The Long Trail’s Home Forest Is Getting a Little Bigger
Green Mountain National Forest will acquire more than 2,000 acres to provide a buffer around the United States’ oldest continuously-used footpath.
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Green Mountain National Forest will acquire more than 2,000 acres to provide a buffer around the United States’ oldest continuously-used footpath.
When the memories of combat refused to fade, a former army medic found healing in thru-hiking.
The pain I experience while thru-hiking draws me back to the present and makes me more aware of my privilege
Everything changes—even the Pacific Crest Trail. One of the trail's early thru-hikers shares snapshots from his trip up the path in 1985
No one likes hiking in a crowd. Get all of the scenery and less of the lines with these alternatives to the big parks.
What happens when you feed 2,000 actual hikers' trail names into a neural network? We'll let you see for yourself.
There's more than gators and beaches here: Florida has one of the best all-season thru-hikes around.
Many of the skills involved with long hiking also lend themselves to going faster on trails.
Two thru-hikers find unexpected trail magic on one of America's lesser-known thru-hikes.
Through two breakups, career changes, and more, the Beaten Path has been a welcome constant—and a yardstick for just how much everything else has shifted.
The trails of Shenandoah National Park have it all, from mountain ridgelines to forested waterfalls to a whole range of thriving wildlife.
Plan your next big hike with this map of America's best long trails.
Take a long hike, and you’ll find yourself falling in with people decades older and younger than you. There’s good reason for that.
A writer with a few FKTs under her belt ponders whether or not speed enhances or detracts from the experience.
Getting ill on the trail happens, and it can be scary. Here's how to prevent sickness and ride it out when it happens.
If you're thinking of bringing a firearm on a long trail, there are a few things you need to be aware of first.
Check out Mary Beth “Mouse” Skylis's author page.
Legislation introduced by Representative Joe Neguse would seek finish the CDT by its 50th birthday.
Hint: The strategies may not be as obvious as they seem.
Buy, ship, or check hiker boxes and just hope for the best? Here's how to keep your stove running on your thru-hike.
Hikers can find good food and hospitality in the newly-designated AT Community.
What went wrong, and what we can all learn from the tragedy at the Yellow River Stone Forest 100K.
Hiking is for everyone—but as Kara Richardson Whitely, a.k.a. Mama Kubwa, discovered, not everyone has gotten the memo.
That scenic path you’re hiking didn’t spring up out of nowhere. We talked to trail designers to find out what goes into creating a hike.
When they wake up broke, broken, and far from home, how do thru-hikers find the will to go another mile?
It can't all be sunsets and bear encounters. Thru-hikers spend most of their time doing one thing: walking.
These beer-and-trail pairings are refreshing from the first step to the last sip.
In a remote corner of Montana, backpackers and wildlife advocates clash over the future of a bear population hanging on for dear life.
The craggy spines of the west Appalachians provide some of the most spectacular views in the range.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, hundreds of long-distance hikers paused their trips on the Appalachian Trail and headed home. Now, as states begin the process of reopening, the wisdom of getting back on the path is up for debate.
Best snack
"It is clear that anyone traveling the PCT and resupplying in communities along the trail represents a serious risk to others on the trail and people in those communities."
A North Carolina man's hike was cut tragically short on the way to the Appalachian Trail's southern terminus this week.
She came to the US to hike the best long trails it had to offer. Now, the first known Mexican national to finish the Triple Crown wants to bring the thru-hiking experience back home.
Hike with efficiency, speed, and intention, and you’re sure to accomplish your thru-hiking goals. Here’s how to plan your pace and fight lollygagging tendencies to reach the terminus before winter does.
Gear up for the United States' toughest long path with these expert picks.
Thru-hikes are transformative experiences. Here, five long trail alums share the wisdom of those miles.
Can our writer get in the best hiking shape of his life—without doing a single hike over 10 miles?
A would-be thru-hiker hit the trail to change her life. She knew about the natural hazards. It was the human threat she never saw coming.
For these 12 hikers, local trails so inspired them that they made it their mission to open the outdoors to everyone, one mile at a time. Now let them fire you up with picks so close you can’t say no.
In just over three months, hiker Jeff Garmire took down FKTs on the Pinhoti Trail, the Arizona Trail, and the Long Trail. He breaks down one big season.
Yes, hiking is wonderful and nature is grand. But when you’re walking for months at a time, you will eventually get bored. Our thru-hiker explains how to deal with trail fatigue.
Experience Mount Washington from bottom to top via one of the northeast’s most iconic trails on this 7.8-mile round trip.
The Centennial State's namesake route offers a tour of some of the country's best high alpine scenery in one monthlong hike. We break down the prep, practice, and travel you'll need to bag it.
The measure, awaiting U.S. Senate approval, calls for lengthening the North Country Trail to connect to the Long Trail.
The National Scenic Trails system boasts nearly 19,000 miles. Not sure where to start? We’ve scoured the whole network to bring you the best 50 miles.
America’s next long trail should cross the Great Plains, says the path’s pioneer, Steve Myers. Will hikers share his vision?
Protecting land is only the first step. Hikers need trails, and trails don’t build themselves. Grab a Pulaski and create new paths and restore lost routes on these 10 trips.
Hit these endangered trails to vote with your feet and send a message that protection pays off.
People often think Alabama is flat, says Callie Thornton. A hike on the Pinhoti Trail is the quickest way to prove them wrong.
Can a trail-loving conservative use public land to bridge the partisan divide? M. John Fayhee joins Representative Martha McSally on the Arizona Trail to find out.
Check out BACKPACKER Contributors and Editors's author page.
Check out BACKPACKER Contributors and Editors's author page.
Can you see America's best idea on a thru-hike? You sure can—if you can figure out how to pick up your permit.
Check out BACKPACKER Contributors and Editors's author page.
Caesars Head and Jones Gap State Parks, South Carolina
Follow in the footsteps of presidents, pioneers, and prospectors on these hikes. Just don’t get snowed in and eat your friends.
The PCT doesn't just have some of the country's best scenery—it has some of its best brews, too.
Part of the popular New Hampshire state park's trail system will be off-limits through the end of July.
Escape America's biggest city for the trail with a little help from this AMC program manager and hiking expert.
Check out BACKPACKER Contributors and Editors's author page.
Snag Presidential glory without Presidential hordes.
Thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, or another long path? Make the most of your time before you blast off.
Reality check: Not everyone can quit their jobs to hike the PCT. But if you have a week or two of vacation, you can complete one of these.
Sate your hiker hunger with these fan favorites.
In a cabin in the Maine woods, two men cook up "the best trail magic" of the entire Appalachian Trail.
The Trans-Alaska Trail would be America’s wildest path—if a determined group of Alaskans can make it happen.
The Packing It Out crew hauled thousands of pounds of trash off the AT and PCT over the last two years. If we all followed their lead, perhaps there’d be nothing left to pick up.
It takes most thru-hikers around five months to finish the Appalachian Trail. It's taken Casey Lyons sixteen years—and counting.
Experience thru-hiking fever (and New England hardwoods) on this section of the historic Long Trail across Glastonbury Mountain. BY RYAN WICHELNS
What do you do when you find yourself committed to a non-hiker? Sweeten the deal for them with these strategies.
Our PCT correspondent finally crosses the border.
Hike, climb, and scramble your way up the final five miles of the Appalachian Trail and be rewarded with the best views in Maine.
A group of determined Alaskans hopes to create an 800-mile trail that will trace the state’s famous pipeline from Arctic Sea to Pacific tidewater.
A little creak in the joints didn’t stop them. Emotional maturity, discipline, and life experience helped these eight badass older hikers thru-hike as well as—if not better than—any younger trekker.
You can now discover the other Caribbean on the Waitukubuli National Trail. But should you?
Backcountry bliss is closer to the Beltway than you might expect. [Sponsored]
You’ve heard of the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails. Now add one of these ambitious hikes to your bucket list.
The AHS releases a "state of the trails" report.
Here are the stories behind 10 of North America’s most impressive trail-building feats—and how to see them yourself.