“Best Wildflower Hikes Western Washington by Peter Stekel is a good choice for the Seattle area native plant fancier. It provides a list of favorite hikes, many in or near our three national parks. Others are for easy, lowland hiking, including trails on the San Juan Islands. Each will take you past areas where wildflowers are prominent in season, or to especially good stands of native trees. A thorough introduction provides guidance on essential things to bring, including equipment such as hiking poles. Other sections help you choose the best trails for children and/or dogs, and even give advice on trail etiquette.
The tone here is more casual than in plant guidebooks. In a description of the hike to Panorama Point in Mount Rainier National Park, the author encourages that “a further 0.2 mile of huffing and puffing, and you’ll be rewarded with dizzying views down in the valley of the Nisqually Glacier.” Elsewhere, he is quite political: “Are you tired of all these fees? Then, do something about it!”
There is enthusiasm in Stekel’s writing and he is especially keen on the Columbia River Gorge. “If your timing is right, your eyes will be overwhelmed by acres and acres of yellows, blues, reds, and greens—that, and awe-inspiring views of the mighty ‘River of the West’ making its way to the sea.”
Excerpted from the Summer 2019 Arboretum Bulletin.