Dan A. Nelson’s practical hiking guide, Best Hikes with Dogs: Western Washington, includes necessary information to ensure satisfaction for dog owners and their dogs while enjoying hikes in Western Washington.
Although dogs aren’t allowed on national park or monument trails, there are plenty of wonderful hikes to enjoy in Western Washington. In this guidebook, Nelson describes 85 hikes, complete with quick references for distance round trip, difficulty on a scale of one to five, highest elevation point, elevation gain, best season, map, contact information and GPS coordinates, followed by detailed descriptions of the individual hikes.
In addition to specific destinations, at the beginning of the book Nelson goes into some detail about hiking with a dog in general, which I found particularly interesting. In the “Getting Ready” section, Nelson emphasizes the importance of good training, including use of a leash on the trail. Permits and regulations must be obeyed, not only for human and dog safety, but for the sake of the environment.
“Leave No Trace” is discussed in detail and encompasses much more than hauling your own garbage out. It means camp a distance away from a water source such as a lake or stream, not wash in the water, but collect water in a container and take it back to camp. Camp on hard ground so you won’t trample grass or fragile vegetation. Nelson gives many more examples of ways to keep the wilderness intact by leaving no trace.
The trail etiquette section was an eye-opener for me. For instance, when dog owners meet any other trail users, dog and owner must yield the right-of-way, stepping well clear of the trail to allow the other users to pass without worrying about “getting sniffed.” Another: When a dog meets a horse, the dog owner must yield the trail and ensure the dog remains calm. Also, stay within view so that the horse isn’t suddenly spooked when he sees the dog.
Another rule of etiquette I learned is that when hikers meet other hikers, the group heading uphill has the right-of-way. There are many more important points the author makes, points that make sense once the reasons are explained.
Best Hikes with Dogs: Western Washington is a valuable reference for hikers with dogs, or even without dogs. Dan Nelson is the author of several guidebooks, all published by The Mountaineer Books.
I like this. Like the ‘leave no trace’ and how that’s done. I didn’t realized one should take water from the lake or stream to the camp to use so as not to add to water pollution. The horse/dog rules also very good. A spooked horse could wreck havoc on man and beast, not to mention tearing up the ground, and an overly friendly, unruly dog would not be too welcome in most cases.
I like it, too. It had never occurred to me who has the right-of-way, up-hill or down-hill. But it makes sense, doesn’t it. The person going uphill has set a stride and it’s good not to break that. The book is full of good information.
Great review, Mary.
This reference, When a dog meets a horse, the dog owner must yield the trail and ensure the dog remains calm. Also, stay within view so that the horse isn’t suddenly spooked when he sees the dog, is of interest, because I believe it is the horse owners responsibility to make sure the horse has had the proper training to not spook or they should not be on a public trail. However, this is a good rule for those knot-heads to bring unfinished horses into the public. I make sure my horses are properly desensitized before going into the public, period. It is a huge safety issue, considering they are 1200 animals. I’m glad you highlighted this one!
It’s good hearing the horse-owners point of view, Carmen. What you say makes sense, but I know a lot of people–both dog owners and horse owners who are careless about this kind of training. I am amazed that some dog owners haven’t even leash-trained their dog! It simply must be done.