Pacific Northwest Guides and Maps

75 Classic Rides Washington State

This is the definitive guide to road riding in WA, it includes several of the area's iconic routes, plus lesser-known gems. It's also a great jumping-off point for people who like to put together their own rides. The 75 rides are spread across the state, with the heaviest concentrations in the area of Seattle, North Sound and the Central Cascades. There are not many on the Olympic Peninsula or in southwest Washington.

There's also 75 Classic Rides Oregon if you want to ride farther south.

Biking Puget Sound: 60 Rides from Olympia to the San Juans

Biking Puget Sound, now in its second edition (2014), serves as an excellent compliment to 75 Rides in Washington State because of it's focus on trails in Seattle and King County (roughly 30 of the 60 rides). There are also many rides in Kitsap County and the San Juan Islands. But the main benefit of this book is that it touches on just about every major bike trail in the region - and it's a great planning tool. Just be sure to check the trails against Google Maps or some other current source, the trails are constantly evolving and this route information is already out-of-date.

Also by this author: Cycling the Pacific Coast. For more information, see this detailed review from bikingbis.com.

Best Bike Rides Seattle: Great Recreational Rides in the Metro Area

Obviously the focus here in on the Seattle area. This book is part of the Best Rides series, it's written by Gene Bisbee of BikingBis. The caveat from Biking Puget Sound also applies here.

Cycling Sojourner: A Guide to the Best Multi-Day Bicycle Tours in Washington

One of my personal favorites, this guide has nine well-planned tours throughout the state - one in the San Juan Islands, one on the Peninsula, a couple near Seattle and several more in the northern and eastern parts of the state. An excellent resource that stands the test of time.

There's also a Cycling Sojourner for Oregon

Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills

This is the bible of mountaineering, and has been for more than 50 years. Even if you never plan to do any technical climbing, there are chapters on clothing and equipment; camping, food and water; conditioning; navigation; wilderness travel; snow travel; avalanche safety; glacier travel; and mountain weather. I consider it to be a must-own for all outdoor enthusiasts.

Trail Tested

This is the Freedom of the Hills for those of us who don't climb or travel on glaciers - a comprehensive guide to hiking and backpacking, with a special focus on long-distance trips. About half the book is devoted to selecting the right gear, equipment and food; the rest is focused on wilderness skills and campcraft. The book is information-rich, with hundreds of tips and tricks, and lots of photographs. Underrated in my opinion.

Day Hiking Snoqualmie Region

Definitive guide to hiking the trails near or along I-90. Be warned, because they are close to Seattle, they can be quite crowded on summer weekends.

The Avalanche Handbook

There's really no substitute for in the field avalanche training from professional, but this guide from the Mountaineers provides a very detailed introduction to the subject. Topics include mountain weather and snow climates; snow formation and snowpack; avalanche terrain, formation, motion, and effects; risk factors and forecasting. There's only a single chapter on safety measures and rescues, so you might consider Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain as a companion guide.

Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue: Reading Glaciers, Team Travel, Crevasse Rescue Techniques, Routefinding, Expedition Skills

This book (part of the the Mountaineer's Outdoor Expert series) is relevant for anyone who's hike, climb or expedition takes them onto glaciated terrain. Key topics include reading glaciers, team travel, crevasse rescue techniques, routefinding and expedition skills. Keep in mind that a book is no substitute for real-world training and experience. Consider a course from the Mountaineers.

Snowshoeing: From Novice to Master

This long-lived book is also part of the Outdoor Expert series and provides a great introduction to snowshoeing. In addition to a detailed breakdown of the snowshoe components and options, there are chapters on clothing, conditioning, technique, route finding, safety and snow camping.

Snowshoe Routes in Washington

Try out your snowshoe technique on one of the 100 routes included in this definitive guide (now in its third edition as of 2018) to Washington State. There's some brief introductory material on snowshoeing, but it's almost entirely a route guide. Each one includes a summary of the key stats, rating, walkthrough, and basic map. Nearly all are in the Cascade - both sides -but there are few out in the Olympics. This is really the only guidebook your need for snowshoeing.

100 Best Cross-Country Ski Trails in Washington

This is the most comprehensive reference I've come across for cross-country ski trails in Washington, but it was written in 2002. Most of the trails are in the central and south Cascades. Use it as a starting point, but do your research online before heading out.

Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Routes - Washington

This recent (2014) guide describes over 80 backcountry routes in the Cascades (75) and Olympics (5) and includes a convenient chart categorizing them by region and time (day, overnight, multiday) for easy planning. There's a nice introductory section on the history of backcountry skiing/snowboarding in Washington State plus a summary of techniques and resources required to be successful on these routes. A very thorough and well-organized book.

There's also one for Oregon

Winter Hikes of Western Washington

This is the newest 'winter hiking' book, which generally means lower-elevation or rain shadow hikes that tend to be free from snow year-round. The fifty hikes in this book are largely in the Olympics and Central Cascades, including many that are quite close to Seattle.

Winter Hikes: In Puget Sound and the Olympic Foothills

If you're looking for more lower elevation hikes you can do in the winter (or year round), this book has many good suggestions, mostly on the Olympic Peninsula.

For some additional ideas, you can check out Best Rain Shadow Hikes: Western Washington. Note that these books are from 2002 and 2003, so be sure to confirm the routes.