Hiking Olympic National Park (rev) (Paperback)

by Erik Molvar (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Written by veteran trail-guide author Erik Molvar, Hiking Olympic National Park, formerly The Trail Guide to Olympic National Park, describes a 585-mile network of maintained trails in a wilderness ecosystem that stretches from the beaches of the Pacific to the heart of the Olympic Mountains. The trails provide a full spectrum of challenges, from strenuous backpacking trips over glacier-clad mountains to short strolls through a temperate rainforest. Hiking Olympic National Park includes mile-by-mile descriptions, maps, and elevation charts for each trail. This comprehensive guidebook is organized to help you plan your trips and includes an index to all the topographic maps you will need as well as tips on no-trace camping and wilderness safety techniques. Hiking Olympic National Park is an indispensable part of your next trip into the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula.

From the Back Cover
Written by veteran trail-guide author Erik Molvar, this book describes a 585 mile network of maintained trails in a wilderness ecosystem that stretches from the beaches of the Pacific to the heart of the Olympic Mountains. The trails provide a full spectrum of challenges, from strenuous backpacking trips over glacier-clad mountains to short strolls trhough a temperate rainforest.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Falcon; 2nd edition (November 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560444576
• ISBN-13: 978-1560444572
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #514,372 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Got a week? use this trail guide., June 19, 2003

By	Jilly (United States) - See all my reviews

I ordered the three Olympic Mountains trail guides that seemed most highly recommended -- Molvar, Blair, and Wood -- and was impressed by each. I needed a guide for a 7 to 10 day visit to Olympic, of which I had no prior knowledge. Wood's book is definitely the most comprehensive and technical of the three. If I lived near Olympic or had more time, it would definitely be my first choice. Blair's book of day hikes is also an excellent book, with useful topo maps and a 1 - 5 star rating system that makes choosing the day's hike that much easier, especially for out-of-towners. It is chattier than Wood, in a sort of happy-day-hike way (pointing out picnic spots and giving more local history, for example), and includes hikes from a few to 10+ hours. The happy medium between these two books is Molvar. It is written in a friendly narrative, but with enough information to put together a several-days hike. Its weak point is its lack of topo maps, but the trail maps are still very useable, and the elevation profiles are helpful. It also includes beach trails not found in Blair.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the best guide, but..., October 14, 2000

By	wardicus "wardicus" (On top Dodger Point, Elwha Valley, WA) - See all my reviews

Molvar's book is a fine trail book, but it is light on trails, light on details and light on facts. He cuts several trails worth exploring and I have found Robert Woods Olympic Mountain Trail Guide to be consistently better on facts. The upside to Molvar's Guide (and why I have it) is the inclusion of the beach trails and the elevation profiles. The profiles are extremely useful. So heres my recomendation for this book... Use it to plan your trip, but leave it at home. Use Robert Wood's guide to lead you.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Backcountry Reference, August 30, 2003

By	Scott weaver (Olympic Pennsula) - See all my reviews

I am a voulunteer Back-country Ranger for Olympic National Park, and this book is in my pack every time I head out into the back-country. His details are just what I want. I do not care for books that are so indepth that you know the hike before you start. What adventure is in that. He describes the location of back-country camp sites better than other authors. His book is very user friendly. Highly recommended.