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.

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

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

**NOTE: This is the color copy of the book. There is also a less expensive and smaller black and white edition for purchase (search for ISBN: 1980326142)**Are you wondering where to take your little one (ages 18 months-6 years) hiking in around Vancouver, Washington? Tired of the same old paved trails and looking for something that is less risky for kiddos but also fun for us adults? Want some tips on how to build hiking confidence and skills, all while engaging with your kiddos in nature?Well read on! I've written this book to help local families in Southwest Washington find non-paved hikes that are not only skill-appropriate and confidence-building for their little kids but are also interesting to us as adults. This book includes hikes of different skill levels and is meant to give you options as kids' hiking skills develop. Each hike entry also has trail-specific tips and interesting facts that will help you engage with your kiddos on that particular trail. This book is appropriate for newbie hikers and avid hikers alike. You'll need to do your own research on gear and assessing your own skills but I do offer some ideas on how to get started. Thankfully, there is a wealth of information online about how to get out hiking with your kids, what to wear, and gear to buy. The information lacking seems to be WHERE TO GO! This book covers urban and wilderness hikes, year round and seasonal hikes, hikes high up in the mountains, deep in the forest, and along waterways. I'm excited to share my family's passion with others and inspire you to get out with your kids and explore!

CLICK HERE to download three sample hikes from Day Hiking Central Cascades 125 trails, each rated on an overall-quality scale of 1 to 5 Full-color photo insert and overview map 1% of sales donated to the Washington Trails Association for trail maintenance The Central Cascades offer some of the most accessible wilderness areas for urban Seattleites, with trails no less stunning or enjoyable than those in more remote regions. Day Hiking Central Cascades includes 50% more hikes than other regional guidebooks and focuses on cream-of-the-crop trails in these areas: Whidbey Island; Skykomish, Wenatchee, and Icicle River Valleys; the Entiat Mountains; the Lake Chelan area; and more. Compact in size, this is the most up-to-date guide for the area, organized along highways and other travel corridors, and with an emphasis on trails that are 12 miles or less, round-trip, each of them hiked by the author. **Mountaineers Books designates 1 percent of the sales of select guidebooks in our Day Hiking series toward volunteer trail maintenance. For this book, our 1 percent of sales is going to Washington Trails Association (WTA). 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. Their efforts are essential to the land managers who maintain thousands of acres on shoestring budgets.