Mountain Biking the Puget Sound Area: A Guide to the Best Off-Road Rides in Greater Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett [Paperback]

Santo Criscuolo (Author)

Book Description

Series: Regional Mountain Biking Series | Publication Date: June 1, 2003

Veteran rider and local author Santo Criscuolo becomes a personal mountain bike trail guide as he explores every twist and turn of single track in the Puget Sound region from Olympia to Bellingham and from the Kitsap Peninsula to Cle Elum and Cashmere. Not only does he tell bikers where to find the trails, he tells them how and when to ride them to avoid poor trail conditions, crowds, and potential natural disasters common out in the dirt. Delivered with a fresh, irreverent perspective, this highly detailed mountain bike guide uses easy quick-references so readers can find what they are searching for right away. Mountain Biking the Puget Sound Area also provides some of the most detailed maps of any guidebook available.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Heaven on two wheels. The Puget Sound Area offers miles of smooth singletrack, steep climbs, crystal clear lakes, and amazing mountain views. Veteran mountain biker and author Santo Criscuolo outlines more than fifty of the best rides from Olympia to Bellingham and from the Kitsap Peninsula to Cle Elum and Cashmere.
Explore dense forest on Galbraith Mountain, discover the wild beauty of Mad Lake's massive rockslides, enjoy urban adventure in Renton's Tapeworm, and test your skills on the ultimate challenge, the Cascade Triple Crown. This guide will give you the inside track on everything from the best day of the week to ride individual trails, to specific types of bikes for each ride, and even where to get a cold drink and a burger after a hard day in the saddle.
Also included: detailed ride descriptions; easy-to-read maps; ratings for physical and technical difficulty; tips on riding and trip preparation.
Wherever you ride and whatever your skill level, let Mountain Biking the Puget Sound Area be your guide to fat tire fun in the Northwest's diverse landscape.

About the Author

Santo Criscuolo is one of the original founders of the online mountain bike guides Dirt Northwest and Dirtworld.com. Previously, he was a radio and TV sales executive, an online advertising sales manager, and an editor for Northwest Skier magazine. He is also the author of Ski & Snowboard America: The Pacific Northwest & British Columbia (Globe Pequot Press, 2001). His in-the-dirt and on-the-trail experience includes seven years of cross-country racing, starting Team Dirtworld.com, the largest amateur mountain bike racing team in the nation, and searching for singletrack all over Western Canada, The U.S., and Central America. Rain or shine, you are sure to find him in the saddle somewhere in the Puget Sound region.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Falcon; 1st edition (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762725540
• ISBN-13: 978-0762725540
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,149,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Acutally, the book has new rides in it..., August 11, 2004

By 

joseph "joe" (seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mountain Biking the Puget Sound Area: A Guide to the Best Off-Road Rides in Greater Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett (Paperback)

I wonder about the previous review and if writer isn't a friend of Zilly's. Did he even read Criscuolo's book and use it out on the dirt? Puget Sound Mountain Biking has several rides mapped out that have never been published in any book. For example, the Black Diamond Coal Mine and Tokul Creek. Maps are much more detailed than Zilly's books plus Criscuolo provides relevant commentary on the thrills or lack there of on each trail.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Seattle/Puget Sound area mountain bike guidebook, July 24, 2007

By 

Mike - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mountain Biking the Puget Sound Area: A Guide to the Best Off-Road Rides in Greater Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett (Paperback)

I just returned from a trip to Seattle. I bought all three Mountain bike guides available and I found Criscuolo's book to be the best. His maps were better that Zilly's, directions were better, and the descriptions of the trails were more accurate. I also appreciate that the trails in Crisculol's book are rides that are mostly 10-30+ miles. Zilly's book "Kissing the Trail" is loaded with "rides" that are 1 to 5 miles.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Rehashed Guidebooks & Knowledge, December 18, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Mountain Biking the Puget Sound Area: A Guide to the Best Off-Road Rides in Greater Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett (Paperback)

With 3-4 excellent guidebooks already covering these areas, this one is really a rehash of those books. In addition, many of the areas covered have incorrect landowner and access information, as well as poor instructions on how to ride the loops for maximum fun. Look to Zilly's books and local group rides for the best trail guides.