Malpais National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Pecos National Historical Park, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Grand Canyon National Park, Rainbow Bridge National Monument, and Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

In other words, this is a book with a large footprint on public lands, one that offers a wide sampling of these areas. Of course, it might be too large for you if you have one or two favorite park destinations. In that case, park-specific hiking guides would be better. But if you're on a road trip through the Southwest, this would be a good guide to have in your glovebox. 

There are full-color images throughout the book, and sketched trail drawings to orient yourself and find your way to the trailhead. But these sketches are not topographical maps. To cover your hiking bases, you'd be wise to find some topo maps of the hikes you plan to take, or download a mapping app for your phone to help your navigation.

Somewhat surprising in that this is the fourth edition of this guide, the details for hikes are sparse. For instance, the hike to Peekaboo Arch in Canyonlands opens with the author's rating of the hike (e.g., Moderate, 10-mile out-and-back, allow 5 hours), and reference map (Trails Illustrated 210; Canyonlands National Park/Needles/Island). Directions to the trailhead are dispatched with two brief sentences, and the trail description is relatively barebones without some of the finer details other guidebooks offer. 

Hinchman does provide a primer on the Southwest, touching on the geology, paleontology, climate, flora and fauna of the region, ancient cultures, and there's even a nice topographical glossary if you're not from the region and have no idea what a moki marble is or how to recognize a graben.

She also provides a tip for removing cactus spines if you happen to wander into one on your hike: "...squirt the affected area with plain white glue (like Elmer's), then let the glue dry and peel it off. In a pinch, you can use duct tape."

If you're looking for a broad overview of the hiking options in the Southwest, this book handles the job.