New Hiking Guidebook for Eastern Washington

Abundant wildflowers, hidden waterfalls and marshes full of birdsong. Sweeping vistas of mountains and rolling hills. Intimate canyons with steep basalt cliffs. Golden woodlands and lush forests.

You can find all of these hiking the lands of Eastern Washington, something that will be a lot easier to do with the long-awaited release of a new guidebook, Day Hiking Eastern Washington.

In the latest edition of the excellent Day Hiking series from The Mountaineers books, guidebook authors Rich Landers and Craig Romano have paired up to deliver great day hikes from Spokane to the Tri-Cities, from the Blue Mountains to the Colville National Forest.

What you'll find inside

The guidebook includes:

• 125 hikes with topographical trail maps and detailed route descriptions
• Quick reference info about bird watching, wildflowers, waterfalls, old-growth, and fishing
• Notes about historical interest, kid-friendly, or dog-friendly hikes
• Hike extension ideas for anyone who wants a longer outing
• Info on flora and fauna, natural and human history, and more

> Order your copy of the book or download it now

"The area is wild, remote, and a window to our past."

Day Hiking Eastern Washington guidebook authors Rich Landers (left) and Craig Romano.

Landers and Romano want you to fall in love with hiking in Eastern Washington the same way they have.

"Promoting day hiking is our way of exposing Eastern Washington’s outdoor treasures to the widest base of people, young and old, whether they’re trail veterans or taking their first steps out of town," writes Landers in the preface of the new book.

"Eastern Washington, in particular the Kettle River Range near Republic is very special to me and my wife, Heather," Romano, who has a long history and many fond memories of hiking the area. "We did our first camping trip together in the Kettles and were married 10 years later at Curlew Lake State Park (hike no 15). We made the wedding party hike around Swan Lake (hike no. 13) afterward before having the reception back in Republic. The following day, I took my two brothers on a long hike along the Kettle Crest. The area is wild, remote, and a window to our past."

Meet the authors at upcoming events

Romano, who ranks Washington as one of the most beautiful places on the planet, is a contributing columnist for Washington Trails magazine, Northwest Runner and Outdoors NW and the author of nine books, among them Backpacking Washington, Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula, Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge, and Columbia Highlands: Exploring Washington’s Last Frontier, which was recognized in 2010 as a Washington Reads book for its contribution to the state’s cultural heritage. When not out hiking, he lives in Skagit County.

Find him online at www.craigromano.com or meet him in person when he talks about hiking Eastern Washington at one of the following events.

• April 8 and 10 -  Olympia; Washington Native Plant Society

• April 19 - Tacoma; Tacoma Mountaineers
• Book Launch Celebration: May 17 - Kennewick; REI
• May 13 - Bremerton; Peninsula Wilderness Club
• Book Launch Celebration: June 20 - Republic; Northern Inn

Landers has been the Outdoors editor for the Spokesman-Review in Spokane since 1977, covering hiking, conservation, hunting, fishing, climbing, bicycling, public lands, and other outdoor pursuits. He is a contributing writer for Field and Stream magazine and author of 100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest and Paddling Washington.

• Meet Landers on May 2 at upcoming events

Share your Eastern Washington hiking experiences

When you take the new book out hiking, make sure to share you experiences with the rest of the hiking community. Follow in the footsteps of mytho-man and Holly Weiler and file trip reports on hike highlights, trail conditions or road closures. Give back to your fellow hikers by letting them know when wildflowers are peaking, mosquitoes are biting or if they can expect to see any great wildlife.

Beargrass flowering on Thunder Mountain, Shedroof Divide Trail, Salmo-Priest Wilderness. Photo by Leif Jakobsen