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Heavy precipitation left some of the park’s key roads in tatters.

While heavy snow and closures forced most PCT hikers to flip-flop this year, a small, dedicated group is still trying for a continuous, end-to-end hike as the season hits its final stretch.

On a winter thru-hike of the Ozark Highlands Trail, Jeff Garmire contended with snowstorms, swam a river, and bushwhacked paths overgrown with bramble—and discovered the rugged heart of one of America’s lesser-known long trails.

Social media and hiking can mix—as long as you're intentional about your usage.

Three locals are adamant that Germany’s mountains, coastlines, and forests are an outdoor adventurer’s paradise. Spoiler: They’re right.

Footage from the 2015 earthquake on Mt. Everest, the deadliest disaster its history, and what to do if you get caught in an avalanche, too.

I gave up having a career and a family in favor of seasonal work and the freedom to hit the trail any time. Do I regret the sacrifice? No, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about it.

All newcomers to the outdoors make mistakes. But if you need to be told “don’t sprint full speed at a mother bear,” we’re sorry, but you are beyond help.

Last year, Yosemite hosted 3.7 million visitors, with 75 percent between May and October. Don't fight crowds when you can have the same views minutes away.

From a bulletproof pair of rain pants to a sunscreen stick that helped us stay scorch-free, this was the gear we depended on in summer's final stretch.

In the remote expanse of the Wind River Mountains, an ultra runner's routine training turns into the ultimate test of his endurance after a devastating mishap with his trekking pole.

Despite record snowpack and extreme heat, the ultrarunning dentist shaved over five days off the previous record.

It doesn't matter if you're hypermobile or move within the normal range of motion. After these exercises, everyone will feel more stable in their body.

Heavy rainfall led to flash flooding in Bryce Canyon National Park and a canyon northeast of Moab, with disastrous consequences for hikers.

Call him crazy, but our hiking columnist loves climbing hills. A fifth of the way into the epic Continental Divide Trail, he’s got some ways to improve your form, function, and mental performance.

Use this series of squats, leg bridges, planks, and calf raises to keep track of your training and you'll have trail-proof full-body strength in no time.

Alpacka’s newest lightweight boat is the best choice for most backpackers.

What word better describes the perfect camping meal than "instant?"

Our national forests are brilliant, underappreciated, and uncrowded compared to most national parks. Here’s the intel on where to hike in these stunning landscapes.

Making your own camp stove out of a cat food or soda can used to be a rite of passage for backpackers. But with canister stoves getting lighter and cheaper—and fire bans getting more and more common—one Backpacker editor argues their time has come. (Plus: Another editor dissents.)

As the remnants of Hilary moved inland, floods trapped visitors and boosted flood risk across the southwestern US.

Could an AI chatbot be a weekend adventurer's new best friend?

When soreness crosses over into genuine pain, it can turn the most pleasant hikes into teeth-gritting tests of endurance. Fight back with expert advice and exercises for tackling 8 different types of ache.

You're out of water and far from a reliable source. Stay alive with survival instructor Jessie Krebs's backcountry-tested advice.

These smokeless fire pits let you light a blaze without wallowing in smoke—and right now, they're on sale for 33% off or more.

The park announced that rangers had found "evidence of a black bear's presence" on top of the famous summit.

If you think the Midwest is flat and boring, you'll think again after taking these trails for a spin.

The cause of death has not yet been released.

A deep snowpack in the Sierra disrupted normal trail dynamics for groups of hikers, but flip-floppers are reuniting as their paths converge.

As temperatures worldwide continue to soar, it's time to understand the insidious danger of extreme heat.

The draft management plan proposes preservation methods for the Appalachian Trail's Triple Crown in Virginia.

As extreme temperatures blaze across the nation, parks are taking extra measures to keep visitors safe.

Karel Sabbe just blasted through California's section of the PCT—will he set a new FKT for the whole trail?

Over the years, we’ve published hundreds of trail-tested recipes, and these are our favorite to cook over an open flame.

A lighter pack is a worthy goal—just don’t take it too far.

Our ethics columnist weighs in on hiking with a four-legged friend.

With an abundant coastline, green initiatives guiding change on both peninsulas, and trail-filled forests that cover more than half the state, Michigan is made for eco-minded travelers

A proposed change in how Zion handles backcountry permits could raise prices for some groups by more than 400 percent—but solo hikers would get a break.

What do winners of the Defender Service Awards have in common? They make the world a better place, and now Land Rover is helping them do it.

Wildlife officials blame Hank the Tank and her three cubs for dozens of burglaries. Now, with her death sentence commuted, she'll spend the rest of her days in a Colorado wildlife refuge.

These are some of the best ways to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch Maine on your next adventure

We tested gear made with the hottest new ultralight fabrics, Ultraweave and UltraTNT

Girard Ridge and its surrounding terrain will become part of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

You've seen chaga, a rough-looking, bumpy fungus that grows on tree trunks, before. But we bet you didn't know you were looking at one of the wilderness's best firestarters.

Veja’s first trail shoe steps up to the challenge.

Only a lucky few can win the permit lottery, but anyone can hike these alternate trails that give you a similar experience. 

Let your senses guide you to your next Maine adventure. Here's where to plan your escape.

Venture into an intense survival story in a cave so deep and treacherous that explorers must rely solely on their own wits

In 2020, Danae “Queen Bee” and Olen “Spreadsheet” Netteburg set out with their four kids on the Appalachian Trail. Three years (and one more baby) later, they’re about to complete the Triple Crown.

On England's 102-mile Cotswold Way, a hiker sets herself up to fail—and ends up surprised by how things turn out.

They don’t necessarily save energy, but a new study suggests they might save your legs

When a court struck down the public’s right to wild camp in Dartmoor National Park in January, hikers lost the only place in England where they could dispersed camp without getting the owner’s permission first. Now, an appeals court has given it back to them.

Robert “Steady Eddie” Kerker appears to have gotten caught in a swollen waterway during the historic floods that hit Vermont in July

Light up your tent, camp kitchen, and more with these versatile lights.

On a guided walk, this group got a very-up-close glimpse of a brown bear as it raced toward them. Here's what to do if this happens to you.

A $3 secret weapon from the grocery store, a tasty drink mix, and a free app are all on our list this month.

Mud-choked paths, damaged bridges, and trail communities cleaning up from some of the worst flooding in Vermont history have AT hikers wondering if they should skip the state for now.

And while we're at it, stop saying these other phrases to me on the trail.

Knowing how to summon help isn't as flashy as being able to start a fire with a bow drill or forage for food. But it's a lot more likely to help you get home safely.

Matteo Volpi hopes his packs will bring thru-hiking culture south of the border.

Four hikers reveal every morsel that's fueling them for thousands of miles.

Wildlife officers are looking for the bear and cub involved after a hiker found the victim’s body in a popular hiking and off-roading area.

The heat was so extreme that a rescue helicopter couldn’t even fly to the site of the incident.

More and more long-distance hikers are having to get creative when fires, floods, or heavy snowpack shuts down their trail. What should you do when you can’t keep going?

Chips, candy bars, ramen bombs: A lot of what thru-hikers eat on the trail is far from good for you. But some nutrition-minded backpackers are trying to buck the trend.

Unveiling the truth: Should you drink your own pee to survive? Expert Jessie Krebs separates fact from fiction, delivering insights for life-or-death decisions in the wild.

We posed your top questions to our resident outdoor nudist funhog

The granola brand bolsters naked hiking communities with a system to review the country’s top nude hikes

In a viral PSA, Yosemite National Park urged hikers to knock over rock cairns. Days later, staff at Canyonlands and Arches asked hikers not to. What's a backpacker to do?

One of the most popular mountains on the Appalachian Trail closed to overnight visits after visitors trashed it in 2020. Now, those temporary restrictions are starting to look permanent.

A stripped-back list of do’s and don’ts

The Idaho Centennial Trail is a long trail experience that takes hikers through some of the most remote, beautiful terrain in the lower 48. But years of deferred maintenance mean that it’s in danger of vanishing into the wilderness.

Deepen your connection to nature by cowboy camping: spending the night outdoors without a tent. Here's where to give it a try.

Lifestraw’s new Peak Solo punches above its weight class.

Live electric wires and bridge damage are among the hazards that trail crews have found so far—but it’s not all bad news.

Havasu Falls' beauty has made them a staple of FOMO-inducing Instagram pics. But in an instant, they can turn into a dangerous deluge.