Day Hikes in Washington State by Don J Scarmuzzi

This is a good collection of a number of hikes in (mostly) western Washington State that vary in length and difficulty. It contains good topographical maps and good trail details. Information is given about the elevation gain, the distance, time needed and difficulty level. There are directions to the trailheads too as well as information about permits or passes required.

Most of the trails are in the central or south western Washington and Olympic Peninsula. Living on an island in the Salish Sea, I have not gone on most of these hikes so cannot verify the information. I can verify the details are correct on the few hikes in the book I have been on.

There are hundreds of hiking trails in western Washington so this book covers only a few of them. It is a good addition to a library of hiking books. Some of my most favorite scenic hikes are in the North Cascades and Mt. Baker area. While a couple from that are are included in the book, there are scores that are not. Also missing are hikes on islands, including Whidbey and Deception Pass, the most visited state park in Washington. As an avid photographer, I was disappointed the book does not rate the most scenic hikes for photographers.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

In case you are not familiar with the beauty of Western Washington State, I have included a few of my own photos. The first photo is of Mt. Rainier from Sunrise. Several hikes at Rainier are included in this book. The next photo is Rainy Lake, a two mile round trip, wheel chair accessible and very busy hike off the North Cascade Highway. The last photo is a view of Mt. Baker from a short hike at Artist Point. There are limited hikes on the North Cascade Highway included in the book and none from the Mt. Baker Highway and Mt. Baker ski area and Artist Point.

Don J. Scarmuzzi is the author of several hiking guidebooks, including Telluride Trails, Day Hikes in the Columbia River Gorge, and Day Hikes in the Pacific Northwest. An avid hiker and passionate photographer, Don has lived and hiked in the Pacific Northwest for several years now. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon.

West Margin Press, 292 pages.

I received an egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an honest and independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)