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Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Connecticut.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Iowa.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Alaska.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Alabama.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Kentucky.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Idaho.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in America.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Nebraska.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Montana.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Missouri.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Mississippi.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Michigan.

The Land of 10,000 Lakes has just as many beautiful trails to explore. Here are our three favorites, from anything to an overnighter to a thru-hike.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Texas.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Massachusetts.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Virginia.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Vermont.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in New Jersey.

Say hello to North America's newest long trail.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Tennessee.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Maryland.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in New Hampshire.

Follow this BACKPACKER reader's tip to get the most out of your candles on the trail.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Pennsylvania.

How America's tragedy affected one New Jersey hiker.

Camping with kids can plant a wild seed in them that will grow as they do-but only if you get them Out There.

Here's a handy tip to avoid wildfires in the backcountry.

Getting a good night's sleep on the trail is easier said than done. Our experts show you how to get your 20 winks.

Feeling pooped at the end of the day? Try these relaxation and breathing techniques to put more pep in your step.

The simple act of hand-washing is essential in preventing disease and can't be forgotten in the backcountry.

When water is scarce, minimize the amount your body expends.

Twenty years of hard work near Tahoe yields a 150-mile path so high, you'll breathe "angel air."

Hike a rugged, historically rich trail for 21 miles along a nearly deserted island off British Columbia's coast.

The short list of what works and what doesn't.

Hike to the edge of the Cascade Range in this forgotten corner of the Washington wilderness.

If disaster leaves you deep in the backcountry without any means to disinfect drinking water, what do you do? Follow these methods to stay hydrated without getting sick.

Camping without stove or fire gains you freedom, flexibility, simplicity, and compactness, and sometimes a lighter load.

How can we conserve South Dakota's Badlands?

You won't have a lot of company in North Dakota's badlands, which is why hiking the Maah Daah Hey Trail is so good.

Head to the White Cloud Mountains for a crowd-free taste of Idaho high country.

Thanks to the Cutler Coast Public Reserve, Maine's rocky, wild coastline is now open to backpackers who like solitude as much as scenery.

Nuggets of knowledge from those who have brought their youngsters into the backcountry.

Hear wild horses thunder through camp. Look for wolf tracks in the mud or eagles' nests in the cliffs high above. Cast off the workaday world and go hike an island paradise.

When you're deep in the wilds, a bedraggled stranger wandering into camp triggers a moral dilemma: Offer him dinner or run for the hills?

They may look sweet and innocent, but blooming plants are the floral world's version of a hot 'n' steamy orgy.

Follow the hummingbirds in the Mt. Naomi Wilderness to the best high-country wildflower show in all of Utah.

Should secret wildernesses be revealed? Utah's Anasazi artifact hotbed Cedar Mesa begs the question.

Boy Scouts are at the forefront of teaching Leave No Trace ethics.

Here's how to Leave No Trace when you dump water in camp.

If water's in short supply where you're headed, know the secrets of dry camping.

Feeling people-shy? Follow Wisconsin's wolves to this lonely section of the Ice Age Trail.

Sniff the rhododendrons and enjoy hiking the Valley Rim Trail in North Carolina's Valley River Mountains.

If overpowering stillness is your thing, try the old-growth forests in Oregon's Bull of the Woods Wilderness.

How light can you go? Six friends face off to determine whether carrying less gear makes you half as macho, or twice as smart.

Forgot a sponge? No worries -- clean your camp with these everyday wilderness substitutes.

How can you tell if your representative supports national parks?

While hiking light may seem like a new trail trend, nearly 20 years ago, many outdoor manufacturers were beating the ultralight drum.

How many miles of trail or acres of wilderness will we sacrifice for a tank of gas? Here's a look at eight threatened wildernesses and what you can do to stop the drilling.

Experiencing a sore butt on the trail? Try these healing tips.

How to deal with and treat those bloodsucking leeches.

Prescription drugs you should carry on the trail.

For years, hikers have dreamed of trekking in Baca Ranch's untouched, wildlife-thick backcountry. You'll soon get your chance.

Our guide to spotting wolves on Michigan's Isle Royale.

When bushwacking a trail, go high altitude and stay there.

Your answers could mean the difference between a nice, quiet hike and one you share with ORVers.

Just to be safe, keep that compass handy.

Follow these six route-finding tips, and stay found.

Use these navigational tricks, gleaned from champion orienteers and U.S. Army's Special Forces, to stay on track.

How one perpetually disoriented hiker found her bearings, thanks to some backwoods navigation pros.

Washington's Elwha Trail is a rain-forest classic: green, primeval, spongy soft, and wonderfully wet.

Hike into the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and you'll enjoy Colorado's best summer school.