Stories

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our 'Ask A Bear' column.

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

You choose! Look through the slideshow and at the end cast your vote to help decide which one will be the winner for BACKPACKER's September 2011 issue.

A new theory might solve the mystery of how these mountains formed.

For sheltered scenery high above the trees, there's no better place than a fire tower. Try one of these editor-approved hikes to backcountry rooms with a view.

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

Hike Denver's lost wilderness, a twofer of peaks in Idaho, lava tubes in New Mexico, Zion's sneak route, and Bozeman's trout-filled lake.

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

Does God love camping? A new church movement foot-soldiered by wilderness-loving young people could transform the way conservative Christians perceive and protect the environment. We hit the trail with the new green evangelicals.

Make one simple resolution–to hike more in 2011–and we guarantee you'll lose that spare tire around the middle. Here's the proof, the plan, and the inspiration.

See Yosemite's river of ice, witness there-and-gone meteor showers in Hawaii, and mark your calendar for eight more fleeting natural wonders.

Peakbag in the White Mountains—without lugging in water.

Hike through a wild water park in Enchanted Valley.

Notch the best northern lights show in the Lower 48.

Witness a river of slush flow through Yosemite Valley.

See shooting stars from a five-star backcountry observatory.

Hit Idaho's Owyhee River just right, and you get one of the West's best paddles to yourself.

See these colorful flutters fuel up for the long flight to Mexico.

Hit the leaf jackpot on these classic footpaths.

Soar with the world's largest migration.

Wait for El Nino and cruise through mesmerizing fields of seldom-seen desert blossoms.

Ascend Rocky Top in Tennessee; spot herons and Pelicans in a Florida bayou.

Discover east Texas's longleaf pine forest; see the Boundary Waters on foot.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

Check out Michael Lanza's author page.

The only thing better than enjoying the life-list scenery in the country's premier national parks? Getting that same scenery, minus the crowds. Find it in these 10 backcountry hotspots, along with no-hassle permits, choice campsites aplenty, and solitude to match the world-class terrain.

See California dunes, Nevada red-rock canyons, Alaska's deep forest, quiet Oregon Coast, and Washington's Cascade lakes.

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'

Your favorite western hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Climb, hike, and camp in Joshua Tree National Park.

Your favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the west.

The undisputed local experts—you—chose the top parks, trails, campsites, and weekend getaways from Alaska to Alabama.

These six winning shots represent the best photos we saw all year from you, our readers.

Breathtaking outdoor scenes yield immediate and enduring pleasure: when you hike there, and when you share the shots. Just ask the winners of our second annual Reader Photo Contest.

Senior Editor Shannon Davis has hiked in West Virginia's Dolly Sods Wilderness dozens of times. Here, a selection of his favorite spots and shots.

Free Print & Go PDFs give you turn-by-turn trail instructions and photos embedded on a usable topo map. Also: gear checklists, driving directions, and geo-references for finding the nearest campground, restaurant, gas station, and grocery store.

Your favorite Southeast trips—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Paddle to a beach-camping paradise in the Everglades.

Your favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the southeast.

Your favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the Southwest.

Your favorite Southwest hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Your favorite Great Plains hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Explore the wildest corner of the Great Plains.

Your favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the Great Plains states.

Explore slots and marvel at arches in Glen Canyon.

Your favorite Great Lakes hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Your favorite Alaska hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Your favorite Appalachians hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Your favorite Northwest hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Your favorite Northeast hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Explore Denali's top dayhikes, photo ops, and epic wildlife treks.

Follow trail-savvy locals to nine sweet spot in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Your favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the Great Lakes.

Your favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the Northeast.

READERS' CHOICE GREAT LAKES HOME

Nine ways to see Vermont's Green Mountains

Your favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the Rockies.

Your favorite Rockies hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Trek through grizzly terrain in Glacier National Park.

More than three decades ago, a tiny band of California hikers discovered a magical valley in the Sierra Nevada. They possessed a rough map, but told no one. Now, the truth comes out.

The undisputed local experts—you—choose the top parks, trails, campsites, and weekend getaways in the Northwest.

The undisputed local experts—you—choose the top parks, trails, campsites, and weekend getaways in Alaska.