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.

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.

"A natural and environmental history of Mount Rainier National Park and its watersheds and surrounding human communities, with emphasis on Native American people and their millennia-long association with the mountain"--

Bob McIntyre's sensitive and informative foreword sets the tone for this color photograph appreciation of and tribute to Mount Rainier National Park by a favorite Farcountry Press photographer. Gurche once again captures the essence of his subject's natural and man-made features.

Looks at the evolving relationship between the mountain and its surrounding residents, from the late 1890s when the Pacific Forest Reserve became Mount Rainier National Park. Catton tells the history of the park and examines the many controversies that affected its development, from proposals to develop a chairlift for downhill skiers to environmental degradation from overuse of popular areas.