Customer Reviews

Best Loop Hikes: Washington (Best Hikes)

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"Nothing pleases hikers more than finding a great wilderness trail that allows them to wander in circles, never touching the same bit of trail twice. Hiking, after all, is hard work and it's nice when every step takes you into new country, with new scenery. Out-and-back hikes are okay, but a great loop hike? That's the holy grail of the trail world." -- from the introduction

That pretty much sums up this excellent guide to loop hikes in Washington State.

The novice hiker, or someone like me who hasn't been on the trails in a while, will benefit from the up-to-date information in the introduction. Topics include: permits and regulations, general trail etiquette, low-impact camping, water, clean-up, bears, cougars, weather, and gear.

A partial Washington State map near the front of the book helps the reader to locate the numbered hikes, ranging from as far west as Cape Alava on the Olympic Peninsula to Horseshoe Basin/Windy Peak in the Okanogan National Forest in the north central part of the state. The majority of these hikes are in the Cascade Mountains, from North Cascades National Park to Mount Adams in the south.

A two-page guide will help the reader select "hikes by interest," including panoramic views, solitude, old-growth forest, dog-friendly trails, kid-friendly trails, wildflower viewing, waterfalls and rivers, lakes, wildlife viewing and natural splendor. One drawback to this fine volume is that there is no simple way to find an easy dayhike without turning to the page for each individual hike.

These loops vary in length from short dayhikes to overnight backpack trips that can take several days.

Each hike selection begins with a short summary. The text provides clear directions on how to get to the trailhead, a description of each hike and things you might see along the way. A small topographical trail map is provided for each hike, and the book is scattered with black and white photos of sights one might encounter on the trail.

An appendix contains helpful contact information and web addresses to parks, ranger districts and volunteer groups mentioned in the book.

This is an excellent addition to the Mountaineers catalog of guidebooks. If you're looking for a loop hike in the Pacific Northwest--whether short or long--take a look at this volume.

I took a trip to Seattle, had an extra day and wanted to do a day hike. This is an excellent book for someone unfamiliar with the area to pick a hike out that they'd like to do. It has everything from a few hour hike to a few day hike. One word of warning, if you want to go for a hike in the mountains, try to go in August so the roads and trails will be open!!! The maps and pictures are all in black and white, so they're not the best, but that's what you get if you want an inexpensive book...

This book is fantastic, if you live in Seattle. If you live on the east side of the state however this book is a major dissapointment. Why, you ask? Because the eastern most hike in this book is in the Pasayten wilderness area, effectively ignoring the entire eastern half of the state. I was really hoping for something in Colville or Umatalla National Forest, even something in the eastern portion of Okanogan would have been nice, but no. National Forests, State Parks, Wildlife Refugees, designated wilderness areas, all ignored east of the Cascades. This is the worst guide book for Washington I've ever purchased.

There is a nice range of loop distances in here. I've only done a couple of routes so far, both 3day trips, and both awesome. Just what I was looking for.