News and Events

This strip mine puts one of the world's largest freshwater ecosystems at risk.

For the first time since being hunted to extinction in the twentieth century, wild fishers are reproducing in Washington's Cascades.

Record fires ripped through the western U.S. in summer 2020. Could we be in for a repeat?

The state laid criminal charges against two snowboarders for causing an avalanche that destroyed an expensive avalanche mitigation system. The parties have reached a plea agreement—but is the damage already done?

Firefighters are still monitoring the East Mountain Fire, which is the state’s biggest since 1999.

An overnight effort by first-responders brought every member of the party down safely.

After a pandemic pause, AT hikers will be able to register their thru-hikes again starting this week.

Utahraptor State Park is home to Utah’s official state dinosaur—as well as a World War II site with an ugly history.

Covid and the resulting surge of new outdoor enthusiasts has led some of the country’s most popular destinations to require advance reservations.

Washington man facing federal misdemeanor charges after allegedly organizing gigantic group hike.

Crews discovered a giant sequoia still smoking in a burned-over area.

After a fire destroyed the Montezuma Valley Market, hikers are rallying to help the owners rebuild.

Wildlife officials are investigating after the death of a 39-year-old woman in Durango.

If passed, S. 1211 will allow the state to hire private contractors to hunt its 1,500 wolves down to just 150.

A new survey from the Outdoor Industry Association shows that newcomers to the outdoors during the pandemic boom were younger, more female, and more racially diverse than in the past.

Bureau of Land Management offering $10,000 reward for information on culprits.

James Jordan will be be confined indefinitely at a psychiatric facility.

The musician spills on shooting in Death Valley and his new National Geographic collaboration ahead of his Earth Day concert with Backpacker.

Investigators shot and killed the bear after it charged.

The popular California park will soon require reservations for day use—and it expects them to go quickly.

Exercise may not be enough to make up for thru-hikers’ bad diets, a new paper suggests.

Career conservationist Tracy Stone-Manning will be nominated as the next director of the Bureau of Land Management.

The company’s push to extend its clothing’s lifespan may be the final nail in the coffin for Wall Street’s unofficial uniform

With the Biden administration mulling whether to restore Bears Ears to its original size, we dive into the history of America's most controversial national monument.

At public libraries in Washington and Colorado, members can check out a state park pass—and even gear—for their next trip.

Josiah and Amanda Powell planned an intimate, friends-and-family wedding in the Colorado backcountry. Then 60 surprise guests showed up.

This year’s virtual event brought together women from throughout the industry.

Adirondack Mountain Reserve to begin limiting hikers on May 1.

The NPS will waive all entry fees to kick off its annual celebration of all things parks.

Reservations for the popular hike will open on April 1.

National park field institutes are important for Inclusivity and education, but many are ailing. Here’s what you can do to help.

For a growing number of hikers, goats are, well, the G.O.A.T. But not everyone is happy about it.

This month, we're asking Active Pass and Backpacker Pass members to weigh in the cover of our May/June 2021 issue.

When a National Guard helicopter hauled the famous Magic Bus off of Alaska’s Stampede Trail in 2020, it may have been the end of the vehicle's time as a destination for hikers. But a museum in Fairbanks is working to keep the story alive.

Will take up position after being approved in 51-40 vote.

To go or not to go? That’s been the question of the pandemic for thru-hikers. We asked some of the Pacific Crest Trail’s most beloved figures about their own plans.

With more than 15 events in professional and amateur categories, athletes can enter to win over $120K in prize money. It’s good entertainment, too.

Conservationists are ripping Wisconsin after the state blew past its target for its first wolf hunt since 2014.

Join on us March 5, at 3:30 p.m. MT for a conversation with Heather "Anish" Anderson about endurance, thru-hiking, and her new book "Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail."

The Forest Service withdrew its environmental impact statement for the controversial project on March 1—but the sacred site's reprieve could be temporary.

Our new sibling publication is essential clicking for anyone who wants a behind-the-scenes look at the outdoor industry.

With the Covid-19 pandemic closing parks and borders, U.S. national parks saw fewer visitors than they had since 1980.

REI’s ever-expanding ambitions have earned it plenty of fans—and critics—as it’s grown to dominate the outdoor industry. But many feel the retail giant has been made vulnerable by its own hubris. And now that the pandemic has rocked its fortunes, we’re faced with an uncomfortable question: What if the $3 billion co-op isn’t too big to fail?

After two days of pointed questioning, the U.S. representative from New Mexico looks all but certain to become the next Secretary of the Interior, and the first Native cabinet member in history.

Backpacker’s parent company acquires Outside magazine, Outside TV, Gaia GPS, athleteReg, and Peloton Magazine, boosting the depth and diversity of storytelling and services in our Active Pass membership.

Starting in May, you’ll need a permit to day-hike or backpack the Three Sisters, Mount Jefferson, and other popular zones in the Williamette and Deschutes National Forests.

Lucky turned up three days after authorities called off the ground search for Josh Hall.

Run by the St. Louis-based organization Black People Who Hike, the #OurStory series will air three times a week through Black History Month.

A spate of avalanche deaths across the Rockies is pushing the US towards one of its worst seasons in recent memory—and it’s mostly experienced skiers getting caught. What’s behind the spike?

National parks will require masks in visitor centers, busy trails, and overlooks, agency says.

In order to limit crowds and enforce social distancing, Zion will require riders on the park’s shuttle to reserve tickets.

Starting on February 8, Yosemite will cap visitor numbers by requiring day-use permits, and reservations for this year's annual spectacle are expected to sell out.

Fallen trees and heavy snow will keep Yosemite National Park shuttered until "at least" February 1.

Proclamation could be first step to restoring national monuments to their original sizes.

With Covid cases hitting all-time highs, the nonprofit is still urging thru-hikers to stay home.

After years of demonstrations and congressional battles, the sale of oil drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge finally went ahead on January 6—and almost no one bit.

A new initiative launching this week seeks to create a program to fund outdoor recreational and educational activities for underserved youth around the United States.

Fewer than 4 percent of people who apply for a permit to hike The Wave get one. A new rule change from the Bureau of Land Management would triple that number—but environmental groups warn it could come at the expense of the scenery itself.

The Pacific Crest Trail Association and Forest Service announced this week that they will issue permits for the 2021 season, but are still asking hikers to delay their trips if possible.

The New River Gorge became the United States’ 63rd national park with the passage of the year-end omnibus spending bill.

Outdoor recreation is getting a little more representation in government.

After years of slashed environmental regulations, the United States’ public lands need a friend—and hundreds of U.S. representatives, tribal leaders, and even celebrities think Rep. Deb Haaland could be it.

Despite some progress, the boom in single-use plastic and an influx of new hikers are testing anti-littering efforts. Can making cleanliness personal help solve our garbage problem?

After four years of Trump, U.S. environmental policymakers are about to get new marching orders. Are we in for a seismic shift, or just a course correction?

California's catastrophic wildfire season left some of the state's most vaunted hiking areas charred and impassible. With the climate changing and wildfires continuing to intensify, it may be a taste of what's to come.

Hit hard by coronavirus and historic wildfires, California needs visitors to ensure its state parks recover.

With the narrow passage of Proposition 114, Colorado is set to become the first state in US history to reintroduce wolves by voter action.

William Perry Pendley made a career out of fighting against the Bureau of Land Management before becoming its acting director and greenlighting mining and drilling plans on public lands across the west. Now, a federal court's decision that he served illegally could put those plans in danger.

Sign up for a KIND® Energy Bar sample and join us on November 17th for National Take A Hike Day.

A viral video of a mountain lion has inspired headlines about the cat "stalking" the runner who recorded it. But that's not what the clip shows.

At an estimated 1,400 pounds, 747 is one of the biggest bruins in Katmai National Park and Preserve—and he just won Fat Bear Week in a landslide.

After campers left garbage strewn across one of the Appalachian Trail's most popular sites, guides, educators, and social media influencers ponder how we can do better.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon closed earlier this week.

This season, the company hid a secret message on one of its products—and the internet just noticed.

The order comes after the National Guard rescued 207 campers from the Creek Fire.

National forests in five Colorado counties are closed due to extreme fire danger.

Local firefighters and search and rescue teams rescued the man in a nine-hour operation.

Neck gaiters have become popular DIY face coverings for runners and hikers. But researchers designing equipment for testing masks found some evidence that not only do common models not work as well as other options, there's even a chance they could be "counterproductive."

Victim flown to hospital after incident at crowded lake.

Bill would provide billions for deferred maintenance backlog, fully and permanently fund Land and Water Conservation Fund.