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Looking for the best resources to learn and explore nature while on the trail? Below is a list of Trail Scholar favorites for everything from peaks and plants to mushrooms and birds.
Geology
Oregon Rocks! A guide to 60 Amazing Geological Sites by Marli B Miller. Mountain Press Publishing Company, 2021. Miller describes the geology of sites throughout the state in a way that is accessible and easy to understand. Colored maps and carefully selected photographs bring each site to life. As a bonus, many of the locations in this book correspond with popular hiking trails!
Beauty from the Beast: Plate Tectonics and the Landscapes of the Pacific Northwest by Robert Lillie. Wells Creek Publishers, 2015. An experienced geology professor and certified interpreter, Lillie does an amazing job of explaining how geophysical regions of the Pacific Northwest formed. Though not a field guide, this book is a great introduction to the geology of the region. I highly recommend it!
Roadside Geology of Oregon, 2nd Edition by Marli B. Miller, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 2014. If you are interested in a more in-depth dive into the geology of Oregon, this is the book for you! Detailed accounts of the geological landscape, along with site-specific descriptions of various roadside stops, make this a great addition to any bookshelf.
PeakFinder App. Recommended by Bob Lillie during our hike on Marys Peak, this handy little app can help you identify any prominence in the landscape while you are hiking. This is not only helpful for navigation but a lot of fun!
Birds
Birds of Oregon by Roger Burrows. Lone Pine Publishing, 2003. This book is great for beginners. Birds are organized into color-coded groups that make it easy to find the bird you are looking for. Each bird species is listed with colorful illustrations, a range map, and other important features for identification.
Birds of the Willamette Valley Region by Harry Nehls, Tom Aversa, and Hal Opperman. 2004. This small book is the perfect size for a daypack. With full photos of each bird and a detailed description, including habitat and behaviors, this book is a must for anyone interested in Oregon birds. I find the “Did you know?” section especially delightful!
BirdNET App. A favorite of wildlife biologist, Corbin Murphy, this app allows you to record and analyze bird calls using your phone’s internal microphone. Developed by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Chemnitz University of Technology using machine learning, each analyzed bird call gives you a confidence rating and links to other resources to learn more about the birds you are hearing.
Plants
Oregon Wildflower Search App. This is hands down my favorite app to use on the trail. Sponsored by the Oregon Flora Project (Oregonflora.org), this free app helps you identify wildflowers, shrubs, and trees through an interactive key. Using location, elevation, color, size, and other details about the plant, the app narrows down the possibilities and helps you identify with ease. Plus, no service is needed for use! To learn more about OregonFlora, read about my adventures with Linda Hardison, director of the project.
Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast (Revised) by Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon. Lone Pine Publishing, 2014. Known by many as simply the “Pojar,” this plant identification book is a classic. Besides providing helpful identification details, drawings, and colored pictures, the “Notes” section for each plant is chock-full of natural history information and other interesting facts. There is also a section on lichen and mosses.
Trees to Know in Oregon and Washington by Ed Jenson. Oregon State University Extension Service, 2020. An updated edition of the 70-year-old classic, “Trees to Know in Oregon”, this book contains all I love about the original and more. A visual dichotomous key is included for both broadleaf and conifers that help narrow down identification. Full page descriptions of each tree provide details that help distinguish between similar species.
Fungi and Lichen
Microlichens of the Pacific Northwest, Second Ed. by Bruce McCune and Linda Geiser. Oregon State University Press, 2009. This is the lichen book to own! Written by lichen gurus, Bruce McCune and Linda Geiser, this book provides a thorough introduction to lichen ecology and lichen identification. With colored photos and detailed information on over 200 species, it is the perfect companion for a hike in the woods. Lichenologist Joe Di Meglio also talked about the book during our hike together, as well as an online key authored by McCune and Sunia Yang.
Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast by Noah Seigel and Christian Schwarz. Ten Speed Press, 2016. Recommended by Autumn Anglin during our mushroom hike. I picked up this book the week after our meeting, and it is a keeper! Though way too big to carry on the trail, this 570-page book (not including the index) is easy to use and very informative. I especially like the pictorial key to major mushroom groups and full-color photos with descriptions, including the ecology, of each species. It really is “a comprehensive guide.”
All-in-One
iNaturalist App. There is a lot to love about this all-in-one citizen science app. Simply take photos on your hike and share them with a community of people that will help identify or verify your ID. I also use the app to research species I might see on a trail before I visit. It is a lot of fun to see what others are finding on the trail.
Cascadia Revealed: A Guide to the Plants, Animals & Geology of the Pacific Northwest Mountains by Daniel Mathews. Timber Press Field Guide, 2016. I really enjoy field guides by Mathews. Not only does he include great photos and identification information, but countless insights into the natural history of many of the organisms described. I especially love his short essays on everything from “Torpor and Hibernation” to “Rock Flour.”