Stories

The greatest backpacking parks in the United States, chosen for their scenery.

Glacier National Park possesses scenery that'll suck the breath out of your lungs, quiet so intense you'll wonder if your ears still work, and enough wildlife to make a zookeeper drool with envy.

History is carved in stone in this wild and scenic southern river corridor in North Carolina and Georgia.

Is the legendary jackalope the most endangered species in the Lower 48 or just an old cowboy tale that refuses to die?

Out of mistakes, miscues, and unexpected turns in the trail, we find the perfect trip.

Washington's gentle "forgotten mountains" -- The Kettle River Range -- are ignored by those in a hurry to reach the Cascades.

Its bite is more than painful -- it could be deadly.

Sure, you can summit Mt. Rainier, but the real treasure isn't on top. It's the Wonderland Trail down below.

Follow Jesse James's footprints to a land of shady valleys and cool, clear lakes.

The French-Canadian trappers are long gone, but the grizzlies and waterfalls remain in this alpine nirvana.

If you think the last truly wild, unexplored land is in Canada or Alaska, you haven't been to Wyoming's Absaroka range.

Some people head to Wyoming to summit the Tetons. But outdoor legend Paul Petzoldt had a better idea: Create a route for foot travelers along the spine of the great range.

Chambers Lakes are too cold for swimming, but a great place to watch 'bergs drift by.

Rare stands of virgin hardwood and creekside camping beckon sunburned hikers.

Are you antsy? Need to get away? Try New York's Tongue Range.

In a strange way, music and wilderness go hand in hand.

Wyoming's Medicine Bow National Forest is just what the hiker ordered.

Even when you're trapped in the nation's most crowded metropolis, backwoods relief is only a short hike down a Long Path.

A quick guide to antler spotting in the wild.

Montana and Wyoming's incredibly wild and beautiful Absaroka needs your help.

Here's what little we've learned about the mysterious Jackalope.

On the hoof, antlers and horns are a regal sight. Once discarded, they speak volumes about the former owner.

Horns or antlers?

Cool your feet and warm your brow in this Arizona desert wilderness.

In the shadow of magnificent Mt. Shasta lies a relic of ancient times.

Lay claim to your own California mountain valley and bask in utter solitude.

Porpoises escort you to a rugged island where buffalo really do roam.

Alaska's premier area for fish and wildlife.

Myths and cactus in California: A life-filled land of sand and mountains.

A primordial oasis of rivers, bighorn sheep, and canyons.

Mountain vistas: the ups and downs of a mountain-biking/hiking paradise.

A high point offering a year-round getaway for lovers of southern wildlife, lush forests, and redeye bass.

California's second largest park has an impressive trail system.

Roads end in Arizona with tall tales, natural gardens, cacti forests, and shoe scorpions.

Hike with sea turtles, watch the dolphins play, and share the beach with ghost crabs.

Gorgeous gorge: Where the arches outnumber the footprints.

Once an impassable, swampy "ghost river," now a paddler's dream.

Majestic peaks rise in all directions in Washington's Boulder River Wilderness -- elegant, jagged, draped in snow.

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.