Stories

A hiker's oasis in the hills and valleys of the Midwest.

Not much company along this stretch of Deep South blackwater -- and that's just fine.

Raft or hike this desert paradise's secretive canyons -- but don't pass up the hot springs.

Not your laid-back summer holiday -- canoeing and hiking galore.

A precious backcountry jewel amid the hardwood forests.

Where you can look down on soaring eagles and feel the power of the Missouri River.

Exploring hills and "hollers" in the Land of Lincoln.

It's amazing what nature can do with pasture a decade after the cows go home.

All trails lead to the top in this lake-lover's paradise.

The current carries you through the Great Plains, where buffalo, elk -- and snapping turtles -- roam.

A pristine prairie river winds through a sea of corn and beans in the shadow of Chicago.

Wooded trails, tea-colored waters -- and the Jersey Devil.

Lose yourself in the past on part of the Buckeye, America's longest loop trail.

Hike or climb this pristine pink-granite wonderland just outside Austin.

Where you'll share the mountain with curious goats and mysteries of the past.

Hike up and down oak- and hickory-covered ridgetops, or explore underground.

A bit of nerve opens up the stunning canyonlands made famous by Wile E. Coyote.

Classic eastern mountain scenery along West Virginia's skyline pathway.

A rugged land of sweet-smelling wildflowers, bald mountains, and stone Indians.

Too small to get much attention and a pain in the neck to reach: The perfect Wisconsin escape.

Check out William Oglesby's author page.

Frozen fire shaped by cataclysmic forces and the footsteps of the ancient ones.

Near-complete isolation just a few miles from Virginia Beach.

A water-lover's Wisconsin wonderland with forests, prairies, and the occasional eagle.

A slice of Utah canyon in the heart of Dixie.

Waterfalls and swimming holes aplenty.

Sunny beaches, cool forests, and a birder's paradise along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Where the shadows on the sandstone offer lessons from the past and there's not a soul to be found.

Tucked away in a New England corner is an old-growth paradise.

Old, haunted New York mountains, thick with legend.

Trade your flip-flops for hiking boots and explore a seaside trail.

Heavy forests and the roar of whitewater wait in this section of the Appalachian Mountains.

Take a lazy cruise through exotic scenery, where monkeys swing and eagles soar.

Watch for ghosts among the mushroom-shaped rocks in this weird, lovely landscape.

In Big Cypress' land of exotic plants and lurking alligators, swamps aren't such bad places after all.

A peaceful rest stop in the shadow of the nation's largest city.

Follow the Appalachian Trail to new heights in the rugged New England high country.

A big Midwestern sandpile turned into an otherworldly escape by pounding surf and forests.

Hike from Kentucky to Tennessee along an inland peninsula.

Olympic National Park is pristine and isolated -- rare commodities these days.

Hike up and down oak- and hickory-covered ridgetops, or explore underground.

There's more to the Louisiana's deep South than swamps and Cajun food.

Western prairie meets eastern forest in the land of healing waters.

Just beyond the neon and greenbacks of Vegas lies a priceless wilderness gem.

Connecticut's South Taconic Mountains have bald peaks, deep, forested gorges, and trees as old as the Mayflower.

Tiny Gibson Lake will take you out of Denver in a hurry with its big-wilderness feel and smirking brook trout.

Ishi Wilderness trails run through stream-carved canyons, past stunning vistas, back to gold rush days.

Hiking and backpacking at its finest, through pastoral grasslands and forests of pine and fur.

You're as likely to bump into Sasquatch as another human.

Behind the forbidding name lies California's glacier-polished playground.

Where does the aurora borealis come from?

Forthwith, interesting tidbits about Great Smoky's largest forest dwellers.

Only have a short time to tackle the Pacific Northwest Trail? Our guide will give you the best the PNT has to offer.

With the click of a shutter, Ansel Adams captured the beauty and soul of wild places and showed us that in nature, there is magic.

Mills Canyon is a hidden treasure where you can bushwhack through history.

In the Wind Rivers range, you can hike for days without seeing another soul, which is why it brings a pair of brothers back again and again.

In a region known for soggy times, Juniper Dunes is a warm sandbox where you can dry out.

A chaotic chorus of loon calls penetrate the darkness, the warbling sounds echoing off the wooded hills around the New Hampshire lake.

In winter, the glasslike menagerie of icicles in the Cumberland Plateau will send a chill down your spine.

California: Journey through a desert to bear witness to some of the loveliest wildflowers you'll ever see.

In Whites Creek Cave you can explore in nature's own cooling system, and observe its grateful inhabitants.

Arizona: Every year millions of ladybugs head to Arizona and coat trees, rocks, and brush like a layer of living paint.

The typical Delaware River float trip offers the opportunity to spy more bald eagles than people.

At a campsite along the Snake River, the bugling goes on night and day.

Wisconsin: Explore 21 islands and 12 miles of mainland shoreline where strings of cliffs and caves are bejeweled in ice.

The Purple Trail through Chase Prairie or the Green or Red Trails through Floyd's Prairie are good routes for viewing Sandhill cranes.

You can spend days exploring the Dry River Valley forest without seeing another soul, even if it sounds like you're being chased by a well-armed militia.

You'll emerge from a forested hallway into a wilderness playroom, and there before you will be skidmarks in the snow.

The ungodly wailing that sometimes drifts through the dark woods is only an animal.

Have your camera ready near dusk, when sunlight warms the landscape with intense color.

Combine a full harvest moon with a remote island trail for the greatest show on Earth.

Even if you don't see a moose, you'll hear the bulls' low grunts echoing off the hillside.

Montana: The Pryor Mountains harbor the nation's last free-roaming wild mustangs, not to mention wilderness that is as wild as the horses.

Encountering a rattlesnake is a splendid moment in time, a cherished wilderness event--at least that's the view of Arizona researchers trying to change public perception of all things fanged.

Life in the high desert in autumn is sweeter and more irresistible than any place on Earth.

Enjoy Vermont's autumn colors while you can -- they disappear all too quickly, and the Green Mountains recover their namesake hue in the spring.

Pine Mountain and Wilson Ridge command high-country vistas stretching across rock-strewn meadows.

The lunarlike landscape and dark skies of this preserve make White Sands one of the best places for star watching.

Maine's seal pups are usually born in May, making early summer an ideal time to witness the youngsters learning to swim and fish.

"October is the month for painted leaves," Thoreau mused. He could have been talking about Kentucky's Red River Gorge.