A former Island County trail planning and design consultant is using his powers for good.

Ken Wilcox, now the Bellingham-based author of several Pacific Northwest hiking guides, wants to help adventurers take full advantage of the breadth of trails Whidbey and Camano Island have to offer. With the first edition of his latest publication, “Hiking Island County,” he hopes to expand hikers’ horizons and preserve the region’s trails, too.

“One of my goals is to help people find other alternatives so they can spread themselves out a little bit and reduce the impact on the places that seem to get a little too much love,” Wilcox said.

As his guide demonstrates, there is plenty to love.

Sixty Whidbey and Camano Island hikes of a range of difficulty are included, as well as maps, black-and-white photos, a hiker’s log and the history and biodiversity of the region. Information on transportation, conditioning, clothing and gear, and park passes and permits ensure hikers of all skill levels know how best to prepare for the great outdoors. As an added benefit, hard copies of “Hiking Island County” are compact, well-equipped for usage on the trails enclosed.

Hikes located on Whidbey span the entirety of the island and comprise the vast majority of the guide. Trails traverse ever-popular destinations, like Deception Pass State Park, and tackle more rugged terrain, like that of Ebey’s Landing.

Although writing is merely a “hobby” for Wilcox, his authorial credibility on the matter is undeniable.

More than three decades of experience in outdoor recreational planning, combined with a youth spent exploring Whidbey and Camano Island with friends as a high schooler in Stanwood, informed the approximately five-month process of writing and self-publishing “Hiking Island County.” As a trail planner, Wilcox had to consider foot traffic, safety, runoff, vegetation, incline, accessibility, parking, connectivity and of course, the views, when outlining new trails around Western Washington.

“Trail planners, and even trail builders and park agencies, have to manage the use,” Wilcox explained. “A trail that’s very comfortable to walk— it didn’t just magically fall from the sky. It took some thinking and some effort to make it all work.”

Consulting of this kind is contracted work, and Wilcox had to compete with “big shot” Seattle firms for jobs from Mason to Whatcom counties. On Whidbey, he contributed to the planning of the Oak Harbor Waterfront and Freund Marsh trails. He recalled helping increase water accessibility in both areas.

Wilcox pointed to the lengthy beach walks, military forts at Fort Ebey and Fort Casey, and the work of the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, a nonprofit working with landowners and communities to protect land on the islands since 1984, as Whidbey’s particular strengths as a region ripe for hiking.

“There’s a real wealth of opportunities for hikes that just about anybody can do,” Wilcox said of Whidbey Island. “I really value that.”