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Best Washington Travel Guides

A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands: Olympia to Port Angeles
"Simply put, every local boater should have a dog-eared, well-thumbed copy [of this guide] as a permanent feature in the nautical library. A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands has earned an outstanding reputation for the accuracy of its piloting instructions, the clarity of its writing, and the high quality of its information. Approaches and anchorages for hundreds of bays, harbors, and inlets―many with annotated charts Weather, tides, currents, and commercial traffic patterns Local history and attractions 240 full-color photos 75 color chartlets Larger size and lay-flat binding for ease of use. For even those few boaters who think they know all Puget Sound has to offer, this invaluable reference guide will introduce them to hundreds of new places yet to explore. "An encyclopedic sailing guide to area waters, written with exhaustive first-hand research to almost every cove and inlet, and complemented with a remarkable series of maps, charts, and pictures. "A monumental book that gives minute details on every bay, waterway, and stretch of navigable salt water from Olympia to Port Angeles, including the San Juan Islands. A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands has earned an outstanding reputation for the accuracy of its piloting instructions, the clarity of its writing, and the high quality of its information. Approaches and anchorages for hundreds of bays, harbors, and inlets―many with annotated charts Weather, tides, currents, and commercial traffic patterns Local history and attractions 240 full-color photos 75 color chartlets Larger size and lay-flat binding for ease of use. For even those few boaters who think they know all Puget Sound has to offer, this invaluable reference guide will introduce them to hundreds of new places yet to explore. "An encyclopedic sailing guide to area waters, written with exhaustive first-hand research to almost every cove and inlet, and complemented with a remarkable series of maps, charts, and pictures.
Reviews
"Cruising up there can be very complex....considering ship traffic, reefs that are close to the water surface, floating logs that can separate an outdrive from the boat in a nanosecond, and private or shallow areas that it is a good idea to stay away from."
"A must have for cruising down sound or in the San Juan Islands."
"We constantly use this book for boating in the puget sound."
"the wire coil back is a pain to deal with."
"We've been sailing in the San Juans for over 30 years and still found this book helpful."
"The spiral binding is very nice which allows the pages to lay flat and the heavy cover tucks acound them when the book is closed to protect the page edges - a great touch. I expect this will be a book we will really use this season."
"Great book for cruising the Sound."
"The Waggoner book that was in our charter boat was much better but our favorite was San Juan Islands Cruise Guide: A Boaters Handbook for Camping the San Juan's and Surrounding Area by Cummins."
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Fodor's Pacific Northwest: Portland, Seattle, Vancouver & the Best of Oregon and Washington (Full-color Travel Guide)
This dramatic region stretching from British Columbia to Oregon provides pristine wilderness areas to explore--from coastlines to mountains--as well as vibrant metropolitan scenes in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver. UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE: New hotel and restaurant reviews cover recently opened properties throughout the region along with special focus on Portland and the popular brewery and winery scenes. “Fodor’s is pitched a few notches higher….aimed at a fairly discerning traveler with an appetite for background and the occasional surprise.” – New York Times.
Reviews
"Like most Fodor’s books this one is best read all the way through if you’re trying to choose an area to see, or read the whole section on a particular area to get a great fell of the offerings and where you may what to spend additional time. Hood, Central Oregon, Crater Lake National Park, Southern Oregon, Seattle, Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys, San Juan Islands, Olympic National Park, Olympic Peninsula and Washington Coast, North Cascades National Park, North Central Washington, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington Wine Country, Spokane and Eastern Washington, Vancouver and Victoria."
"The bonus is the included content for Vancouver BC, and it is really appreciated (I am staying in Vancouver over Thanksgiving weekend this year - I'll update afterwards if there is anything pertinent to add). It seems odd this was left out since they do tend to get good press and are recommended by virtually every winery I've ever visited here. The Seattle section covers a lot of the sightseeing: Space Needle, Music Experience, Pike Place Market, Ferries, Aquarium, etc... You definitely get a good feel for each city and can easily discern what the main takeaway of travel to each place would be."
"The "Pacific Northwest" is a very broad area."
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60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland: Including the Coast, Mount Hood, St. Helens, and the Santiam River
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland by Paul Gerald profiles 60 select trails that give outdoor adventurers a little of everything there is to enjoy around Portland: mountain views, forest solitude, picturesque streams, strenuous workouts, casual strolls, fascinating history, fields of flowers, awesome waterfalls, and ocean beaches. For 15 years, local outdoor and travel writer Paul Gerald has been the authority on Portland hiking and has just released a substantial update to 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Portland.
Reviews
"The author isn't merely interested in telling you how to get there and how not to miss a turn in the trail, but he shows a genuine love for each of these hikes, pointing out what is amazing about each of them, often giving a little history about the trail or other anecdotes associated with a hike, including personal experiences which are genuinely amusing or informative. I especially enjoy his appreciation of trails through old growth forests, something you don't often see in hiking guides. Thanks to this author, I discovered this incredibly beautiful section of trail after hiking all over Mt."
"I choose this book because I live in portland and love hiking."
"Wish there was a fold out map with these hikes, like we use with a day hike book for the Smoky Mountains and their many trails."
"This books covers some of the best hikes in Washington and Oregon that are near Portland."
"Nice quality product, quick shipping."
"I was nervous about trying to find good, informative books on hiking."
"Great book."
"We only used the book for two hikes."
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Best General Washington Travel Guides

Olympic Mountains Trail Guide: National Park & National Forest 3rd Edition
Also find in this hiking guidebook numbered hikes for quick reference; detailed information blocks for each trail; and weather information for each section of the Olympic Mountains. The man has walked thousands of miles in the range over the past half century, and his knowledge shows here.
Reviews
"What I've also noticed is that some of the distances are off but I won't knock off a star for it as it's hard to calculate trail distance unless you specifically do it."
"I just moved to the OP and am enjoying reading through an explaination of each part of the park, history, topography, and what to expect as well as the trail info."
"Used this for a one week backpacking trip to Olympic National park."
"It includes many lesser known hikes not included in the standard hiking guides."
"Best Olympic Mountain guide book I have ever read."
"This guide is great."
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Best Mount Rainier Washington Travel Books

Hiking the Wonderland Trail: The Complete Guide to Mount Rainier's Premier Trail
Hiking the Wonderland Trail: The Complete Guide to Mount Rainier's Premier Trail is an authoritative guidebook penned by Washington native Tami Asars, a professional instructor on hiking the trail, a third-generation hiker of the Cascade mountains, and seven-time hiker of the entire Wonderland Trail. Be sure to connect with Tami on her Facebook page, subscribe to her backpacking blog, or for everything Wonderland Trail be sure to check out hikingthewonderlandtrail.com.
Reviews
"I am very grateful to have this jewel at my fingertips to plan my hike of the Wonderland Trail about a year and a half from now."
"Most places (e.g., Yosemite NP, most Sierra trailheads) have campgrounds at the trailhead where one can count on camping the night before and after, but Rainier appears to have no such options at Lake Mowich or Sunrise or Longmire."
"Excellent informative resources that saved a lot of time to work and prepare."
"For me, it brought back rich memories of a family-group hike 38 years ago: my mother at 78, myself at 44, my brother at 40, a young adult friend in her thirties, three teen-age boys (two during one section, a different one during the rest)."
"Great book!"
"Excellent book, I plan to have it on my kindle as well."
"Very entertaining and descriptive book."
"Thorough and funny, this is an excellent guide to hiking the Wonderland Trail."
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Best Mount St. Helens Washington Travel Books

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland: Including the Coast, Mount Hood, St. Helens, and the Santiam River
60 Hks/60 Mi-portland, 5th Ed.
Reviews
"The author isn't merely interested in telling you how to get there and how not to miss a turn in the trail, but he shows a genuine love for each of these hikes, pointing out what is amazing about each of them, often giving a little history about the trail or other anecdotes associated with a hike, including personal experiences which are genuinely amusing or informative. I especially enjoy his appreciation of trails through old growth forests, something you don't often see in hiking guides. Thanks to this author, I discovered this incredibly beautiful section of trail after hiking all over Mt."
"I choose this book because I live in portland and love hiking."
"Helens, the Coast, hikes within Portland, and various National Forests and State Parks. I really wish I had discovered this book earlier, because quite honestly, I wasted years missing out on some fantastic, easy-to-do hikes out of simple ignorance. For example, when my parents came to visit, I was able to find a hike that wasn't going to be too long or difficult for them (Trillium Lake), and when my young nephew came to visit, I selected longer, moderate hikes (Ramona Falls and Silver Falls State Park)."
"Wish there was a fold out map with these hikes, like we use with a day hike book for the Smoky Mountains and their many trails."
"This books covers some of the best hikes in Washington and Oregon that are near Portland."
"Nice quality product, quick shipping."
"We only used the book for two hikes."
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Best North Cascades Washington Travel Books

Day Hiking North Cascades: Mount Baker, Mountain Loop Highway, San Juan Islands
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. WTA hosts more than 750 work parties throughout Washington’s Cascades and Olympics each year, with volunteers clearing downed logs after spring snowmelt, cutting away brush, retreading worn stretches of trail, and building bridges and turnpikes. "The Mountaineers Books new Day Hiking series of guide books is a worthy successor to the classic Washington hiking guides authored by the late Harvey Manning and Ira Spring… [The] Day Hiking series was designed and written with the needs of hikers in mind."
Reviews
"I'm new to hiking and didn't know where to start as far as my ability and and endurance."
"I've got only positive things to say about the choice of hikes and the description to which author Craig Romano adds to the selections. 3689) that is entirely different than the completely bold-faced introductory paragraphs found throughout the guide - instead, this one has random words in bold that just yell at you like a college boy shooting fireworks on the 4th of July. I point this out in my review because the sheer number of mistakes takes away from the experience of the guide itself and the Mountaineers series in general. I've returned this version, and I'll check the hard copy in a brick and mortar store to see if they have updated it."
"Excellent for planning trips in North Cascades National Park and Mt Baker Area."
"I had to get online and make sure I didn't buy some cheaper version of it but I guess this is the normal size. I guess for the price if some of the profit actually goes back into the trails, it's not bad but I would really find it a better deal if sold for 10 bucks."
"For each trail, it covers difficulty level, distance, elevation gain, proper season, how to get there, on the trail and maps."
"Nice to have options for long and short hikes depending on how much time I have that day."
"If this book were produced in a larger size with full color pictures it would be 5+ stars, but it's definitely good enough to warrant a solid 5 stars."
"This books pretty good!"
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Best Olympic Peninsula Washington Travel Books

Olympic Mountains Trail Guide: National Park & National Forest 3rd Edition
Also find in this hiking guidebook numbered hikes for quick reference; detailed information blocks for each trail; and weather information for each section of the Olympic Mountains. The man has walked thousands of miles in the range over the past half century, and his knowledge shows here.
Reviews
"What I've also noticed is that some of the distances are off but I won't knock off a star for it as it's hard to calculate trail distance unless you specifically do it."
"I just moved to the OP and am enjoying reading through an explaination of each part of the park, history, topography, and what to expect as well as the trail info."
"Used this for a one week backpacking trip to Olympic National park."
"It includes many lesser known hikes not included in the standard hiking guides."
"Best Olympic Mountain guide book I have ever read."
"This guide is great."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best San Juan Islands Washington Travel Books

A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands: Olympia to Port Angeles
"Simply put, every local boater should have a dog-eared, well-thumbed copy [of this guide] as a permanent feature in the nautical library. A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands has earned an outstanding reputation for the accuracy of its piloting instructions, the clarity of its writing, and the high quality of its information. Approaches and anchorages for hundreds of bays, harbors, and inlets―many with annotated charts Weather, tides, currents, and commercial traffic patterns Local history and attractions 240 full-color photos 75 color chartlets Larger size and lay-flat binding for ease of use. For even those few boaters who think they know all Puget Sound has to offer, this invaluable reference guide will introduce them to hundreds of new places yet to explore. "An encyclopedic sailing guide to area waters, written with exhaustive first-hand research to almost every cove and inlet, and complemented with a remarkable series of maps, charts, and pictures. "A monumental book that gives minute details on every bay, waterway, and stretch of navigable salt water from Olympia to Port Angeles, including the San Juan Islands. A Cruising Guide to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands has earned an outstanding reputation for the accuracy of its piloting instructions, the clarity of its writing, and the high quality of its information. Approaches and anchorages for hundreds of bays, harbors, and inlets―many with annotated charts Weather, tides, currents, and commercial traffic patterns Local history and attractions 240 full-color photos 75 color chartlets Larger size and lay-flat binding for ease of use. For even those few boaters who think they know all Puget Sound has to offer, this invaluable reference guide will introduce them to hundreds of new places yet to explore. "An encyclopedic sailing guide to area waters, written with exhaustive first-hand research to almost every cove and inlet, and complemented with a remarkable series of maps, charts, and pictures.
Reviews
"Cruising up there can be very complex....considering ship traffic, reefs that are close to the water surface, floating logs that can separate an outdrive from the boat in a nanosecond, and private or shallow areas that it is a good idea to stay away from."
"A must have for cruising down sound or in the San Juan Islands."
"We constantly use this book for boating in the puget sound."
"We've been sailing in the San Juans for over 30 years and still found this book helpful."
"The spiral binding is very nice which allows the pages to lay flat and the heavy cover tucks acound them when the book is closed to protect the page edges - a great touch. I expect this will be a book we will really use this season."
"Great book for cruising the Sound."
"Good information, lacking detailed visuals."
"The Waggoner book that was in our charter boat was much better but our favorite was San Juan Islands Cruise Guide: A Boaters Handbook for Camping the San Juan's and Surrounding Area by Cummins."
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Best Seattle Washington Travel Books

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Seattle: Including Bellevue, Everett, and Tacoma
There is also updated trail information, text, maps, and/or photos, etc., for such hikes as Iron Goat Trail, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Dirty Harry's Peak, Flaming Geyser State Park, Mailbox Peak, Franklin Falls, and many others. A lifelong Washingtonian, Bryce Stevens has explored the Cascade Range, the Olympic Mountains, and the Puget Sound.
Reviews
"I'd 95+% of the information is still valid, but approach with caution on actual hikes as a lot can change over 7 - 8 years."
"I bought this as a gift for my best friend who moved to Seattle from Phoenix."
"I got this book for some friends and they loved it."
"This book is RAD!"
"Suburban hikes are included, as well as foothills and beach hikes."
"He states he's only used some of the more northern walks, but says there's no reason to believe the balance of entries wouldn't be as accurate and pleasurable as the tested ones."
"Bought this as a gift for my hiking-loving niece who lives in Seattle."
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Best Spokane Washington Travel Books

100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest: Eastern Washington, Northern Rockies, Wallowas
100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest: Eastern Washington, Northern Rockies, Wallowas will help you enjoy the best trails the inland Northwest to offer. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
"Aside from not including the newer trails, the guide is excellent."
"My husband is from Montana and I am new to hiking."
"Overall the book is great - it has excellent trail overviews, difficulty levels, elevation profiles, "landscape" style maps rather than traditional topographical, and reasonable text describing the trail."
"This is a great book to point you in the right direction for hikes in the area."
"I would recommend this book to persons who are and are not familar with hikes in the area."
"Very detailed and useful book for finding inland northwest hiking trails."
"good resource for inland northwest hiking adventures."
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