News and Events

Don't worry: The bear is fine.

Secretary of the Interior recommends cutting down preserve, focusing on archeological sites over recreation in report.

The adorable little predators can eat 100 prairie dogs per year—but plague and rodent control almost pushed them into extinction.

Search for alligators, see a play on the trail, or visit a pictograph on these unique treks.

We hope no one went to prom with this clown.

Rescued after trying to hike 9,301-foot peak in shorts and tank top during snowstorm.

Dream the Possibilities

Sign up for a chance to win a Helinox Chair Zero; the lightest, most packable four-legged camp chair available.

When the owner of the Mount Washington Cog Railway announced plans to build a hotel near the summit of the Northeast’s highest peak, local hiking groups went to war.

Master map-reading, compass use and more with our Backcountry Navigation online course.

The comment period for the Department of the Interior's review of Bears Ears and other national monuments is open—and the result could change America's public lands in a big way.

For outdoor adventures and intrigue

Oboz Footwer has put together the Ultimate Adventure Package to give you the freedom to go wherever your feet can take you.

Executive order could be first step to undoing protections for Bears Ears, other sites.

The Five Most Innovative Advancements In Sports Optics Packed Into One Lens.

Enter here for your chance to win a crazylight Copper Spur 2 Platinum tent.

Mexican gray wolves and other rare wildlife depend on a porous border for their long-term survival. Your dreams of seeing them may too.

California's monster blizzards were good news for skiers—but thru-hikers will need to be on their toes.

Get in free, and then enjoy one of these awesome programs.

Win the perfect outdoor sleep system with Sea to Summit’s “Wake up Inspired” sweepstakes! Enter to win an AWESOME Trek I Sleeping Bag, Comfort Light Self-Inflating Sleeping Mat, and Aeros Ultralight Pillow!

When the sun goes down, the real adventure begins. Enter to win one of 12 PETZL HYBRID HEADLAMP KITS to light up your #PetzlNightLife.

Hey Dreamer - share a picture of you and your buddies on your dream trip for a chance to win a Gregory Paragon 58 or Maven 55, for you and a friend.

There is no better feeling than getting off the trail and realizing you are already home.

Park service offering $1,000 reward for help finding culprits

As attorney general of Oklahoma, Scott Pruitt sued the EPA over its rules. Now he’s in charge of the agency, and America’s national parks will likely have smoggier views and dirtier rivers to show for it.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline would run along the Appalachian Trail for almost 100 miles. Trail advocates say it’s a disaster in the making.

At Glacier and other national parks, tourist flights are drowning out the silence that some hikers look for. A 17-year-old law could change that—if it weren’t trapped in a bureaucratic spat.

The new Secretary of the Interior says he'll never sell America's public lands—but his record on wilderness, drilling, and "local control" has many advocates worried.

Authorities are investigating who hid 60 spikes in a North Carolina park.

A trio of riders in Colorado saw their day go from bad to worse when they survived a slide only to be charged by a moose.

Announces move after contentious call with Governor Gary Herbert

Patagonia and other companies quit a tradeshow in the state in protest of Utah's public land policies. But REI and others say they won't go.

Won't return to country's largest outdoor trade show.

A recently introduced bill would strip gray wolves of federal protection in four states. What comes next depends on who you ask.

In Instagram post, sponsor Jason Chaffetz says he'll withdraw bill.

Join Backpacker’s Get Out More all star ambassador Randy Propster for an engaging 75-minute seminar full of trail tested tips, regional trip advice and outdoor gear.

Join Backpacker’s Get Out More all star ambassador Randy Propster for an engaging 75-minute seminar full of trail tested tips, regional trip advice and outdoor gear.

Looking for proof of climate change? Just head up to America’s largest state, where park managers, scientists, and climbers say they’re already dealing with the effects of a warming Earth.

Animal appears to have been searching for food in deep snow.

A new class of autonomous aircraft could make wilderness search and rescue easier and cheaper than ever before.

Usually, the NPS stays out of the political crossfire. Not this week.

Have an adventure with a Backpacker editor, and make the world a better place.

Some were big. Some were little. A few were celebrities. Meet the furry attendees of the outdoor industry's biggest tradeshow.

Check out lara's author page.

Giant sequoia falls in storm.

In September, we gathered backpackers from around the country for the best hiking party the country had ever seen. And in 2017, we're doing it again.

Protects 1.65 million acres, including Native American archeological and sacred sites.

They say you can learn something by walking in another man’s boots. On the Appalachian Trail last summer, hikers learned what happens when you carry them.

For almost three decades, George “Billy Goat” Woodard has hiked roughly 150 days per year. Where will his journey take him next?

Gross proceeds from stores and site to go to grassroots environmental groups

Suit up for winter with our semiannual gear guide.

Hiker meets former presidential nominee in New York woods.

480 Otis scores a comeback win.

President Obama is creating national monuments at an unprecedented rate. Will that be enough to save America's last best places?

For nine days in 1939, the search for a nine-year-old New York boy captivated America.

Learn to secure your tent, take your cat on a hike, or survive with just a rock in our October issue.

Betters Scott Jurek's supported mark by 10 hours

New research—and an ancient Buddhist ritual—suggest that we could be making better use of our trail time.

Take in great views and backpack lighter than ever in our September 2016 issue.

Controversial new unit established on eve of NPS's 100th birthday.

Animal euthanized after attempts to keep it away from trail fail

Workers got August 11 off for first-ever Mountain Day.

It’s not all sunsets and s’mores. If the parks are going to last another century, we need to renew our effort to protect and preserve them. From garbage to global warming, here are the challenges—and solutions—ahead.

Join the Get Out More Tour. 48 states, 45 outdoor retailers, 5 on-the-trail adventures, and 5 outdoor festivals. April through October!

Athlete to document trek on Facebook Live, website.

Stacey Kozel tackles the east's premiere long trail with an electric assist.

The attributes that define a good ranger haven’t changed since the corps was established more than 100 years ago.

Celebrate 100 years of "America's best idea" with our commemorative National Park Service Centennial issue

Mother was fifth bear killed by a car in the park this year.

Five Native American tribes band together to protect ancestral lands in southern Utah.

Park visitors should better represent our country's population. Four experts weigh in on how we can break down the barriers.

But agency asks players to keep game out of memorials.

Should the national parks be turned over to state management? Former Senator Mark Udall and Representative Rob Bishop sound off.

A Cannes-winning film takes on the good and the bad of life off the grid.

Betty Reid Soskin, 94, was attacked in her home last week.

New Americans take their oaths amid the national treasure.

Are houses within national parks a dream or a nightmare?

The national parks are for everyone—but that doesn’t mean that anything goes. Play fast and loose with the rules, and you could find yourself on the outside looking in.

Park receives similar mail about twice a year.

The centuries-old petroglyphs date back to the island's earliest inhabitants.