Best Hikes with Kids: 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.

Author: Susan Elderkin
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
Published: 04/01/2018
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 7.40h x 5.00w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781680510140

About the Author
Elderkin, Susan: - Susan Elderkin has been hiking since she was three years old. As a child, she explored the trails of her native Iowa, the Great Lakes, and the Rocky Mountains on day hikes with her parents. This early exposure to the outdoors galvanized a lifelong love of hiking and commitment to the environment.

In 1995, while backpacking the 500-mile Colorado Trail, Susan had an epiphany: she wanted to give back to hiking trails and she wanted to write a guidebook. Susan moved to Seattle and joined the board of directors of Washington Trails Association and later the staff, where she spent seven years as website editor and communications director. It took much longer -- and some inspiration from her children -- to write the guidebook.

The book was a family project that took place over 20 months when her kids were between the ages of six and eleven, but the work was informed by hiking with them as babies, toddlers and preschoolers. One or both of her children have accompanied her on more than 80 of the hikes in the books, and her husband, son, and father (as well as some friends) all contributed photographs.