A virtually undiscovered backpacking paradise, Idaho has numerous wilderness areas of mind-boggling size. Backpackers can find complete solitude, wildlife, and some of North America's most outstanding scenery. Idaho's mountains also boast great weather–fewer thunderstorms than the central Rockies, less rain than Oregon and Washington, and cooler summer temperatures than California.Backpacking Idaho takes you to what author Doug Lorain calls a «Shangri-la» for backpackers. In the craggy Selkirk Mountains you'll find lush forests, small cirque lakes, and jagged granite peaks. Watch for ospreys, river otters, and belted kingfishers in the swift Selway River. Explore hundreds of miles of trails in the gently rolling forested hills in north-central Idaho, or head to Hell's Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America, where you'll find both alpine tundra and cactus-studded desert.
Get ready for a lifetime of awe-inspiring adventures In Washington, backpackers can explore wild beaches, enjoy sparkling lakes and streams, hike amid stunning granite peaks, relax in wildflower meadows, and pass through unspoiled forests. Discover 26 of Washington’s best and most diverse backpacking trips (plus 13 bonus ones) with expert backpackers Douglas Lorain and Mark Wetherington. Backpacking Washington details the premier opportunities across the entire state. This fully updated edition describes scenic escapes ranging from one night to two weeks. Choose from carefully crafted trips in Mount Rainier National Park, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, the North Cascades, the Olympic Coast, the Olympic Mountains, Pasayten Wilderness, Salmo-Priest Wilderness, and more. Each carefully crafted itinerary offers geographic diversity, beautiful landscapes, and attainable daily mileage goals. This in-depth guide provides all the information backpackers need, including trail highlights, mileage, elevation gain, days on the trail, shuttle distances, required permits, and more—not to mention photographs and detailed trail maps. Plus, ratings for scenery, solitude, and difficulty help you to find the exact adventure you seek. Whether you’re a novice backpacker or a veteran hiker, with this many options, you may have trouble deciding where to go first!
Now completely updated for a second edition, Backpacking Washington remains the only comprehensive guide to all of the Evergreen State's best extended backpacking trips. Ranging from three days to two weeks, these 28 adventures visit every corner of the state, including the wild beaches of the Olympic Peninsula, the vast interior of the Pasayten Wilderness, Mt. Rainier's famous Wonderland Trail, the volcanic wasteland around Mt. St. Helens, and the little-known Salmo-Priest Wilderness, where hikers may glimpse grizzly bears.
In Oregon, backpackers can hike wild beaches, enjoy colorful desert canyonlands, walk amid stunning granite peaks, relax in wildflower meadows, and circle glacier-clad mountains. Award-winning guidebook author and longtime Oregon resident Douglas Lorain details 30 spectacular backpacking trips in Backpacking Oregon. Lasting from three days to two weeks, these carefully crafted itineraries offer geographic diversity, beautiful scenery, and reasonable daily mileage goals. This in-depth guide provides all the information backpackers will need to access the Oregon backcountry, including the Oregon Coast, Columbia Gorge, High Cascades, Hells Canyon, and the Klamath, Siskiyou, Blue, and Wallowa mountains. A detailed trail map and photographs accompany each trip.
The world-famous Grand Canyon is only one of Arizona's spectacular natural features. Arizona encompasses over 90 wilderness areas, more than 15 national parks and monuments, and the largest national forest in the country. Expansive mesas, high peaks, and snaking canyons create a dynamic landscape and reflect a rich geologic and human history. Backpacking Arizona is the only guide devoted to overnight trips in the state. You'll discover the maze of side canyons and hidden grottos in the Grand Canyon's untrammeled backcountry, historic pioneer trails on the Mogollon Rim, the little-traveled Blue Range, and the legendary Superstition Mountains in the Sonoran Desert.