Michael Lanza

Got a few days off, a pair of healthy feet, and a pain threshold higher than Dean Karnazes? You can (possibly) blaze the length of America's Most Beautiful Trail

When it started pouring, good rain gear and a great sense of humor brought this trip to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Guarantee yourself a great adventure– every time–by adopting these proven routines for planning and pulling off the perfect trip.

Bubbling hot springs, steaming geysers, and kaleidoscopic lava flows: If the world feels freshly made here, it's because, in a sense, it is.

The Appalachian Trail is the adventure of a lifetime. Make it yours with our ultimate guide to the country's most famous footpath and the prep, gear, and knowledge you'll need to go the distance.

The perfect dozen: Embark on one of these 12 treks, and turn America's most iconic preserves into your own private paradise.

Can there be too much of a good thing? For backpackers who like a challenge as big as the reward, New Zealand’s Dusky Track tests the limits.

For backpackers, there’s nothing better in the entire park system. How much of it can one hiker see in a week?

You want your kiddos to enjoy the outdoors – camping, hiking, biking, etc. – as much as you do. Northwest editor Michael Lanzas has 10 tips on how to accomplish that – and have fun along the way.

Norway's Jotunheimen National Park bristles with glacier-clad peaks amid northern Europe's highest mountains, but a five-star hut system makes it a place you can bring your kids. And mom.

Discover Glacier's historic lodging.

Hike our quieter insider's variation on this classic route.

Discover your own private Rockies paradise.

Go high and wild in Europe's other Alps.

Claim an eagle's roost above Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Why should a backpacker want anything other than a tent? Michael Lanza can think of five good reasons.

Explore a new shelter system with old-school wild.

Dine lavishly in the homeland of huts.

Score iconic Kiwi scenery without lining up.

Explore the best of Yoho National Park.

Hike Yosemite's granite-rimmed loop.

Climb to a view over all of the Dolomites.

Carry a small pack, eat like a king, and get the best sleep of your life on the world's top11 hut treks.

Norway's Jotunheimen National Park bristles with glacier-clad peaks amid northern Europe's highest mountains, but a five-star hut system makes it a place you can bring your kids. And mom.

Take a grand tour of the Tetons on a six-day trek past pinnacled peaks, wildflower meadows, and secluded lakes.

Our map scouts scaled 13,000-foot peaks, trekked to hidden lakes, and explored glacier-carved canyons to bring you our 21 favorite routes in America's most vertiginous range.

The following is adapted from Northwest editor Michael Lanzas new book, Before Theyre Gone: A Familys Year-Long Quest to Explore Americas Most Endangered National Parks ($24.95, beacon.org, TheBigOutside.com).

Empty White Mountain summits. Tourist-free Yellowstone geysers. Rarely hiked Yosemite ridges. Rangers, guidebook writers, outfitters, and ultra-hikers dish their favorite routes for the first time.

Park your tent in one of these 10 spots, and you'll be happy in the morning. Guaranteed.

Hiker heaven, redefined, is a month-long hike/paddle/camp in Adventureland.

Hiker heaven, redefined, is a month-long hike/paddle/camp in Adventureland.

Discover surprising solitude and endless vistas on an easy-access multiday trip between rim and river.

On a climb from the Hoh River's silty riffles to high-country glacier views, pass through a moss-hung rainforest that might be the lushest place in America.

Learn how to ride rapids, and you'll open up a new way to explore the outdoors.

This remote chasm boasts big views, craggy mountains, abundant wildlife, and staggering solitude.

Hit Idaho's Owyhee River just right, and you get one of the West's best paddles to yourself.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

The only thing better than enjoying the life-list scenery in the country's premier national parks? Getting that same scenery, minus the crowds. Find it in these 10 backcountry hotspots, along with no-hassle permits, choice campsites aplenty, and solitude to match the world-class terrain.

Have rocky ridges and sparkling alpine lakes all to yourself.

What makes a backpacker a backpacker? It's not the garage full of gear or piles of guidebooks--it's the experiences, from thru-hiking a long trail to pushing your personal envelope to inspiring a child's love of wilderness. Here we present BACKPACKER's ne

Experience the thrill of being a pioneer: Trek to a remote corner of the globe.

The roof of the world is open to everyone, and your personal Mt. Everest is waiting.

Coming face to face with the biggest predator in North America might just alter your worldview.

Stand alone atop Washington's Glacier Peak--a summit that others rarely see, let alone climb.

Walking a high ridge with countless views and no people is the stuff of dreams. Make it real in Olympic National Park's Bailey Range.

See a week's worth of scenery in 24 hours, and redefine your idea of what's possible.

The only thing equal to a life-list trip? An image that brings it back to life.

World-class scenery, luxe camping, and easy paddling await your family on the Green River in Canyonlands. Your kids will remember this forever.

Get a taste of the vertical alpine world--no experience required.

A lifetime of weekend trips is like trying to live on appetizers. Get real sustenance with a two-week trek through the best of the Sierras on California's John Muir Trail.

Get in your best hiking shape with trail running. It strengthens the right muscles, builds cardio fitness, and can be done all year–better yet, it hardly costs a dime.

What crowds? Lose yourself in the Lamar Valley on this weeklong hike.

The last lonely stretch of the AT beckons from the mountains of western Maine.

Score wildlife sightings daily, choice views hourly--and at least one juicy burger--on this weeklong circuit.

Explore a granite wonderland, cross two little-used passes, and score High Sierra solitude on this point-to-point hike.

Pack an extra memory card for what is, mile-for-mile, the most photogenic hike in the Southwest.

Dive into the heart of the Lower 48's wildest park.

Ever dreamed of exploring another planet? Hike here.

Trek to shoreline campsites through woodlands rife with moose and birds.

Walk from lush rainforest to wide-open glacier views on this 43-mile sneak route.

Surprise: This park's busy corridor trails offer a fast track to a private slice of heaven.

Climb from sublime desert to pine forests and peaks with 100-mile views.

Rise above the crowds and earn solo views of elk, wildflowers, and summit sunsets.