A virtually undiscovered backpacking paradise, Idaho has numerous wilderness areas of mind-boggling size. Backpackers can find complete solitude, wildlife, and some of North America's most outstanding scenery. Idaho's mountains also boast great weather--fewer thunderstorms than the central Rockies, less rain than Oregon and Washington, and cooler summer temperatures than California. Backpacking Idaho takes you to what author Doug Lorain calls a "Shangri-la" for backpackers. In the craggy Selkirk Mountains you'll find lush forests, small cirque lakes, and jagged granite peaks. Watch for ospreys, river otters, and belted kingfishers in the swift Selway River. Explore hundreds of miles of trails in the gently rolling forested hills in north-central Idaho, or head to Hell's Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America, where you'll find both alpine tundra and cactus-studded desert.

This is our man in the Pacific Northwest. His latest bookOne Night Wilderness Portland has been one of our bestselling summer titles.

Douglas Lorain’s family moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1969,and he has been obsessively hitting the trails of his home region ever since. Over the years he calculates that he has logged well over 30,000 trail miles in this corner of the continent, and despite a history that includes being bitten by a rattlesnake, shot at by a hunter, charged by a grizzly bear, and donating countless gallons of blood to “invertebrate vampires,” he happily sees no end in sight.

Lorain is a photographer and recipient of the National Outdoor Book Award. His books cover only the best trips from the thousands of hikes and backpacking trips he has taken throughout Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. His photographs have been featured in numerous magazines, calendars, and books.He is described by the Seattle Times as the "next great Northwest trail guide author."