After four decades of running outdoor adventure trips and educational courses, REI is eliminating more than 400 jobs to focus on its core retail business, the company’s CEO said on Wednesday.
At 1,454 miles long, the Buckeye Trail is a grand tour of Ohio—and the government is considering adding it to the National Trails System.
The EXPLORE Act aims to address the housing crisis in gateway communities, increase outdoor access for veterans, kids, and marginalized groups, develop more long-distance bike trails, and about a dozen other issues
Timed-entry reservations are back. Our national parks columnist reveals how to get into these popular parks.
Couldn't get the PCT permit you were banking on? You still have options. From prepping for a fast-paced hike to skipping the Sierra to waiting for cancellations, here's what you can do.
Across Oregon, trail users and land managers are putting a focus on accessibility. They're blazing a trail for wheelchair hikers everywhere.
State officials say they're worried about bison passing on disease to cattle outside the park—but wildlife managers say it's never happened before.
Get your fill of “Awe and then Some”
Peakbagging not your thing? These hiking lists offer plenty of goals for the new year.
Here’s to a new year of adventure. Fill your 2025 calendar with day trips and thru-hikes to summit peaks, remote forests, and urban escapes with our picks for the best destinations of the year.
From dropping egos to taking a first-ever overnight trip, experienced hikers share their hopes and dreams for the new year ahead.
Hoarding gear, hiding our injuries, and packing way, way too much candy: These are the bad habits we have no intention of losing this year.
Need a hiking resolution for 2025? Pick one of these lists.
From an old-school hot toddy to a boozy take on the PSL, these perfect hot drinks from the Backpacker archives are ready to ring in the new year with you at your backcountry shindig.
From unforgettable dayhikes to crowd-free international treks, these were the best trips we wrote about this year.
From making your own shoes to making miles, these are our favorite skills stories that appeared in Backpacker in 2024.
Check out Adam Roy's author page.
From Alpha to Octa, we compare four of the best featherweight fleeces.
From exclusive interviews to heartwarming adventure tales, here are the most popular features we published this year.
From extreme ultralight tactics to the fate of a decades-old, Instagram-famous trail, these were the biggest controversies we wrote about this year.
From a spin around a local trail to a hike toward a Wonder of the World, these were our editors' favorite treks this year.
Most thru-hike attempts end short of the finish line. If that’s you, deciding what to do next is a tough question.
Your gear puts up with a lot of abuse on the trail. Here’s how to minimize the impact to make it last longer.
Last month, two Las Vegas hikers tackled 11,916-foot Mt. Charleston via the 16-mile South Loop Trail, one of them in a pair of Crocs. It went fine—until the snow began to fall.
Made the butt of jokes and relegated to the discount aisle post-holiday, fruitcake may be the most disrespected confection of the Christmas season. But backpackers in the know understand this treat’s true power.
From a headlamp to a pint-size Nalgene to a combo bandana/pack towel, these affordable last-minute holiday gifts are here to save the day.
A retired Bureau of Land Management employee may well be the most-published outdoor photographer working today, with his jaw-dropping landscapes showing up everywhere from the New York Times to Patagonia ads. The kicker? Photography wasn’t even in his job description.
The 36.5-mile one-way hike lets you enjoy the park in near-complete solitude.
Fires, floods, and other extreme weather events are increasingly part of life on America's long trails. What should you do when they strike?
See the usual sights in a completely new way on these wintertime national park hikes, via foot, ski, or guided snowmobile.
Massive celebration of outdoor culture returns to Denver with an all-star musical lineup, a bigger footprint, and an energetic mix of speakers, gear, films, food, and fun.
Oversized and decidedly uncool, the poncho is still one of my top choices for rainy hikes.
Trail conditions on Mount Charleston’s South Loop Trail have led to a number of falls and serious injuries from hikers who Las Vegas police described as unprepared.
Eight years after the White House slashed its size by more than 85%, the recently-restored Bears Ears National Monument may be back on the chopping block—and legal experts say the entire national monument system could be in jeopardy alongside it.
The most dominant group in hiking history is fading to gray. But they’re not disappearing just yet.
No need to freeze until spring. These trails will keep you warm all winter long.
Our team of testers waded through feet of snow and battled sub-freezing temps to find the best snowshoes for every terrain, skill level, and price.
A solo hiker was wandering around Summersville Lake when he became trapped in thick mud.
Take your holiday celebrations outside this year with this gear, from a set of solar-powered string lights to a fire pit that fits on your pack.
Deep in the arctic tundra, our writer gets a lesson in what it means to go truly off-grid.
As a child, Soren West dreamed of hiking the AT. Sixty three years later, he and his golden retriever made it a reality.
From shelters to packs to gadgets, these 50 pieces of gear helped us go further, see more, and have more fun last year.
After her trail runners caused excruciating blisters, one would-be thru-hiker ditched them for sandals. It was a decision that would have serious consequences.
AT thru-hikers today are more likely to finish the trail and less likely to get their food stolen by a bear—and more than ever before are coming from outside of the United States.
It’s featherweight, but is it durable? We tested all summer to find out.
These duds have the insulation, waterproofing, and support to keep you on-trail through the cold season.
The rigors of the trail will tell you a lot about people—and tell them a lot about you. From new friends to new spouses, this is how hiking shapes our relationships.
Could your worst miles create your best memories? After a hike on a rocky Pennsylvania segment of the Appalachian Trail, our editor ponders.
After two near-misses in the mountains north of Vancouver, a search and rescue team is urging hikers to research routes they find online more carefully.
An autumnal section hike of the 4,800-mile North Country Trail brought our writer closer to his ancestry, his home state, and himself. Here's how to hike it yourself.
In the Darién Gap, cheap boots from Colombia are tools for survival, not recreation. After a reporting trip to the notorious migration route, backpacker and journalist James Stout reflects on what it means when hiking is a path to a better life.
Leukotape changed the way one longtime backpacker deals with blisters.
We tested dozens of pads in an effort to find the very best on the market, ideal for everything from mild winters to the world’s most extreme climates.
With a touchscreen, built-in flashlight, breadcrumb feature, and unbelievable battery life, the Garmin fenix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar Edition has the chops to handle the roughest backcountry navigation.
From our favorite meals to essential kitchen tools, these are the presents your culinary-minded giftee wants most.
Two months after Hurricane Helene, miles of storm-impacted trail, including a stretch of the Appalachian Trail, have begun welcoming hikers back. Others remain closed until further notice.
Some newfangled hiking pants feature an extended zipper that allows users to squat and pee without undressing. While some hikers love them, others are set in their urination ways.
The xTx trail will cover 1,500 miles in the Lone Star State.
Gore-Tex is going PFAS-free. Does its waterproof tech still perform?
From an all-time favorite tent to a lightweight backpack that can handle a serious load, this editor-approved gear is on sale for at least 50%—and up to 70%—off today.
Transform leftovers into a protein-packed trail snack.
You’ll thank yourself once backpacking season rolls back around.
A super-light sleeping pad, a weight-saving gadget, and an editor-approved quilt are all on sale at a discount right now.
In the ’70s, Ray Jardine changed rock climbing forever when he invented Friends. In the ’90s, he teamed up with his wife Jenny to do the same for backpacking, kickstarting the ultralight movement with their innovative gear designs. In a rare interview, they explain why they left the industry they helped create.
An ultra-warm winter boot, a "heavenly" deck of cards, and a running vest that's up for anything: This is the gear that kept us moving this month.
A pair of Massachusetts hikers were prepared for winter conditions in the Whites until they fell into Lincoln Brook, while a local took a fatal fall despite wearing microspikes.
November is the prime hiking season on these trails. Here are four hikes to spend your holiday weekend in complete bliss.
Check out Adam Roy's author page.
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy just purchased a parcel of land to permanently protect a small region south of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
The featherweight Gossamer Gear LT5s are on sale right now.
More and more manufacturers are transitioning to “forever chemical”-free water-repellent treatments on their shells.” But while those new outer layers are better for the environment and human health, they need to be washed twice as often to keep them performing at their peak.
From a $30 titanium pot to a $1,300, sub-6-pound raft, this is what’s on our editors’ wishlists this holiday season.
More than 80 firefighters and emergency personnel are currently working on the Butternut Fire in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
Our top picks will help you sleep soundly, whether you're in the Southwest, or on an Alaskan expedition.
In a park where black bear sightings were rare, Zion visitors saw more bears in 2024, specifically between May and June.
The X-Mid trekking pole tent and other groundbreaking ultralight designs have earned Durston an unmatched fanbase, with a 14,000-person Facebook group and in-jokes about stickers and sage at the center of it. M. John Fayhee dives into lightweight backpacking's most devoted "cult."
A friend to the thousands of hikers he fed, the late Ed Faubert helped Cheryl Strayed during the journey she chronicled in "Wild," and earned a place in PCT history along the way.
Stock up on your next tent, sleeping bag, and more this holiday season—without breaking the bank.
You only need three pieces of gear to prep your muscles for springtime peaks.
The North Dakota governor has promoted outdoor recreation in his state. Opponents worry about his connection to the oil and gas industry.