Highline College Library: Recommended Reading: May-June: PNW Adventure

Adventure awaits in the Pacific Northwest

Whether you go hiking, camping, biking, sailing or bird watching, adventure awaits in the Pacific Northwest!

About this Guide

The Highline College Library introduces books, websites, podcasts and more all to encourage the Highline College Community to get outdoors and explore the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Online Resources

8 Best Birding Podcasts (Worth a Listen in 2023!)
"Birding podcasts are a great way to learn about birding while on the go!" Justin Chia, the author and founder of Birding Outdoors, curates a list of the best birding podcasts.
The Best Outdoor Podcasts
"Get up to speed on the best new outdoor podcasts. Whether you are a climber, thru-hiker, or an outdoor newbie, we’ve got an awesome outdoor podcast for you!"
Outside Voices Podcast
"We all have a connection to the earth, perhaps severed by colonization, enslavement, assimilation and racism. Outside Voices is about unlearning everything we were told about “the Great Outdoors” and instead, reconnecting to ancestral knowledge and finding healing in relationship with nature."
She Explores Podcast
"Come find inspiration with us in the outdoors! Interviews, in-the-field recordings, and listener submissions make up a tapestry of episodes covering themes such as solo hiking and camping, entrepreneurship, outdoor equity, aging, conservation, motherhood, chronic illness, and more as they intersect with outdoor experiences. Hosted by Gale Straub."

Washington Trails Association (WTA): Hiking Guide
WTA's hiking guide is the most comprehensive database of hikes in Washington, and comprises content from eight guidebooks, user submitted info, and data compiled by WTA.
National Park Service (NPS): Olympic
With its incredible range of precipitation and elevation, diversity is the hallmark of Olympic National Park. Encompassing nearly a million acres, the park protects a vast wilderness, thousands of years of human history, and several distinctly different ecosystems, including glacier-capped mountains, old-growth temperate rain forests, and over 70 miles of wild coastline.
National Park Service (NPS): Mount Rainier
Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning five major rivers. Subalpine wildflower meadows ring the icy volcano while ancient forest cloaks Mount Rainier’s lower slopes. Wildlife abounds in the park’s ecosystems. A lifetime of discovery awaits.

Trends in Enjoying the Outdoors from Statista

Number of hiking participants in the United States from 2010 to 2021

Outdoor Foundation. (September 19, 2022). Number of hiking participants in the United States from 2010 to 2021 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/191240/participants-in-hiking-in-the-us-since-2006/?locale=en

Share of Americans who went camping in the last 24 months in 2022, by age

Statista. (March 14, 2022). Share of Americans who went camping in the last 24 months in 2022, by age [Graph]. In Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/227417/number-of-campers-usa/?locale=en

Share of Americans who went hiking in 2021, by generation

Statista. (October 30, 2021). Share of Americans who went hiking in 2021, by generation [Graph]. In Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/227421/number-of-hikers-and-backpackers-usa/?locale=en