Backpacking Washington: From Volcanic Peaks to Rainforest Valleys

by Douglas Lorain, Mark Wetherington

Get ready for a lifetime of awe-inspiring adventures! In Washington, backpackers can explore wild beaches, enjoy sparkling lakes and streams, hike amid stunning granite peaks, relax in wildflower meadows, and pass through unspoiled forests. Discover 26 of Washington’s best and most diverse backpacking trips (plus 13 bonus ones) with expert backpackers Douglas Lorain and Mark Wetherington. Backpacking Washington details the premier opportunities across the entire state. This fully updated edition describes scenic escapes ranging from one night to two weeks. Choose from carefully crafted trips in Mount Rainier National Park, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, the North Cascades, the Olympic Coast, the Olympic Mountains, Pasayten Wilderness, Salmo-Priest Wilderness, and more. Each carefully crafted itinerary offers geographic diversity, beautiful landscapes, and attainable daily mileage goals. This in-depth guide provides all the information backpackers need, including trail highlights, mileage, elevation gain, days on the trail, shuttle distances, required permits, and more―not to mention photographs and detailed trail maps. Plus, ratings for scenery, solitude, and difficulty help you to find the exact adventure you seek. Whether you’re a novice backpacker or a veteran hiker, with this many options, you may have trouble deciding where to go first! Alpine Lakes • Blue Mountains • Columbia Basin • Glacier Peak Area • Mount Rainier • North Cascades • Northeastern Washington Mountains • Olympic Coast • Olympic Mountains • Pasayten Wilderness • Southern Cascades

Genres: Nonfiction

268 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure I could ever do any of these hikes but it was fun to read about them. It's a good book to have if you plan on doing any of them though.

[Steve S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only skimmed. I found some good options for a longer backpacking trip this summer

[Herb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many guidebooks boast as being informative, but few can claim to be comprehensive and entertaining. Douglas Lorain has opened mysterious doors into the wild unknowns of Washington state. His clever illustrations and hilarious commentaries foisted this guidebook into the shelf consisting only of pure literary golds.

[Will White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guide book is more for the backpacker that wants to discover some of the trail without reading about it first. I would prefer this book if I didn't have the responsibilities of a family with an 8 year old.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a book that covered some hikes in the Olympics region and found this one. Overall, I found it very useful (and even found my next backpacking trip!). The book breaks down Washington into multiple regions all over the state and provides two or more routes for each, except for Mt. Rainier (only the Wonderland loop). Each route includes the perfunctory map and trail rating, plus a very detailed description and trail guide. The trail guide is so good, just taking the relevant pages should be enough to plan and hike a route. In addition, this guide book dedicates a chapter to Washington-specific backpacking tips, and a chapter explaining each of the "wild areas" of the state. The descriptions are accurate for the regions. I found no description over- (or under-) sold for the regions I have hiked before. And indeed I became convinced there were some regions I ought to go visit which I had previously dismissed.

As an added bonus, this guide mentions a couple shuttle/transport services for the solo backpacker/solo car.