Appalachian trail
This tireless trail angel is firing up a new generation of backcountry stewards.
More than 150 of you entered our contest to become a BACKPACKER field scout. Meet the winners.
Tackle the Northeast's most remote wilds for bears, moose, and berries.
Find caribou, moose, and bald eagles on a hut-to-hut trek in an undiscovered park.
Our prolific map contributor has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and notched more than 90 bag nights while scouting routes for BACKPACKER.
Having just broken the speed record for thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Jennifer Pharr Davis sits down to discuss gear, preparation, and the joy of a stellar hike.
Warren Doyle has hiked the Appalachian Trail 16 times, and he has a no-fee plan guaranteed to help others complete the 2,180-mile trek. The hardest part? Hiking with Warren Doyle.
Head out on one of these trails in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
Hike these long trails in North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Florida, and paddle three days in the Everglades backcountry.
Watch your step on Utah' Highline Trail. The nonstop views and rampant wildlife are distractingly spectacular. Plus: Gaze away on 9 more elevated hikes.
Ascend Rocky Top in Tennessee; spot herons and Pelicans in a Florida bayou.
Relax in a hiker-friendly lodge at the Appalachian Trail's southern tip.
Thru-hike America's most revered long trail: the Appalachian Trail.
The best hikes near Roanoke, VA.
The best hikes near Asheville, NC.
The last lonely stretch of the AT beckons from the mountains of western Maine.
The perfect dozen: Embark on one of these 12 treks, and turn America's most iconic preserves into your own private paradise.
We know. You've always wanted to hike a long trail. Lucky for you, we've got the comprehensive guides to make your dreams a reality. Check out the best sections and dayhikes along the AT, PCT and CDT. PLUS: See how four hikers beat the recession...by hiking through it.
The upside to being downsized? Having time to hit the nation's long trails.
The Dartmouth Outing Club targets an Appalachian Trail hiking record.
Trek to the New Jersey border along PA's finest section of the AT.
This iconic summit shouldn't be rushed. Save the experience on this 33-mile trek.
For one soul-searching hiker, Grayson Highlands stirs powerful memories.
Thirty miles up the trail from Springer Mountain, Winton Porter shelters and feeds thru-hikers–and works tirelessly to slash their pack weight.
Is he a pilgrim, a victim, or a thief? The Appalachian Trail provides a path and refuge to all sorts of seekers. Few are as baffling as the man they called Saved.
We've got your Appalachian Trail packing list dialed. Here, take stock of what you'll need to thru-hike the trail. Just print it out and get packing.
In this ultimate guide to the country's favorite footpath, you'll find our picks for the best hiking and camping, and a complete plan for thru-hikers. Plus, meet a man who has made it his job to help AT hikers.
Hike this burly wonder to find out what inspired the Appalachian and Long Trail's founders.
Stay dry on spring treks in Minnesota, New Mexico, and more.
Want to boost your backcountry karma? Here are three places to hike–and give back.
America's 100 Best Hikes–chosen by you.
Find spectacular views and deep solitude on this weekend hike.
Hike this trail to find peace, stress relief and a tonic to cure your daily routine.
Jump off into the North Woods' best wilderness
A downright goofy dome marks this highpoint.
You'll find numerous surprises as you explore the lakes, rivers and forests of this highpoint.
Allow the plants to color the landscape as you make your way along the trail.
It's lean, it's mean, and it can last forever.
The short but stunning Mahoosuc Range has major-league attractions, like the toughest mile on the Appalachian Trail and conditions that discourage the faint of heart.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in New Hampshire.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Tennessee.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Vermont.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Maine.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Massachusetts.
Follow this BACKPACKER reader's tip to get the most out of your candles on the trail.
Say hello to North America's newest long trail.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Pennsylvania.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in New Jersey.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Maryland.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Virginia.
Are you a dayhiker who's ready for an all-nighter? A weekender longing to try a 5-day trek? Or are you ready for a thru-hike? Regardless of your skill level, here's the information you'll need to go that extra mile.
The famed peaks of the Appalachian chain entice some 2,500 people to attempt the thru-hike each year.
If land has a personality, then Vermont's 270-mile Long Trail is one moody, unpredictable way to hike through New England.
The Appalachian Trail community lost a prominent supporter, volunteer, hiker, and maintainer.
Robert Taylor wants African-Americans to know "there's something great out there."
All it takes is $7,000 and a man named "Pittsburgh" to become a weightless thru-hiker.
Sometimes walking "backward" is the only way to go in New Hampshire's White Mountains.
Have your camera ready near dusk, when sunlight warms the landscape with intense color.
All along the 23-mile Shenandoah Mountain trail and in the forested areas throughout the Appalachian Mountains, vernal pools are rich aquatic breeding grounds.
Figure on 9 days to do the entire 100-mile hike—unless you're slowed drastically by all the blueberries.
Appalachian Trail (AT) advocate Edward Garvey, 84, recently died of congestive heart failure at Arlington Hospital in Virginia.
Hike this gorgeous, mountainous section of Virginia's Appalachian Trail.
Get spectacular Appalachian Trail mountain views without much effort on the Riga Plateau.
With all of the trail options in Pennsylvania's Michaux State Forest, it's hard to pick just one.
For some, reaching Maine's Mt. Katahdin is the end of a life-altering 2,100-mile pilgrimage. For others it's a lark. We captured the extremes, and a little bit of everything in between, one day atop Maine's "greatest mountain."
Who says the Appalachian Trail has to stop in Maine? Certainly not some plucky Canadians, who're extending the long-trail concept 600 more miles into their homeland.
Get lost on Georgia's Duncan Ridge Trail.
