Wildlife
For 40 years, BACKPACKER readers have explored the wilderness and returned with photographic gold. But we were wowed by the entries for this contest—more than 650 of them. Check out these finalists (and this year's winner), then go to
backpacker.com/photos to submit your own images. We’ll showcase the best entries in upcoming issues.
See more wildlife--and capture it better on film.
You don't have to travel across the world to get off the map. British Columbia's Haida Gwaii boasts uncharted coastline, seaside hot springs, and more sea lions, whales, and bears than you can count.
Spotting animals is a highlight of backcountry travel—unless they attack. Learn how to escape 22 dangerous species.
A hair-raising tale of wilderness terror that will haunt your backcountry dreams
A dayhiker fights for her life—as her body shuts down.
Get closer to the mystery of life: Put yourself spine-tingling distance from the fanged and clawed and horned.
A charging grizzly comes too close for this reader's comfort.
Hard-won-lessons and tips about grizzly bears from the front lines of survival.
Itsy bitsy? Sure, but spiders loom large in hiker phobias. They shouldn't: Only a few subspecies of the black widow and brown recluse can inflict enough damage to cut short a hike. Here's what you need to know about North America's most venomous spiders, from how to avoid them to treating their bites.
Itsy bitsy? Sure, but only a few subspecies of the black widow and brown recluse can inflict enough damage to cut short a hike. Here’s what you need to know about North America’s most venomous spiders, from how to avoid them to treating their bites.
Enrich your trip memories by recording nature's soundscapes.
Once you've left camp, these tips and techniques will make your on-trail miles more enjoyable.
With 1 million bears roaming North America, chances are pretty good that you'll cross paths with one of them at some point. To make every encounter safe, from grizzly bears to black bears, bone up on bruin identification and etiquette.
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Got a burning ursine question? Ask our resident bruin expert in our new weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Got a burning ursine question? Ask our resident bruin expert in our new weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Got a burning ursine question? Ask our resident bruin expert in our new weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Got a burning ursine question? Ask our resident bruin expert in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Usually, our bear answers burning ursine questions, but this week he's dropping off a holiday gift.
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in out weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
See Yosemite's river of ice, witness there-and-gone meteor showers in Hawaii, and mark your calendar for eight more fleeting natural wonders.
See these colorful flutters fuel up for the long flight to Mexico.
Soar with the world's largest migration.
When I sleep in my beloved bivy, am I just wrapping myself up like a six-foot bear burrito?
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Follow trail-savvy locals to nine sweet spot in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.
Nine ways to see Vermont's Green Mountains
Trek through grizzly terrain in Glacier National Park.
Rise from the desert floor to an airy, see-all perch.
Hike lake to lake through bear central in Glacier National Park.
Why you don't need to worry about snakes, spiders, and bears...and what you should worry about instead
Weave around grassy meadows and mirror lakes.
See North America's deepest river gorge, the west's most violent mating Display, and the Southeast's last longleaf pines.
Witness bighorn rams' skull-bashing attempts to win a date.
Watch 10,000 birds take wing daily.
Meander through a sprawling forest of clones.
Visit the world's largest aspen colony, the Plains' highest skyscraper, and a raptor super-flyaway.
See ferns that play dead, then dramatically come back to life.
Witness the birthing of a species that shared the seas with dinosaurs.
Gaze into a 2,000-foot-deep tub of snowmelt.
Coming face to face with the biggest predator in North America might just alter your worldview.
Discover the world's tallest geyser, North America's smallest bird, and the country's best shade tree on these three treks.
Find these nocturnal animals at dawn.
Look high for huge nests when trying to spot these beauties.
Does it work? Depends on which snake you ask.
If seeing bears or bighorn sheep, moose or mountain lions is on your life list check out our tips for where, when, & how to catch an eye full.
Check out the top spots to find these three quirky creatures
Check out the top spots to find these three quirky creatures
There are some fundamental rules to follow when seeking out wildlife.
Elk mostly travel in herds making them easier to spot.
Head to the Southeast to spot alligators.
Mountain lions can be found from Central America to the Pacific.
Moose love water and hate black flies–two good tips for spotting them.
It's true that fish love their berries and fish– a great place to catch a glimpse of them.
Scout high deserts and mountains for these scrambling sheep.
A call for reader wildlife photos returned outstanding shots of true wild life.
These bear canisters have been making bears sad since 1982.
Capture great wildlife photos with patience and know-how regarding their movements and your camera.
Three treks to life-list phenomena from Death Valley to Colorado.
Glimpse miniature deer that barely escaped extinction.
Real reader bear questions answered by Buck Tilton.
Parks czar Ken Salazar talks trails, nixes ANWR drilling, and defends his boss's controversial guns-in-parks decision.
Take that grizzly print hope with you with this fool-proof technique.
It's never been easier to help save the wilderness–no donations, no petitions, no pulaski swinging required. The only thing you have to do is go backpacking.
Get the bug dope ready: The bloodthirsty mosquito is heading your way this summer.
Discover the world's oldest tree, America's biggest cavern, and Florida's largest herd of wild horses on these three treks.
See glowing plankton, mushrooms, and bugs on these brilliant adventures.
Four myths about snakebites, dispelled.
According to folklore, the soft light emitted by bioluminescent organisms is magical. In reality, the eerie glow results from a chemical reaction–but it still looks enchanting on a moonless or cloudy night. Here's where to glimpse these living light bulbs.
No matter how much time you have, let us show you where you can scope out this majestic bird.
The Gray Whale swims thousands of miles to mate- and you were complaining about picking up the dinner bill.
The white, fluffy, subzero-temperature-loving polar bear takes this title.
The smart, social, and friendly mountain gorillas take the heavyweight title.
From jaguars to river dolphins, Amazonian animals are diverse.
There is nothing like the African lion.
Fiery volcanoes, 40-ton mammals, otherworldly caves–in this explorer's guide, we'll show you where to find the most mind-blowing backcountry features on the planet.
By Marcus Woolf
Trek between Buddhist villages, raft Himalayan whitewater, and ride an elephant in the shadow of 8,000-meter peaks.
Another dead Denali wolf. A battle for the soul of wild Alaska. Our reporter visits America's most iconic wilderness for the inside story of a park under siege.
Happy coincidence for wildlife-loving paddlers: Canoes and woodland caribou converge like nowhere else on Earth in Ontario's Slate Islands. PLUS: See video of caribou on the move.
Forget flying south. Learn the secrets of cold-weather survival from three well-adapted birds.
The flying, red, and golden-mantled ground aren't your everyday squirrels
In Colorado, wilderness hut managers recruit hikers to track an elusive wildcat.
The Trip Doctor reveals what works better against grizzleis than buckshot.
We'll show you how to see these majestic birds in the wild.
When senior editor Tracy Ross investigated Denali's wolf controversy, she expected to see a dead wolf--but not a skinned one. Go behind the scenes with video filmed in the field and an interview with Ross on the experience.
Paddle out to Ontario's Slate Islands where canoe and caribou are a plenty in this video of these majestic animals and marvel at a slideshow of close-up images.
Author Tracy Ross discusses her feature story "Dogs of War" devoted to the debate raging in Alaska over the famed Toklat wolf pack.
Maine's newly minted Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail tracks the famous naturalist's 1800s expeditions. Good news: It's still wild.
Fatten griz for winter
How we rate risk, using a highly scientific formula
Which is the bigger backcountry threat, grizzlies or flash floods? Find out what should scare you–and how to survive it–with BACKPACKER's Terror Index.
See one of the sea's keenest hunters as you paddle San Juan Island.
Traverse the wildest part of the lower 48's last great grizzly hideaway.
Use this step-by-step guide to beat 7 common backcountry fears. Plus, ideal hikes for overcoming–or avoiding–the source of your scare.
Conquer any fear with this DIY guide to applying a proven treatment plan called cognitive-
behavioral therapy. Think of it as training for the mind.
Don't let groundless phobias ruin–or even prevent–your backcountry adventures. Here's a foolproof plan for overcoming your terrors.
Learn how carnivores and their quarry interact—and what happens when humans upset the natural balance.
America's largest rodent may be clumsy on land, but in water, it's a marvel of design.
Looking to catch some migrating birds? Find out where to look.
A wildlife researcher shares stalking tips.
Glimpse these rare mammals in Idaho's Salmo-Priest Wilderness.
Learn the secrets of nature's greatest recyclers
Hiking where bears are present (that's more than 40 states) always requires precautions, like hanging food. But these three signals demand extra vigilance.
Hikers and ATV riders hit the ground in a new battle over trail access.
How did the bear cross the road? See a few ways engineers are helping wildlife go over, under, and around traffic.
This dignified giant stands four feet tall, making it North America's largest heron.
Animals can't talk. But Ed Newcomer can. As an elite U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service detective, he goes undercover to protect threatened raptors, bears, even butterflies–and bring poachers and smugglers to court. Inside the agency's latest covert operation.
Of all the North American bird species, few stand out more than this trio of flyers. Their vivid plumage makes them some of the easiest springtime wildlife to spot.
Learn the difference between elk, white-tails, and mule deer.
Looking to catch and eat the big one? Try paddling Arkansas' Little Red River.
Dive into the Channels Islands with exclusive on-the-scene video, photos, and trip reports.
Unlike their cougar and wolf cousins, these cats and dogs are (often) easier to spot.
Scientists hike deep into California's wild high country to probe for answers.
Want to hike where the most predators exist? Pack your courage and follow these directions.
Looking to catch baby animals taking their first step? You can't go wrong with these picks.
In honor of Earth Day, we bring you the first industry-wide survey on which gear manufacturers are positively impacting the environment, plus much more.
Whether you've got hours or weeks, here's where to go for the birds.
Whether you fear, respect, or applaud these complex creatures of the night, the tips below will help you find and observe them.
A big-picture biologist unearths threats to songbirds, salamanders, and a peak-loving furball.
These dozen creatures are threatened by global warming.
Scientists say Nebraska's wild prairies could become the Western Hemisphere's largest sandbox in as few as 30 years.
Pine beetles are felling more trees than wildfires and the timber industry combined.
Find these hard-to-spot beauties on your next journey
Last fall, we showed you the many ways that climate change is altering the wild places we love. Now, a look at what BACKPACKER is doing to reduce the magazine's impact.
Learn how you can help combat climate change by researching everything from Alaska's Bering Glacier to tracking pumas in Argentina through citizen scientist programs
Learn the steps to take if you're bitten by a poisonous snake.
On the trail black bears, skunks, grizzlies, rattlesnakes, and ticks are not your friend. Learn how to side-step them.
Learn your black bears from your brown bears then figure out how to keep them away from your camp.
On the trail and at the campsite, there's plenty you can do to leave nature...natural.
Here are the seven guidelines to Leave No Trace
Learn the easiest way to hang a bear bag and keep your camping snacks safe from rummaging paws.
Hit the wilderness in search of beasts big and small.
To see how animals stay cool in a hot climate, just look up.
Spot lizards, wrens, and javelinas in the desert Southwest with these tips.
These hares love the snow and cold and they're designed to use the elements to their advantage
Rangers despise him. The law is after him. Yet in chopping down trees in an overgrown national park, Bob Garrison has become a hero to some hikers.
Welcome to Yosemite, iconic American landscape, hikers' paradise, and all-you-can-eat home of the wiliest bruins on earth.
Keen on birds, peak bagging, or wildflowers? Here's how to join hikers who share your passions.
The wooly bear caterpillar, wild leek, and yew have "magical" qualities, but live in your backyard.
Inside Idaho's Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, humans and wolves learn to co-exist.
There's a backcountry killer on the loose, and it's not hypothermia, grizzly bears, or rockfall. The thing mostly likely to maim you on your next hiking trip is living inside your head.
A hiker's guide to fighting climate change
Hiker Gerald Holzer recounts a 2005 grizzly attack in Yellowstone.
Climate change isn't just melting glaciers--it's messing with wildlife everywhere
America's preeminent bear tracker backpacks Idaho's most remote wilderness looking for signs of the lost grizzlies of the Bitterroots--and winds up staring at the great bruin's future.
Here's how to get out of the middle when motherly instincts kick in.
See Hawaii's humpbacks in late winter
Only in 400,000 acres of wet backcountry will you find the oldest bird
Wildlife aplenty at Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary
An Arctic wildlife extravaganza
We follow a giant, endangered caribou herd from the Yukon to Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Part 6.
We follow a giant, endangered caribou herd from the Yukon to Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Part 5.
Hike and canoe through the pristine springs of Missouri's Ozarks.
If you can't hook a monster in one of these fishing holes, you better hang up your rod.
We follow a giant, endangered caribou herd from the Yukon to Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Part 4.
Visit this remote section of the Arctic before climate change alters it forever
We follow a giant, endangered caribou herd from the Yukon to Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Part 3.
We follow a giant, endangered caribou herd from the Yukon to Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Part 2.
Beantowners love the sights the High Ledges area has to offer.
This favorite Pennsylvania destination of our editors is filled with old trees, shale cliffs, wildlife and stunning wildflowers.
This Indiana Dunes trail offers visitors views of the lake, the Chicago skyline, wildflowers and some of the tallest trees in the region.
Abandon the Big Apple for a visit to this great wilderness.
3 hidden hikes in our readers' favorite backpacking park
This wild paradise is the Galapagos of California.
Michigan's Proud Lake has many flavors of wilderness to offer.
Rodents can be real pests in campsites. Use this trick to stay rodent-free the whole trip long.
Put some rocks in your socks.
If you are in search of southwestern wildlife, this is the place to be.
Giant cliffs and numerous waterfalls are among the stunning sites that can be viewed along this Colorado hike.
Who wouldn't want to be marooned on this Florida barrier island?
We follow a giant, endangered caribou herd from the Yukon to Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Part 1.
Can anyone really know what lurks in the heart of a grizzly? In the wilds of Russia's Kamchatka peninsula, Charlie Russell believes he is beginning to find out.
Will he keep up? Karsten Heuer embarks on an audacious 1,200-mile expedition-cum-caribou chase.
How do you plan an expedition to follow 123,000 migrating caribou across Canada and Alaska? Very carefully.
Protection one of Alaska and Canada's largest caribou herds is so close, yet so far away.
How do you plan a route following 123,000 migrating caribou across Canada and Alaska? Try to keep up.
Just minutes from Anchorage lie dozens of world-class hiking and paddling trips. This guide gives you the best, plus gear and travel tips to smooth the way.
18 facts you didn't know about Alaska and Canada's Porcupine Caribou herd.
A definitive guide to the hottest, sweetest, looniest, and most colorful spots in the great outdoors.
Can a place that sees 9 million visitors a year really have any surprises? You bet. We found three hikes full of unexpected history, scenery, and solitude.
Spring is for the birds. Here's where to find a flock near you.
It's as big as California, boasts more volcanoes than Alaska, and counts nearly as many geysers as Yellowstone.
Bust out of winter doldrums on one of these stellar snowshoe routes.
With an abundance of wolves and water--two rarities in the desert--Arizona's remote Blue Range may be the Southwest's best kept secret.
City life got you down? Head for the quiet hills of southeastern Washington, where the air is clean, the water clear, and bighorn sheep outnumber hikers.
To get closer to the critters, you need to look like a tree and smell like a raccoon.
When you hike the world's highest peaks in search of the legendary snow leopard, be prepared for the unexpected.
You'll have a hard time keeping track of all the critters along Mississippi's Black Creek Trail.
You could be walking on an ancient seabed or a swamp where dinosaurs played. Look closely and you'll see history in the rocks.
This homemade rock sack will help you hang your food bag faster and better.
For years, hikers have dreamed of trekking in Baca Ranch's untouched, wildlife-thick backcountry. You'll soon get your chance.
They may look sweet and innocent, but blooming plants are the floral world's version of a hot 'n' steamy orgy.
Feeling people-shy? Follow Wisconsin's wolves to this lonely section of the Ice Age Trail.
Our guide to spotting wolves on Michigan's Isle Royale.
There's a fascinating world of fur and claws underfoot. Here's how to tell who's down there.
Some species look alike, but guess wrong and you could have a harmful mistake on your hands.
A good pile of scat speaks volumes about your backwoods animal neighbors, if you know how to read the calling card.
For Deep South scenery, try Alabama's Conecuh Trail, where the gopher frogs and armadillos outnumber the people.
The best trips are littered with mistakes, frustration, and, if a river called the "Little Misery" runs through it, boot-sucking mud.
What's good for elk is good for backpackers on Michigan's High Country Pathway.
New research suggests that bear bells don't work, and colorful tents and clothing may attract bruins.
Glacier National Park possesses scenery that'll suck the breath out of your lungs, quiet so intense you'll wonder if your ears still work, and enough wildlife to make a zookeeper drool with envy.
When you have park visitors asking such questions as, "The animals aren't really wild, are they?" you have a recipe for disaster.
Where the words "wild" and "life" take on new meaning
It's basically pepper in an aerosol can, and it's supposed to stop a charging grizzly. But will it? Here's everything you need to know.
Is the legendary jackalope the most endangered species in the Lower 48 or just an old cowboy tale that refuses to die?
Sure, you can summit Mt. Rainier, but the real treasure isn't on top. It's the Wonderland Trail down below.
Its bite is more than painful -- it could be deadly.
On the hoof, antlers and horns are a regal sight. Once discarded, they speak volumes about the former owner.
A quick guide to antler spotting in the wild.
Horns or antlers?
Here's what little we've learned about the mysterious Jackalope.
Montana and Wyoming's incredibly wild and beautiful Absaroka needs your help.
Porpoises escort you to a rugged island where buffalo really do roam.
Cool your feet and warm your brow in this Arizona desert wilderness.
Alaska's premier area for fish and wildlife.
Myths and cactus in California: A life-filled land of sand and mountains.
California's second largest park has an impressive trail system.
The current carries you through the Great Plains, where buffalo, elk -- and snapping turtles -- roam.
Once an impassable, swampy "ghost river," now a paddler's dream.
Sunny beaches, cool forests, and a birder's paradise along the shores of Lake Michigan.
Take a lazy cruise through exotic scenery, where monkeys swing and eagles soar.
In Big Cypress' land of exotic plants and lurking alligators, swamps aren't such bad places after all.
If you run into the big white bears, should you be scared?
There are scads of bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park -- so don't forget these tips.
Mills Canyon is a hidden treasure where you can bushwhack through history.
Life in the high desert in autumn is sweeter and more irresistible than any place on Earth.
You'll emerge from a forested hallway into a wilderness playroom, and there before you will be skidmarks in the snow.
The typical Delaware River float trip offers the opportunity to spy more bald eagles than people.
The Purple Trail through Chase Prairie or the Green or Red Trails through Floyd's Prairie are good routes for viewing Sandhill cranes.
Arizona: Every year millions of ladybugs head to Arizona and coat trees, rocks, and brush like a layer of living paint.
Tips to beat the most annoying backwoods biters
Even if you don't see a moose, you'll hear the bulls' low grunts echoing off the hillside.
Eyeball to beak with impressively taloned hawks in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest.
You can spend days exploring the Dry River Valley forest without seeing another soul, even if it sounds like you're being chased by a well-armed militia.
Encountering a rattlesnake is a splendid moment in time, a cherished wilderness event--at least that's the view of Arizona researchers trying to change public perception of all things fanged.
Montana: The Pryor Mountains harbor the nation's last free-roaming wild mustangs, not to mention wilderness that is as wild as the horses.
A chaotic chorus of loon calls penetrate the darkness, the warbling sounds echoing off the wooded hills around the New Hampshire lake.
Pennsylvania: You'll get wet and you may even stand in line behind a black bear or two.
Consider trying to spot a red-cockaded wood-pecker in Florida's Big Cypress Preserve a form of treasure hunting.
The bawling in the black night is the spring chorus of hooting barred owls.
Pine Mountain and Wilson Ridge command high-country vistas stretching across rock-strewn meadows.
The ungodly wailing that sometimes drifts through the dark woods is only an animal.
Maine's seal pups are usually born in May, making early summer an ideal time to witness the youngsters learning to swim and fish.
Ah, spring, the season of the blessed bloom-and maddening mosquitoes. If you don't like slathering yourself in DEET, then you'd better learn how to avoid the pests.
At a campsite along the Snake River, the bugling goes on night and day.
Other tips to beat the most annoying backcountry biters.
The best bird window coincides with the best hiking season in the Chihuahuan Desert.
North Dakota: America's own Serengeti.
Observe the uncanny resemblance between the good doctor's famous Truffula Trees and a field of fuzz-topped flowers 5 miles up Long Canyon.
More than 200 preserves, parks, and other protected wildlands lie within 40 miles of San Francisco, exceeding Yosemite National Park in size, biodiversity, and visitation.
Here's your insider's guide to The Great Smokies, probably the epitome of a true backpacker's national park.
Relax and sniff the azaleas among Missouri's Whispering Pines.
What have you done lately for the trails and backcountry you use? Join a Volunteer Vacation and save the trails you love.
Leave the book in the tent and make a date to chat with some owls and sing with the frogs.
Like your first love, you never forget your initial visit to the Arctic.
While the wolf reintroduction debate rages across the country, in Wisconsin the animals are simply reclaiming their rightful place.
The bare rocks of Oklahoma's Charons Gardens will haunt and delight hikers.
Hiking through wetlands in Pennsylvania? Believe it.
Find a new kind of California beach on the undeveloped shores of Santa Catalina Island.
Bears electrify an already incredible experience at Glacier National Park's Bowman Lake.
To understand what goes on beneath the sea, find a rocky shoreline and explore away
Stomp and glide at Wild River State Park, where no snow monsters are allowed.
In the fortress-like Mazatzal Wilderness, you can barricade yourself in solitude.
Looking for a really wild time? Grab your passport and head to Canada, where the mountains are big, the views stretch beyond your imagination, and you can't fling a moose pellet without hitting some kind of wildlife.
We love watching wildlife, but follow these tips to stay safe.
There are plenty of Bambi's brethren along the Quehanna Trail-if you know where to look.
When the trout are thick and the ethics resolved, catch-and-eat is the tasty way to go.
They paw, prance, bang heads, and curl lips. The rut is on, and there's no better time to observe the wild kingdom.
When faced with a large, testy animal, it pays to know whether it's saying, "Hi there" or "I'm about to shred your lungs."
Tune up your senses and turn off the lights for a wild walk on the dark side.
Stay away from mice out on the trail, and you'll stay away from disease-carrying ticks.
Plus 24 other round-the-campfire brain stumpers every nature buff should know.
The best wildlife stronghold in California.
Look on the south sides of mountains to catch animals coming out in spring.
Thirteen miles in the spectacular Sangre De Cristos.
The bison are relics from the past, and the wolves know no fear. Welcome to Wood Buffalo National Park, where time stands still and the land shrugs off man's attempts to alter its primitive spirit.
Some say Goat Rocks Wilderness has the best scenery along the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest Trail. Decide for yourself.
South Carolina: A wealth of waterfalls and world-class swimming.
If the thought of a spider bite or bee sting makes your skin crawl, then preventing a painful encounter is the key.
A well-intentioned handout today could mean disaster for panhandling wildlife tomorrow.
At the edge of the world, Canada's Algonquin Provincial Park offers a window to the past.
Go out at night for a whole new look into wilderness.
What makes those golf-ball-size lumps on trees? A tiny wasp with a lot of nerve.
Follow four-legged trail blazers down paths you'll never find on a map.
Even though they eat boots and pack straps, there's newfound appreciation for porcupines.
The mountain lion is the only North American predator that occasionally stalks humans. Do you have anything to fear?
On their own and with help from the government, wolves are reclaiming their former range. Should you worry?
Hiking in grizzly territory requires preparation, respect, and a clear head. A little luck doesn't hurt, either.
Keep your food away from hungry bears.
