definitive Hiking book/guide for Seattle + Area (Rainier: camping, maintenance)

[bloom]

Is there a definitive Seattle and greater Seattle area hiking book / guide?
In San Diego county, It is this one by the recently passed Jerry Schad:
Afoot and Afield: San Diego County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide: Jerry Schad: 9780899974286: Amazon.com: Books

[seattlenextyear]

Hiking in Seattle is...vast to say the least. So books usually focus on a specific region. I usually look for Mountaineers books focused on day hikes. Like "Day Hiking: Mount Rainier National Park"

For a more general guide, there's the "60 hikes within 60 miles" which is ok. There's also the "100 Classic Hikes in Washington", which is good but outdated.

[sean98125]

The definitive guide isn't a book, but a website - Washington Trails Association

[bloom]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

Hiking in Seattle is...vast to say the least. So books usually focus on a specific region. I usually look for Mountaineers books focused on day hikes. Like "Day Hiking: Mount Rainier National Park"

For a more general guide, there's the "60 hikes within 60 miles" which is ok. There's also the "100 Classic Hikes in Washington", which is good but outdated.

why, how outdated?

[analogkid84]

Craig Romano, a local hiker, backpacker, trailrunner, and general outdoorsman has been writing and publishing a series of hiking books recently that cover much of Washington and other parts of the NW. The book most relevant for your requests here is probably this, Day Hiking Central Cascades | craigromano.com. He has books covering specific areas such as the North Cascades which, despite its ruggedness, hosts many tremendous hikes once the snows have melted away a bit; also the Olympic Peninsula, Mount St. Helens, and the Columbia River Gorge have their own editions.

There are many books as mentioned above and The Mountaineers bookstore is a great resource. You do need to be a bit careful with some of the Ira Spring/Harvey Manning books as most were published a decade or more ago. They are still great resources as much of the information still holds and, at least, they can provide ideas for hikes to consider. As holds true for the mountains and in times of slashed funding for the Forest Service and public lands in general, over time some roads and trails get washed out, fall out of service due to non-maintenance, etc. Always try to research an area of interest by perusing sites such as NWHikers and the Washington Trails Association for recent trip reports or information related to trail/road closures.

Also, can't stress enough to have an updated map of the areas you plan to hike. A trip to Metsker Maps on First Ave. downtown or to The Mountaineers' bookstore on Sand Point Way is a good way to kill an hour or more, as there is a lot of fun stuff to browse through.

[ctr88]

I know that Jerry Schad book Afoot and Afield in San Diego....that is the hiking bible for SD and awesome! None of the large national books like Foghorn or Moon are comprehensive like Schad's book for dozens and dozens of little known hikes local hikes.

I would like to find something similar for Seattle. I have the Moon hiking book for WA State, it's a good general guide to the state, but it is too broad and general and I suspect it misses many local close in hikes to Seattle. I read most books now through Kindle and do most stuff online, but hiking, camping, snowshoeing guides I still like to have physical books. So you can refer to it at the trailhead and when you are out of range of the Internet. I also like books that rate hikes for scenery and difficulty and give the authors personal opinions.

[509]

Remember hiking around Seattle means hiking in the rain.

No fair crossing the Cascade crest.

[seattlenextyear]

Originally Posted by bloom

why, how outdated?

It was written 15 years ago and things change due to very active trail maintenance organizations. Trailhead locations change, fees change, etc.

And yes, the WTA website is very good too.

[chocolateaffair]

Are there trails around that are stroller/ wheelchair accessible? My son walks but gets tired out easily, I'd like to do a 1-2 mile walk with the whole family but we'd have to take the wheelchair with us. I'm not finding accessibility info on the wta site.

[wutitiz]

Originally Posted by analogkid84

Craig Romano, a local hiker, backpacker, trailrunner, and general outdoorsman has been writing and publishing a series of hiking books recently that cover much of Washington and other parts of the NW. The book most relevant for your requests here is probably this, Day Hiking Central Cascades | craigromano.com. He has books covering specific areas such as the North Cascades which, despite its ruggedness, hosts many tremendous hikes once the snows have melted away a bit; also the Olympic Peninsula, Mount St. Helens, and the Columbia River Gorge have their own editions.

There are many books as mentioned above and The Mountaineers bookstore is a great resource. You do need to be a bit careful with some of the Ira Spring/Harvey Manning books as most were published a decade or more ago. They are still great resources as much of the information still holds and, at least, they can provide ideas for hikes to consider. As holds true for the mountains and in times of slashed funding for the Forest Service and public lands in general, over time some roads and trails get washed out, fall out of service due to non-maintenance, etc. Always try to research an area of interest by perusing sites such as NWHikers and the Washington Trails Association for recent trip reports or information related to trail/road closures.

Also, can't stress enough to have an updated map of the areas you plan to hike. A trip to Metsker Maps on First Ave. downtown or to The Mountaineers' bookstore on Sand Point Way is a good way to kill an hour or more, as there is a lot of fun stuff to browse through.

+1 Craig Romano.