Stories

Take on the tropical with this fruity Upside-Down Cake.

Go rich with this on-the-trail cheesecake.

Who says the original is always better? Enjoy this donut-inspired crumble on the go.

Come prepared with these make-ahead Blueberry Nian-Gao Rice Cakes.

Indulge yourself with the chocolatey goodness of these Fabulous Fry Brownies.

Make your friends green with envy at this tasty mint dessert.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Bears in the lower 48 have rebounded from decades of declining populations and shrinking habitat. Also improving: your chance of seeing a bruin in the wild. By Ted Alvarez

Tromp through a Florida cypress swamp, find solitude on a Catskills peak, look for rare Carolina blooms, plus 9 more.

Snag a dozen great winter trips, including a texas Hill Country overnight, a Lake Superior snowshoe, and a hike to Apostle islands ice caves.

Soak in a New Mexico hot spring, spot wintering bighorn sheep in the Winds, hike to a lost California oasis, and more.

In celebration of our readers, we have designed a second tour (in addition to our popular Get Out More Tour) that will launch in 2013, the GEAR and GO TOUR.

Your region's go-now guide: Visit a new hikers' hostel connected to 50 miles of trail in Maine's Bigelow Mountains, see the rare Oconee bell in South Carolina's Jocassee Gorges area, explore the world's longest mapped cave system near Louisville, and more.

What off season? Bundle up and reap the benefits of colder weather in these snowy playgrounds.

Our trail scouts' top local hikes, including fire tower views in New Jersey, a New York waterfall, and more.

The Granite State's crown jewel is an epicenter for alpine adventure, from peakbagging to ridgewalking to hut camping. Where to start? In the heart of the Whites, with beta from our map team. Trek across windswept plateaus, tag a handful of the range's 48 peaks above 4,000 feet, and get a taste of high-altitude tundra.

Your region's go-now guide: Explore ice caves on Wisconsin's Apostle Islands, overnight in peace in northern Missouri, and more.

Follow the footsteps of Wild West outlaws in Oklahoma, marvel at Gooseberry Fall's frozen cascades, search out arrowheads at Hot Springs National Park, and more.

Your region's go-now spring guide: Scramble to Salado Indian cliff dwellings in Arizona, spot bighorn sheep in Wyoming, and more.

Our trail scouts' top local hikes: ancient Oregon volcanoes, a Nevada slot canyon, a hidden California oasis, and more.

See the world's best sky show from your private backcountry cabin.

Find solitude high above Los Angeles.

Camp lake-side in Arkansas, summit 800-foot Nebraska bluffs, see Wisconsin's best foliage (alone), and dayhike near Dallas. Plus: 8 more autumn hikes.

Kentucky's Land Between The Lakes, see a South Carolina swamp (without the bugs), hike through four states in one huge day, and more.

Make a late-season hike to an aspen-dense Colorado mesa, spot bears in the Beartooths, explore gypsum dunes, and discover more fall must-hikes.

Check out the River Trail in South Carolina, the Florida Trail, or a loop in Mississippi and Virginia.

Discover Glacier's historic lodging.

Try a 9-mile out-and-back in Ohio's Hemlock Gorge or hike through history in Per Marquette State Park or on the Saddle Rock Trail in Nebraska.

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

Discover your own private Rockies paradise.

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

Explore a new shelter system with old-school wild.

Hike Yosemite's granite-rimmed loop.

Test your courage—and your quads—this Halloween on one of these spooky cemetery trails.

Follow fern-lined trails to scramble up a rocky pinnacle.

String together the Appalachian, Benton MacKaye, and Mountains-to-Sea Trails for a 48-mile instant classic that hits the park's best views and backcountry campsites.

Dramatic skies, blue lakes, mountain goats and more: Chuck Haney shares some of his most exciting photos from Glacier National Park.

You're your own worst enemy on these six tricky trails.

Your region's go-now guide

Our trail scouts' top local hikes

Our trail scouts' top local hikes

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Your region's go-now guide

Our trail scouts' top local hikes

Grand to Grand Ultra is a 160-mile stage race from the Grand Canyon’s North Rim to the highest point in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument--and we have a free race entry to give away!

Our trail scouts' top local hikes

Our trail scouts' top local hikes

Our trail scouts' top local hikes

When 37 hardcore hikers set out to scale 10 of the Sierra's highest and remotest peaks in a single Herculean, 10-day, 154-mile push, it will be an all-pain, 54,000 feet of gain kind of adventure.

Your region's go-now guide.

Your region's go-now guide.

Fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves in these remote sandy spots—no boardwalks allowed.

Yes, all wilderness is sacred. But this mystically beautiful slot canyon is holier than most.

We've partnered with myTopo to bring you the best in maps for your backcountry pursuits.

A former Denali ranger shares her secrets for finding solitude, scoring the most coveted permits, seeing wildlife, beating the weather, and more. Follow her from-the-field advice for the ultimate trip in America's wildest park.

See the highlights of a classic, six-day trek in Grand Teton National Park.

Explore Chicago's wild places, seek out solitude, and experience three perfect days, all this summer.

Explore wilderness bounty, see fawns in Shenandoah National Park, and experience three perfect days, all this summer and all in the east.

Explore high points, see astronomical rarity and experience three perfect days, all this summer and all in the west.

Explore the west coast in a whole new way with these five summer hikes.

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.

Our map team scouted more than 500 miles of trails and cross-country routes to bring you a summer's worth of escapes in the Rockies.

Jump-start your hiking season on these spring-ready trips from around the country.

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

Contributing editor Tracy Ross talks about the aftermath of publishing her abuse memoir, The Source of All Things, which originated as a BACKPACKER feature story and is now available in paperback.

Don't have time to hike all 1,200 miles of the Pacific Northwest Trail? No worries: Our scout pinpointed the finest two-week stretch.

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

See the Himalayan giants--and cross three passes more than 17,000 feet high--on this off-the-radar route through the Khumbu region.

Get closer to the mystery of life: Put yourself spine-tingling distance from the fanged and clawed and horned.

Strategies for staying alive in flash floods and quicksand.

Tackle the Northeast's most remote wilds for bears, moose, and berries.

Upgrade your winter fun at these 8 beginner-friendly, expert-ready spots.

Hit the trail with your kids on these family-friendly hikes all over the country.

Tell us about your dream destination and why it fits in the pages of Backpacker Magazine...and we may just send you there.

Our prolific map contributor has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and notched more than 90 bag nights while scouting routes for BACKPACKER.

The region's top map contributor—with 20 years of experience in the area—dishes tips for beating the crowds on her all-time favorite hikes.

This region's top contestant in our Be a Mapper contest reveals his favorite off-the-beaten-path routes through canyon country and mountain refuges.

Get more hiking, gear, and wildlife-spotting advice from our map contributors—and see our full survey results.

Cooler days mean fewer crowds and bugs—and riots of leafy color. Here are 38 fall-weekend classics near you.

Here are the winners of our third annual Reader Photo Contest.