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Life in the high desert in autumn is sweeter and more irresistible than any place on Earth.

The lunarlike landscape and dark skies of this preserve make White Sands one of the best places for star watching.

"October is the month for painted leaves," Thoreau mused. He could have been talking about Kentucky's Red River Gorge.

Eyeball to beak with impressively taloned hawks in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest.

hen it comes to sheer ability to alter a landscape and shock the human senses, you can't beat the May blooms of a mountain laurel thicket.

The blaze of fall color in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is unequaled.

No color in nature comes close to matching the heart-stirring golden aspen found in the Rockies in autumn.

The majestic San Juan Mountain range is often called America's Switzerland. -- and the wildflowers match.

Observe the uncanny resemblance between the good doctor's famous Truffula Trees and a field of fuzz-topped flowers 5 miles up Long Canyon.

The bawling in the black night is the spring chorus of hooting barred owls.

A chaotic chorus of loon calls penetrate the darkness, the warbling sounds echoing off the wooded hills around the New Hampshire lake.

In winter, the glasslike menagerie of icicles in the Cumberland Plateau will send a chill down your spine.

In Whites Creek Cave you can explore in nature's own cooling system, and observe its grateful inhabitants.

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.

The ungodly wailing that sometimes drifts through the dark woods is only an animal.

Even if you don't see a moose, you'll hear the bulls' low grunts echoing off the hillside.

Enjoy Vermont's autumn colors while you can -- they disappear all too quickly, and the Green Mountains recover their namesake hue in the spring.

Maine's seal pups are usually born in May, making early summer an ideal time to witness the youngsters learning to swim and fish.

Pennsylvania: You'll get wet and you may even stand in line behind a black bear or two.

When hiking on Virginia's high, exposed heath balds in late summer, leave gorp and other snacks at home.

Consider trying to spot a red-cockaded wood-pecker in Florida's Big Cypress Preserve a form of treasure hunting.

North Dakota: America's own Serengeti.

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.

Montana: The Pryor Mountains harbor the nation's last free-roaming wild mustangs, not to mention wilderness that is as wild as the horses.

Pine Mountain and Wilson Ridge command high-country vistas stretching across rock-strewn meadows.

As autumn closes in on the larches, the green bleeds out of their needles, leaving a towering spire of gold.

Arkansas Buffalo National River features challenging trails and a river-laced wilderness.

Whether it's old and dirty or fresh off the store shelf, your first-aid kit should be able to handle any emergency.

The wind can save you from bugs or drive you mad. Here's how to enjoy the benefits and avoid the downside of a good stiff breeze.

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.

Guy Waterman died near the summit of Mount Lafayette, a peak in the White Mountains in northern New Hampshire, on February 6.

Besides being home to a mythical reptile, Colorado's Lizard Head Wilderness is the site of some great hiking.

When the footpath is named the Backpack Trail, you know what to do.

Steens looks like your average mountain, but hike up high and you'll find a hidden paradise.

The little-known Cheaha Wilderness Area is the gateway to Alabama's largest trail system.

Learn what the white stuff means.

Use these tools if you're hankering to learn the secret of snow.

Finish foot fungus fast -- and naturally.

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbit knows he can't please everyone. So rather than try, he spends his time righting environmental wrongs and preserving wildlands.

If you think west Texas is nothing but tumbleweeds and cattle, you haven't walked 62 miles across one of the world's most famous geological formations.

Okay, so the weather stinks and so does the hiking. Change both by heading down the road to where the sun shines and the trail beckons.

In the European high-country Alps you can wander through the most stunning mountains in the world. Vive la difference!

Scientists now believe that the navigationally challenged can retrain their brains.

Winter activities demand more of your body's energy.

When the ground is frozen or 3 feet under snow, use these backcountry bathroom techniques.

That's essentially what the outdoors is, so use those cold temps to carry tasty foods that wouldn't stand a chance in summer.

Trail goers can experience a whole new world by hiking Virginia's newly renovated Lion's Tale Trail.

Protester celebrates victory in a two-year battle to save a giant redwood by coming back to earth.

When hiking California's Fish Valley, don't forget to pack your Richter scale.

Let the masses shop till they drop: On Arkansas's Ouachita River the pace is slow and easy.

Cold can harm in subtle and quick ways, so it pays to be prepared.

Know what to look for and you can simply pick one up off the ground.

Like shimmering rainbows in the night, the northern lights electrify the sky with color.

In mountains most hikers don't even know exist, the 150-mile Cohos Trail just waiting to carry you far from the crowds and on to Canada.

Combine white sand beaches and gin-clear water with snow-free highland hiking, and you've got Baja, the perfect midwinter escape.

There's a reason why your field guide doesn't list some flowers: they're not supposed to be there.

Or anything else, for that matter, once you use this easy-to-make stove platform.

Think tofu isn't suited for the backcountry? Think again. Whether it's scrambled, baked, or dehydrated, there's little this veggie protein can't do.

A personal perspective on healing back, joint and other body pains.

NOLS founder Paul Petzoldt fought for wilderness his whole life.

Appalachian Trail (AT) advocate Edward Garvey, 84, recently died of congestive heart failure at Arlington Hospital in Virginia.

After hours of searching through ice chunks and piles of snow on Shishapangma Mountain, searchers have called off an avalanche rescue mission to find American climbers Alex Lowe and Dave Bridges.

If rock hopping or log crossing triggers panic, maybe you need to fine-tune your balancing act.

If you've had a knee injury, follow these exercises before you hit the trail again.

Shaky on logs or rocks? Try these exercises to steady your feet.

If you think autumn is simply a time to rake leaves, then you need to read our guide to the best of the fall season.

Twelve trails that'll chew you up, spit you out, and have you begging for more.