Backcountry Almanac Excellent Source

The logistics of looking up phone numbers to make campground reservations, to get climbing permits, to find emergency contacts to leave at home can be overwhelming.

But several source books can save considerable time and expense for outdoor trip planners.

Anyone who camps, climbs, hikes, fishes, hunts or otherwise explores the national forests or parks of Washington should have a copy of The Washington Backcountry Almanac (The Mountaineers, $5.95, telephone 800 553-4453).

Annually updated, this guide has everything from book recommendations to phone numbers and pertinent regulations for forest and parks and wilderness areas. The dog-eared copy on my desk attests to its usefulness.

For adventurers interested specifically in national parks, “The National Parks Discovery Guide,” a series of eight travel guides, provides visitors with the most current and comprehensive information on planning a vacation to any one of America’s 369 national park areas.

Each guide includes details on lodging, dining, camping and activities. Besides offering tips on visiting, the guides also encourage responsible “leave no traces” visits to the parks.

Each guide covers a specific area of the park system. The guides, published by the National Parks and Conservation Association, are $8.95 each, plus $2.85 shipping, and can be ordered by calling (800) 395-PARK.

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