Morgan McFall-Johnsen

Dotted, dashed, and curvy. Red, blue, and brown. All these colors and styles criss-cross a topo map. Here's what they mean.

Make like a goat and hoof it to the trail: just a hop, skip, and a jump from D.C.

It's one of the classic day hikes of the United States—and with views like this, it's easy to see why.

Just half an hour north of Austin, a constellation of parks clings to the edge of a chain of clear blue lakes. At night, turn your eyes from the Hill Country’s quiet forests to the dark skies above for a stellar show. You’re far from the city now.

In October 2018, Rob Lundgren, 66, woke from a dream to find himself in a nightmare—lost in Idaho’s Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness

The Ironwood Forest is a true redemption story. Home to arroyos, plains, foothills, and mountains, the monument’s coarse and well-aerated soil allows roots to dig deep. The result: The world’s densest stands of ironwoods, low-growing shrubby trees that enrich the earth, enable the Ironwood Forest’s species diversity, and burst with purple-pink flowers in late spring.

You don’t need us to sell you on this park’s glacier-gouged peaks, kaleidoscopic wildflower displays, and A-list megafauna. But secret trails and tips? We got those.

Glory in Arizona's red rock country on these perfect Sedona hikes.

Out of every 100 people who attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, 73 will give up. Beat the odds—and save your budget—by following these rules from a gear shop owner who sees thousands of hikers every season.

For George Brown, 68, a morning trail run in August 2018 became more than 40 hours stranded in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness with a broken leg.

Experience Mount Washington from bottom to top via one of the northeast’s most iconic trails on this 7.8-mile round trip.

The loop around Lake Tahoe is a classic adventure—and one of the best moderate long trails in the world. Tackle it with our guide.

And why you should keep hiking them

Hundreds of millions of people visit the national parks every year. Lucky for backpackers, you just have to know where  they go to avoid them.

There’s more to this Hawaiian island than its most famous trail—and with Na Pali Coast State Park closed indefinitely, there’s never been a better time to sample the best hikes Kaua’i has to offer.

A year-old organization seeks to give some of NYC's most underprivileged girls a way to experience the wild.

Just don't do it.

Scouts BSA will begin to accept girls in 2019.

Reap the rewards without rubbing elbows.