Home to more than 120 alpine plant species, three of which are found nowhere else in the world, Mount Rainier remains a refuge for a diversity of flora and fauna. It is also a magnet for the hundreds of thousands of people who live within sight of its snowy slopes and for millions of visitors who arrive from around the world each year. O'Hara and McNulty explore the conflict this presents as park managers attempt to balance protection of the mountain's fragile ecosystems with the desires of the many who wish to seek solitude in its vast forests or challenge themselves on its daunting glaciers.

Unique and charming gift book about iconic Mount Rainier National Park from a beloved artist's perspective

Fully updated and revised, Hiking Mount Rainier is a comprehensive and concise guide to the well-maintained trails nestled between the two major metropolises of the Pacific Northwest. Included are sixty hike descriptions for hikers of all ages and skill levels.

CLICK HERE to download two hikes — "Yellowstone Cliffs & Windy Gap" & "Box Canyon" — from Day Hiking Mount Rainier * 70 national park trails, each rated on an overall-quality scale of 1 to 5 * Hikes-at-a-Glance chart, topographic maps, GPS waypoints, and elevation profiles * Crystal-clear directions with drive-times from major cities and junctions * 1% of sales donated to the Washington Trails Association for trail maintenance The tallest mountain in the Cascade Range has long beckoned hikers to its many trails. Compact, portable, and beautifully packaged, Day Hiking Mount Rainier provides the most thorough coverage of Mount Rainier National Park to date, including the park's four main entrances-Nisqually, Carbon River, White River/Sunrise, and Stevens Canyon/Ohanapecosh -- as well as Cayuse Pass and Highway 123, the Grove of the Patriarchs, Camp Muir, parts of the Wonderland Trail, Longmire, and Paradise. Nearby camping options are included, plus info on how to extend your hike, a full-color photo insert and overview map, quick-reference icons for kids, dogs, views, and much more.

Washington State has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, and among that spectacular scenery are seven very special places. Freelance photographer and Washington State native Howard Frisk has put together a simple guidebook that focuses on just those seven places. Each one is presented with beautiful full color photographs, and a description of what makes it amazing along with interesting and useful tidbits of information. The Seven Wonders of Washington State are meant to be experienced first hand, and his guide can show you where, when and how to experience them yourself.The Seven Wonders of Washington are: Mt Rainier Mt St Helens The Columbia River Gorge Palouse The Hoh Rain Forest Long Beach The Channeled Scablands

A tour through Washington's Mount Rainier National Park introduces the park's flora, fauna, topography, history, weather, and attractions. The Trail of Shadows, Nisqually Glacier, and the Carbon River are all discussed. Additional features to aid in comprehension include a table of contents, informative captions and sidebars, detailed maps, map legends, a phonetic glossary, sources for further research, and an index.

North Cascades National Park is remote, rugged, and spectacularly majestic. Efforts to establish a park gained traction after World War II, as national interest in wilderness preservation and concerns about the impact of harvesting timber grew. Troubled by the National Park Service¿s policy favoring development for tourism and the United States Forest Service¿s policy promoting logging in the national forests, conservationists leveraged a changing political environment and the evolving environmental values of the natural resource agencies. Their activism eventually led to the 1968 creation of a crown jewel--Washington¿s magnificent third national park. This engaging account tells the story.

The majestic beauty of Mount Rainier, which dominates the Seattle and Tacoma skyscapes, has in many ways defined the Pacific Northwest. At the same time, those two major cities have strongly influenced the development of Rainier as a national park. From the late 1890s, when the Pacific Forest Reserve became Mount Rainier National Park, the evolving relationship between the mountain and its surrounding residents has told a history of the region itself. That story also describes the changing nature of our national park system. From the late nineteenth century to the present, park service representatives and other officials have created policies, built roads and hotels, and regulated public use of and access to Mount Rainier. Conflicting interests have shaped the decision-making process and characterized human interaction with the park. The Rainier National Park Company promoted Paradise Inn as a destination resort for East Coast tourists; Cooperative Campers of the Pacific Northwest developed backcountry camps for working-class recreationists; Asahel Curtis of the Good Roads Association wanted a road encircling the mountain; The Mountaineers promoted free public campgrounds and a roadless preserve; others focused on managing and protecting the upper mountain. The National Park Service mediated among the various parties while developing their own master plan for the park. In an engaging and accessible style, historian Theodore Catton tells the story of Mount Rainier, examining the controversies and compromises that have shaped one of America's most beautiful and beloved parks. National Park, City Playground reminds us that the way we manage our wilderness areas is a vital concern not only for the National Park Service, but for all citizens.