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Climb 3,000 feet in 4.3 miles to a trout-filled tarn nestled in a granite cirque.

This 6.6-mile loop visits 1,211-foot Wildcat Peak before dropping down the Conlon Trail to Wildcat Creek.

Explore 19th-century Ozark graveyards.

Snake along hidden inlets as you follow the shore of America’s largest inland peninsula.

Trek through the largest Union Civil War cemetery on this 10.8-mile loop (park documents call it 12.5).

Hike 42.9 miles on the AT in 24 hours, in the process traveling across the borders of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

This 10.8 mile overnight shuttle hike features a prairie-covered ridge, miles of picturesque lakeshore, and a rarely-used backcountry campsite tucked away in a fern-studded hollow.

An 8.1 mile out and back that offers hikers sweeping views of Indian Peaks Wilderness, a waterfall and an alpine lake to cool off in before heading back down.

Climb the 18th-highest Catskill peak with a stop for amazing views from Giant Ledge on this 6.7 mile out-and-back.

This 10-miler to a 4,430-foot summit is great for dayhikes, especially in the non-green season (after the leaves fall). There are several campsites along the way if you want to overnight.

For extended hiking adventures and backpacking trips, a good internal frame backpack is a must. Choosing the pack that’s right for you can be a challenge, especially if you’re a beginner or someone on a tight budget. Here are three internal frame packs we recommend for their comfort, utility, and value. They’re all highly functional, and they’re all under 100 bucks.

What's the best backcountry guide service in Nepal? The best trail town in Chile? New Zealand's best hiker bar? Nominate your faves on every continent for our first-ever Adventure Travel awards!

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

If the scenic, scrappy Cabinets had buffed trails and sat near urban centers, they'd be as busy as New Hampshire's Whites or Colorado's Indian Peaks. Thankfully they have neither, and that makes them perfect for motivated trekkers who don't mind huffy climbs, and off-trail routefinding, like the route we found.

No need to fight the crowds in Glacier or Yellowstone. Montana is full of life-list trips--you just have to know where to look.

Trace a West Virginia ridgeline in the Alleghenies, show your family eight waterfalls on one Pennsylania hike, check out a rare moonbow in Kentucky, and go on nine more adventures.

The little-known Absaroka (ab-SOAR-kuh) Mountains are the largest single range in the Rockies, and they undoubtedly form the wild core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In their northern extremities, the Absarokas manifest their grandeur as steep, rugged spires, thanks to cliff-friendly blends of granite and gneiss. There among the pinnacles you'll find all the mountain wildlife of Yellowstone (mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, wolves and bears both black and brown), but with bigger, badder scenery and far fewer people.

Check out Steve Howe's author page.

The Missions stand out even in northwest Montana, a region with no shortage of steep, crazed peaks. Travel in this glacially eroded landscape of dense evergreen forest, hidden lakes, tusk-like 9,000-foot summits and long, knife-edged ridgelines can be described in three simple terms: Steep. Rocky. Strenuous. Basecamping is the best plan.

Fewer than 300 miles of trail crisscross the 158,615-acre Anaconda-Pintler, but only 45 miles along the CDT qualify as busy. At this northern latitude, treeline sits around 9,000 feet, and timberline regions are like bonsai gardens writ large; an aesthetic blend of spruce, fir, and the whimsical larch. The best way to experience it? A multiday immersion trek trip.

Rugged, scenic, and lightly traveled, the Beaverheads rise above Big Hole Valley's broad meadows as a skyline full of 10,000 foot summits with alpine lakes pooling at their feet. Outside of Montana, this place would be on every hiker's tick list, but here it fades into obscurity behind Glacier and the northern Bitterroots that loom above Missoula. Explore them shoreline to summit on these two hikes.

Trek along the country’s first national river in Arkansas, find solitude in Michigan’s Trap Hills, watch whooping crane chicks learn to fly outside Madison, WI, and plan for nine more summer trips.

Hike through wildflower-laden alpine meadows in Washington’s volcanic high country, see a meteor shower in dark-sky New Mexico, escape the crowds above Lake Tahoe, and more.

This eco-obsessed author and photographer is saving his local forest, one tree at a time.

Reader Report Jon Bausman takes you inside the latest in GPS navigation at the Summer OR Show, whether you're a purist seeking an inexpensive option or a tech-lover searching for the newest gadget.

Backpacker Reader Reporter Whit Vogel digs up a few pint-size multitools, watches, and a headlamp that will turn heads.

Reader Reporter Shey Kiester quenches her thirst for new H20 accessories.

Reader Reporter Evan Pederson searches for what's new below the knee.

Backpacker Reader Reporter Whit is on a mission to look for the wackiest accessories around.

Reader Reporter Jon Bausman takes you inside the best ultralight, softshell, and technical hardshells for 2014.

Reader Reporter Shey Kiester shovels through duds for the best in women's digs.

Evan looks for stylish baselayers and functional vest that might take the place of an old favorite.

Reader Reporter Shey Kiester seeks out the most versatile and innovative daypacks and expedition bags.

Reader Reporter Jon Bausman finds that Tent City offers a field of tents for every adventurer.

Reader Reporter Whit Vogel sparks up conversations about 2014 backcountry cooking products.

Reader Reporter Evan Pederson ignores the Salt Lake City heat and climbs into this season's new sleeping bags.

Reader Reporter Whit Vogel seeks out a lesson in fly fishing and finds a few ladies to show her the ropes.

Reader Reporter Shey Kiester gets down and dirty testing out the latest and greatest modes of transport.

Jon Bausman takes you inside for a first-timer's perspective on stand-up paddleboarding (SUP).

Magellan sponsors a geocaching treasure hunt and Evan searches for what's new at Day 0 of Outdoor Retailer.

Protein-packed and calorie-dense, nuts are a classic backpackers' superfood. We taste-tested 96 spreads, mixes, and bars to bring you the healthiest (and tastiest) options for the trail.

Stalk golden trout.

Snorkel among manatees.

Savor instant solitude.

Bust out beyond the beltway.

Hide out in Ozark Hollows

Hike New England's highest paths.

Gobble the PCT's tastiest morsel.

Scale Utah's mightiest mountain.

Escape to a high-alpine hideaway.

Soak in simmering springs.

Retreat into a watery labyrinth.

Tag two tough fourteeners.

Explore the Rockies' sharpest peaks.

Splash in swimming holes.

Four days on New England's idyllic waterways. Is it enough to win a father's blessing for his daughter's new life?

In our September 2013 issue we polled our experts on their favorite views in the U.S. What are your favorite views in each state?

Keep up with your buddies on the trail, backpack on the cheap, keep pesky bugs out of your tent, and stay on track with your weight loss goals without bonking mid-trip.

No knife? No rope? No problem. For our great-great-great-great-great-great grandfathers, every day was a survival epic, and they fashioned simple blades and cordage from raw wilderness. With a bit of practice, so can you.

Dirty water clogs filters, hampers UV purification, and makes chemicaltreatments less effective. Find a better water source or clean what you have.

Two kayakers survive a howling inferno by clinging to their crafts in the middle of a frigid lake-and then hypothermia threatens.

Discover secret campsites and total solitude with this expert guide to safely navigating untracked wilderness.

Your region's go now guide: Find wild horses near D.C., spot 8 waterfalls on a family-friendly loop, view the "Niagara of the South" in Kentucky, and more.

Trace a West Virginia ridgeline in the Alleghenies, show your family eight waterfalls on one Pennsylvania hike, check out a rare moonbow in Kentucky, and go on nine more adventures.

Climb sandstone outcroppings and spot raptors on this wildlife-packed ridgeline.

Your region's go now guide: HIke with your kids in Missouri, watch the endangered whooping crane in Wisconsin, and more.

Trek along the country's first national river in Arkansas, find solitude in Michigan's Trap Hills, watch whooping crane chicks learn to fly outside Madison, WI, and plan for nine more summer trips.