Olympic
Explore peaks and forests in this coastal range.
The region's best picks from our top field correspondent, who's notched more than 1,800 trail miles throughout the West and mapped 116 trips.
On a climb from the Hoh River's silty riffles to high-country glacier views, pass through a moss-hung rainforest that might be the lushest place in America.
See Yosemite's river of ice, witness there-and-gone meteor showers in Hawaii, and mark your calendar for eight more fleeting natural wonders.
Hike through a wild water park in Enchanted Valley.
Go from rainforest to glaciers.
We've covered 245,591 miles of trails in our 37-year history. Here are our 20 all-time favorite trips, plus—shocking!—20 routes we never covered.
What makes a backpacker a backpacker? It's not the garage full of gear or piles of guidebooks--it's the experiences, from thru-hiking a long trail to pushing your personal envelope to inspiring a child's love of wilderness. Here we present BACKPACKER's new Life List: 10 experiences to add to your tick-listnow--and the key skills you need to nail them.
Walking a high ridge with countless views and no people is the stuff of dreams. Make it real in Olympic National Park's Bailey Range.
Cross a rugged coastline on the edge of Washington's Hoh Rainforest.
Walk from lush rainforest to wide-open glacier views on this 43-mile sneak route.
The perfect dozen: Embark on one of these 12 treks, and turn America's most iconic preserves into your own private paradise.
This Olympic National Park trail features serious elevation gain and switchbacks galore.
Catch the best views in the nation's marquee parks from the comfort of your computer. Prepare to drool...now.
A gym teacher's speed hike becomes a five-day bushwhack in Olympic National Park.
The system was rigged, says a former ranger. Here's how to beat it.
Hike with grizzlies in this remote northern corner of Alaska's greatest park.
America's first national park is a playground for grizzlies, wolves, moose, and hikers (not in that order).
Explore two ecosystems in this hinterland of moss-draped forests, ancient trees, and snowcapped peaks.
Trees, trees are everywhere, but sometimes there isn't a dry twig in sight.
Graze blueberry patches, explore swimming holes, and tag the South's high points on this sultry hike.
Send him out on a work trip. Let wilderness do the rest.
Drop into America's belly on a little-known hike that dips in and out of four different canyons, each blessed with gurgling spring water.
Climb classic Sierra passes, ogle granite monoliths, and camp above treeline in John Muir's second home.
Scramble up class III peaks and cross late summer snowfields on this strenuous but straightforward trip through Montana's big-mountain country.
The ultimate vacation in one of America's iconic parks requires the ultimate hiking plan: classic scenery, no crowds, and secret campsites. Here's how to spend a perfect week in Glacier, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Olympic, Denali, and the Great Smoky Mountains.
This question fuels the debate regarding how to help the aging national park system improve.
3-D hike videos, complete trip planner pdfs, our interactive ParkFinder tool, and more.
In the Elwha Valley, tidal rivers collide with towering old-growth forests, creating an outsized multisport playground. You'll need a bike, a kayak, and a boatload of stamina to join Sara Gagnon, an area native and co-owner of Adventures Through Kayaking, on this rollicking tour.
Our map team has been hard at work plotting the coolest hikes. Check out May's selections here.
Add Olympic National Park to your to-do list.
Get ready to feel puny--and profoundly grateful--on three hikes through ancient forests.
On this trip you'll find everything from alpine meadows to ancient rainforests
A trip along Washington's Olympic Coast is one whale of a day at the beach.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Washington.
Washington's Elwha Trail is a rain-forest classic: green, primeval, spongy soft, and wonderfully wet.
It's the longest stretch of virgin coastline left in the Lower 48. But that's just one of many reasons to hike it.
Olympic National Park is pristine and isolated -- rare commodities these days.
The best way to see all Olympic has to offer is on the grand Valley Loop.
Washington's rocky, log-strewn shore is no place for beach bums.
When temps warm but the going's still snowy, strap on snowshoes to reach Washington's hidden camping gems.
