Mountaineers Books
It's officially summer in Washington and we're so lucky to live in a state full of a never-ending bucket list of things to do. We put together this list of just a few ways to explore the area and get the most out of your summer!
#1: Hike to Wildflowers
Brothers Nathan and Jeremy Barnes lead hikers on 50 trails to seasonal floral displays, ranging across varied landscapes. Features include:
- Basics of wildflower identification
- Tips for photographing wildflowers
- “Hike Finder,” which includes flowering season, trail difficulty, distance, and more
- 50 detailed wildflower profiles, including common and botanical names, description, botanical background
- Stunning images throughout
#2: Hike to Alpine Lakes
The lush Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington’s Central Cascades contains a plethora of trails, rugged glacier-carved mountains, and more than 700 sparkling alpine lakes and ponds. Alpine Lakes Wilderness features a wide range of hikes that vary in difficulty, geography, and theme so that hikers of any age and skill level will find trails that fit their taste.
#3: Hike to Washington's Fire Lookouts
This new guide to hiking the fire lookouts of Washington’s Cascades and Olympics is the quintessential Northwest guide and will appeal to a wide range of hikers. Features of Hiking Washington’s Fire Lookouts include:
- 44 fire lookouts accessible by trail during the typical summer season
- Only lookouts that are still standing - no hiking up to a barren mound of broken concrete!
- Routes are not technical - hikers just need boots, trekking poles, and lunch
- Lookout history, anecdotes, and full-color photos throughout
#4: Day hike the Cascades
Day Hiking: North Cascades
This guide covers Mount Baker, the North Cascades Highway (SR 20) corridor, North Cascades National Park, Winthrop and the Methow Valley, the Pasayten Wilderness area, parts of Glacier Peak Wilderness, and the Mountain Loop Highway.
Day Hiking: Central Cascades
This guide covers Whidbey Island; Skykomish, Wenatchee, and Icicle River Valleys; the Entiat Mountains; the Lake Chelan area; and more.
Day Hiking: Mount Rainier
Day Hiking Mount Rainier provides the most thorough coverage of Mount Rainier National Park to date, including the park's four main entrances: Nisqually, Carbon River, White River/Sunrise, and Stevens Canyon/Ohanapecosh. It also features information on Cayuse Pass and Highway 123, the Grove of the Patriarchs, Camp Muir, parts of the Wonderland Trail, Longmire, and Paradise.
#5: Explore Western Washington with Your Littles
Finding hikes that your little can handle - be they human or canine - can be tough. These two hiking guidebooks for Western Washington provide the perfect hikes for you and your small ones.
Best Hikes with Kids: Western Washington
Features 125 hikes carefully selected and vetted by both parents and children, with lengths that range from less than 2 miles to as much as 6 miles.
Best Hikes with Dogs: Western Washington
This guidebook features 80+ dog-friendly trails ranging from 3-mile strolls to 33-mile treks.
#6: Plan an Overnight Trip
Backpacking Washington, 2nd Edition
This second edition of Backpacking Washington details 80 routes, from the lush Hoh River Valley to breathtaking vistas in the North Cascades, to the open ridges of the Columbia Highlands and beyond.
Camping Washington 2nd Edition
This popular guidebook reviews and rates each campground (600+) so you’ll know exactly what to expect, including useful details on campsite surfaces, degree of privacy, best and worst sites in a given campground, and nearby hikes, fishing spots, and other attractions.
#7: Explore the Olympic Mountains
Olympic Mountains Trail Guide is a treasured, classic guidebook to one of the region’s top hiking destinations. Reading Bob Wood’s text is like having an old friend describe last weekend’s hike to you. Wood passed away in 2003, but Bill Hoke, Doug Savage, and volunteers from the Peninsula Wilderness Club picked up the reins to do a thorough update.
#8: climb the cascades
Classic Cascade Climbs features more than 100 climbing routes across 70+ peaks - offering information on alpine routes as well as a handful of sport, ice, and crag options. To determine if it was a “classic,” each route was judged on the following criteria: overall quality, popularity, accessibility, style, and historical importance.
#9: stay in the city & enjoy Urban Trails
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