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Second Edition of Hiking Humboldt Volume 2 by Rees Hughes Now Available!

March 2, 2025 by Backcountry Press

Hiking Humboldt V2 (second edition)

Backcountry Press announces the second edition of Hiking Humboldt Volume 2, an essential guide for exploring over 100 trails in Humboldt County, CA. It features expanded coverage, detailed maps, historical insights, and safety tips. Author Rees Hughes shares his passion for the region, inviting hikers to connect with its natural beauty.

Humboldt County’s Dog Poop Problem

October 21, 2023 by Backcountry Press 6 Comments

Nova Garwood, a seventh grader at Jacoby Creek Elementary School in Humboldt County, has a black Labrador retriever named Sunny and loves to get outside with him. But on these adventures, she started to notice a large amount of dog poop on the trails she hiked – particularly near the trailheads. She started to ask some questions….

Best Fall Hikes in Humboldt

October 12, 2023 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

Bigleaf Maple in the fall, Humboldt County

With the shift of the California Current, rains begin to fall in Humboldt County after a summer without. This rejuvenating moisture super-charges the landscape and the living world responds in wonderful ways.

Hiking Humboldt Volume 1

August 21, 2023 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

The book will arrive in Humboldt the last week of August 2023 FREE eBook with paperback purchase until September 2023 Primeval forests harboring the world’s tallest trees. Sea cliffs, pristine beaches, and towering coastal sand dunes. Mountain prairies, meadows, and vistas. Rivers, lakes, lagoons, and bays. Bears, elk, seals, otters, and birds galore. And solitude […]

Hiking Humboldt KIDS Released

May 5, 2023 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

Bay Laurel at Southern Humboldt Community Park by Josh Bennett.

This exciting new book, created to get kids and families outside exploring the natural wonders of Humboldt County, is now a reality. Hiking Humboldt Kids by Rees Hughes is the next book in the “Hiking Humboldt Series,” and is the result of a dynamic collaboration between Backcountry Press and First 5 Humboldt.  First 5 is […]

Calling All Humboldt County Photographers

April 8, 2022 by Backcountry Press 7 Comments

We are working with First 5 Humboldt to develop a hiking guide for kids and families. We would love to feature your photos of these landscapes and people visiting these places!

12 Wonderful Humboldt County Hikes

June 20, 2020 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

Rees Hughes shares some of his favorite hikes from his book, Hiking Humboldt Volume 2. This was recorded in a ZOOM Webinar during sheltering in place for COVID-19.

Zig Zag Trail

March 6, 2020 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

The Zig Zag Trail

Prairie Creek Redwoods National and State Parks This area of California contains some of the largest redwoods on Earth and holds extensive old-growth forests, protected as a national park in 1968. This particular walk, using the Zig Zag Trails and Prairie Creek Trail, is entirely in old growth. It offers an enigmatic temporal departure into […]

Trillium Falls Trail

January 25, 2020 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

It is amazing that, just a stone’s throw from Arcata Redwood Company’s Mill B, old-growth redwood groves survive along the Trillium Falls Trail.

Eureka Waterfront Trail

December 4, 2019 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

The route is now complete! In mid-November 2019, the city of Eureka completed the Eureka Waterfront Trail by connecting a one-block section on 1st Street. This now allows bikers and walkers to hike from Tydd Street to Herrick Avenue — all on paved Trail!

Rees Hughes and Humboldt Trails

November 12, 2019 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

Learn about current and future opportunities with the Volunteer Trail Steward program and Humboldt Trails with this interview with Rees Hughes. For 10 years now Volunteer Trail Stewards have made it possible for the county and municipalities to expand our trail system. Maintenance and upkeep is always a concern, but volunteers have kept costs so […]

2019 Humboldt County Trails Updates

November 12, 2019 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

Inland Mountains Chris Valle-Riestra is an exceptional volunteer and trail steward–with a particular fondness for the Klamath Mountains. He has been spearheading trailwork in the Orleans Ranger District for many years and knows the trails well . He has updated conditions of trails on the forest for fall 2019. Click through to the hiking descriptions […]

Big Tree – Elk Prairie Loop

November 1, 2019 by Backcountry Press 1 Comment

Prairie Creek Redwoods National and State Parks The most extensive accessible trail system in Humboldt County is in the Elk Prairie/Big Tree areas of Prairie Creek Redwood State Park and Redwood National Park. This trail system offers many ways to mix and match the trails that network this area. Included in the route are magnificent […]

Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park

May 20, 2019 by Backcountry Press 2 Comments

Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park

In the hinterlands of Humboldt County, Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park is a wonderland of old-growth redwood forest and swimming delights.

Potawot Health Village

September 3, 2018 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

The natural and intentional landscaping has matured into something quite special at the Potawot Health Village in Arcata, California.

Highlights from 2017

January 3, 2018 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

Welcome to a Brave New Year Here are a few highlights from the world of Backcountry Press in 2017. Happy Trails and other adventures in 2018 and thanks for your support.   Hiking Humboldt v2 Released Rees Hughes and Jason Barnes teamed up to create an incredible guidebook to Humboldt County.         […]

10 Extraordinary But Little Known Humboldt County Walks

September 8, 2017 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

Hear tales from the trail as Rees Hughes talks about walking in Humboldt County and shares images to inspire (and inform!) your next hike.

#whatdadslike

June 16, 2017 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

1. whittled stick 2. weather radio 3. nerdy mechanical pencil 4. Hiking Humboldt Vol. 2: 101 Shorter Day Hikes, Urban and Road Walks 5. external hard drive 6. power tools 7. bigfoot action figure 8. meat rub 9. heart rock 10. beach scores 11. Joe 12. custom Lego vehicle 13. crocheted woolen beer coozie 14. […]

Humboldt Made

May 9, 2017 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

One of our main goals here at Backcountry Press is to work with business partners as close to home as possible so we teamed with Times Printing.

Hiking Humboldt book bundle

May 1, 2017 by Backcountry Press Leave a Comment

Get both volume 1 and volume 2 at a discounted bundled price directly from the publisher. Ships from Humboldt County, California.

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Our most recent Podcast

Trivia Challenge: Wildflowers of the Klamath Mountains

https://backcountrypress.com/podcast-player/21109/trivia-challenge-wildflowers-of-the-klamath-mountains.mp3

Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 19:11 | Recorded on July 8, 2022

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📣 News Highlights coming at ya from BCP HQ: 1. 📣 News Highlights coming at ya from BCP HQ:

1. Our Spring Cleaning SALE is on through April 1st with 15% OFF all our books, classes, and other goodies! Use promo code SPRING25

2. Hiking Humboldt Vol. 2, the 2nd edition is here! Check out this favorite by trails legend and tireless advocate, Rees Hughes. It’s had a TOTAL overhaul and we love how it turned out! (Epic cover photo by Nate Berg @nate_wolverine — thanks Nate!)

3. We’re so pleased to announce our latest project in partnership with Matt Ritter @slowplants: CALIFORNIA TREES: A Field Guide To The Native Species 🎉 This essential guide is printing now and will be in hand mid-April! 

🌳🌲🌴🌵The presale includes the free ebook with your paperback. Find it at our 🔗

#hikinghumboldt #californiatrees #californianativeplants #biodiversity #madeinhumboldt #humboldt #northerncalifornia #california #independentpublishing
Yay books! Here’s a peek at some favorites from Yay books! Here’s a peek at some favorites from our library. All these and more are all 20% OFF through December 7 with the promo code “THANKYOU” !!

Thank you for supporting independent publishing and nature education 💚

#FieldGuide #NaturalHistory #Biodiversity #Conifers #Wildflowers #Mushrooms #PNW #NorthernCalifornia #SouthernOregon #Humboldt #IndependentPublishing #RedwoodForest #manzanita #mounttamalpais #lassen #hiking #geology #botany #mycology
(Family pic for #smallbusinesssaturday = we tried! (Family pic for #smallbusinesssaturday = we tried!)

We have been hearing from some folks and seeing occasional comments online expressing that our recently released “Mushrooms of Cascadia” (576 pages, $59.95) is too expensive.

No judgement on our end, just curiosity.

We thought we’d dig into the topic and explore why our books cost what they do (and how we’re lowering the price for those for whom it’s a barrier).
 
In a nutshell:
Backcountry Press is committed to creating books with lasting value by investing in the people and processes that make each one special. Check out the blog post at our 🔗 for a more thorough discussion about...

• Our book production process
• How we support our (absolutely amazing) authors
• Why we only print in the USA with responsible paper choices
• The realities of running a family business that puts mission above finances (side note: books are heavy!)

Buying our books is a powerful way to participate in a publishing ecosystem that uplifts voices (and species!) often sidelined by large publishers.

We’re Saying THANK YOU for supporting our efforts with...

20% Off EVERYTHING until Fri. 12/7

Use promo code THANKYOU at checkout

We appreciate you!
💚 Michael, Allison, Sylas, Asa, & Echo-of-the-Moon 

#smallbusiness #locallymade #madeinhumboldt #humboldtmade #biodiversity #familybusiness #independentpublishing
How much rain can actually fall in one spot in a d How much rain can actually fall in one spot in a day? A month? A year? How about in the wettest spot in California where the Klamath Mountains meet the north coast region?

Here are the records, that are likely safe for our lifetime:

For the month of December 1981, 81.90” of rain at Camp 6 Lookout in the Klamath Mountains, 5 air miles ESE of Gasquet—still a record for California. (Shoutout to @michael_of_mountain for collecting this data!)

In a 3 day stretch in January 1982, in another nearby rain gauge, 45” were recorded, including a whopping 23” in 24 hours!

For this entire weather year, 254.9” of rain was recorded at Camp 6, a continental US record that still stands.

So how is it that just down the hill, at 3,200’ lower elevation and 5 miles to the WNW, Gasquet reported a MERE 145” for the year? 110” less rain?!?

This is thanks to the orographic effect—an important phenomenon in the Klamath Mountains where an incoming airmass from storms off the Pacific (like the #atmosphericriver we just experienced) is forced upward as it hits the coast range and Klamath Mountains.

When air rises over a mountain, it cools and its water vapor condenses into rain or snow, as seen in the image from the Kalmiopsis Wilderness.

#orographiceffect #klamathmountains #climate #weather #kalmiopsiswilderness #naturalhistory #northcoast #norcal #southernoregon #pnw #pnwonderland #northerncalifornia #biodiversity
👻 Have you met the Bloody Ghost Amanita?

☠️ How about Sweet-scented Poison Pie?

🩸Or perhaps some Bleeding Parchment?

We’ve assembled our list of the Top 10 most gruesome, creepy, deadly, and just plain spooky mushrooms of the PNW.

🤓 Can you identify them?

Take a STAB at it with our Spooktacular Mushrooms of Cascadia Quiz at our 🔗

You’re wickedly smart and brave—you’ve got this.

Plus all who play are entered to win a Mushrooms of Cascadia Book and Class with authors Noah Siegel @mycohobo and Christian Schwarz @biodiversiphile … and there’s a sweet promo code just for having a go at it, regardless of score.

Have fun... if you dare!

(Giveaway winner will be randomly chosen from quizzes and emailed on Friday 11/8)

#mushroomsofcascadia #spooktacular #mushrooms #mushroomseason #pnwmushrooms #pnw #pnwonderland #mycology #biodiversity #mycophile
🍄‍🟫 Just over here celebrating #MushroomDa 🍄‍🟫 Just over here celebrating #MushroomDay by crawling around in the ferns looking for who’s popping up!

👀 Take 20% OFF Mushrooms of Cascadia (!!!) and our Mushroom Classes (stellar infotainment) today only

✅ Follow our L I N K and use code MUSHROOMDAY at checkout

🔎 Hope you find a moment to see what fungi are fruiting in your neck of the woods today!

#mushroomsofcascadia

#mycology #mycophile #mushrooms #fungi #biodiversity #mushroomsociety #mushroomhunting #pnw #pacificnorthwest #pnwonderland #exploregon
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Recent Posts

  • Mapping the Hidden Forest May 2, 2025
  • Discover California’s Native Trees: A Guide to the Arboreal Wonders of the Golden State April 26, 2025
  • Second Edition of Hiking Humboldt Volume 2 by Rees Hughes Now Available! March 2, 2025
  • Truffle Season in the Pacific Northwest February 10, 2025
  • The Cost of Sustainable Book Production November 12, 2024

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