Best Hikes With Children In Western Washington The Cascades

The first of a new series of popular family guides combines new material and features in a handy user-friendly format.

Trails specifically selected with younger hikers in mind Tips for family vacation destinations Features easy-to-access “nature fixes” throughout Western Washington Author Susan Elderkin has seen her kids express wonder and glee at discovering insects and flowers, melt down in tearful defiance in the middle of a trail, and triumphantly reach a summit and view. In short, she’s a regular mom who wants to encourage other parents to get their regular kids out into nature too. While Susan is an expert hiker in her own right, it’s her children who helped her to see hiking from a kid’s point of view. The result is Best Hikes with Kids: Western Washington, a fresh and wholly new guide for families looking for quality time together away from their distracting devices. Guidebook features include: 125 hikes—carefully selected and vetted by both parents and children Routes range in length from less than 2 miles (great for toddlers) to as much as 6 miles (for older kids who want to test themselves) Handy info blocks give a quick snapshot of each hike: best season, difficulty, length, high point, and elevation gain 13 “Great Getaways”—weekend or vacation destinations around the state with hiking trails and other family-fun activities Colorful icons indicate star attractions of the hike: splash zone, wildflowers, old-growth, dog-friendliness, stroller-accessibility, and more “Best of” lists make it easy for families to match hikes to their kids’ interests Driving directions, complete trail information, GPS trailhead coordinates, and color map included for each hike Tips on how to motivate kids on the trail, what’s appropriate for different ages, nature facts, and more Whether you’re looking for the best hikes to hug a really big tree; take a fun and refreshing dip; see birds, animals, or waterfalls; go on a winter day; or stuff yourself with berries, Best Hikes with Kids: Western Washington has you covered.

Guides to day hikes and overnighters for families. Tips on hiking with kids, safety, and fostering a wilderness ethic.

Spokane-based author and award-winning photographer Charles Gurche has been capturing Washington's wonderland of wildflowers on film for years. In this practical guide, he now reveals his favorite places to witness the state's unparalleled floral shows. Through his detailed trail descriptions and gorgeous full-color images, Gurche spotlights the state's 50 best day hikes for wildflower viewing. These excursions, located throughout the state, enable hikers of all fitness levels to experience Washington's diverse backcountry at its finest -- and to identify its many colorful and intriguing wildflower species. Driving directions deliver hikers to each trailhead, and color maps illustrate the trail routes. Washington's Best Wildflower Hikes is the ultimate guide for outdoor enthusiasts who wish to discover where to go for their next wildflower trek, what trailside species they are likely to encounter, and when to catch Washington's floral gems in peak bloom. Book jacket.

* More than 80 Oregon hikes for kids and adults, accessible from urban areas * Hikes range in length from less than a mile to nearly 6 miles, with optional turn-around points * Handy sidebars with information on animals, plants, geology, and fun activities for kids to do on the hike * Special emphasis on trail highlights with child appeal * Graphic, two-color layout provides key data at a glance Search for frogs and turtles in a pond, stay in a cabin, visit a nature center, see waterfalls, or discover abundant wildlife. These are just a few of the hikes in Best Hikes with Kids Oregon that families (and anyone looking for an easy outing) will enjoy. Each hike in this guidebook offers points of interest and opportunities for kids to learn about nature on the trail. The hikes are rated easy to difficult for children, and feature optional turn-around points for tired feet.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE LOOP HIKE, "FRAGRANCE LAKE" CLICK HERE to download two free hikes from Day Hiking North Cascades 125 trails, each rated on an overall-quality scale of 1 to 5 Quick-reference icons for kids, dogs, views, and more Full-color photo insert and overview map 1% of sales donated to the Washington Trails Association "Romano is one of the better guidebook writers around… He covers a lot of territory that other guidebooks have passed up."-- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Discover the stunning scenery that abounds in the North Cascades region, where hikers indulge in the drama of steep peaks, deep valleys, and everything in between. This new guide covers the Bellingham area, Mount Baker, the Highway 20 corridor, North Cascades National Park, Winthrop and the Pasayten Wilderness area, parts of Glacier Peak Wilderness, and the Mountain Loop Highway. Compact and fresh with a broad range of hiking options, this is the most up-to-date guide for the area, organized along highway and other travel corridors with an emphasis on trails that are 12 miles or less, round-trip. Check out Craig Romano's blog: http://worldhiker.blogspot.com/ **Mountaineers Books designates 1 percent of the sales of select guidebooks in our Day Hiking series toward volunteer trail maintenance.