Stories

Looking to curl up with a good read? We've got you covered with these essential outdoor books from the editors of BACKPACKER.

Is it always rude to dash off as soon as slower hikers catch up? Maybe the slinky stop has its place.

Bear rehabber Kathleen Ramsay has rehabilitated hundreds of bears—orphaned, sick, hit by cars. Under her care, they get another shot at growing up.

When five-year-old Christian Thomas set out with his family to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, some skeptics said he couldn’t—and shouldn’t. But like a lot of kids, he wasn’t listening.

A warming climate is transforming grizzlies' diets. Will it endanger their future?

Too little time and too much to see? Go faster.

You can never step in the same river twice. Stepping into the same forest, though? That's a different story.

Though certain places are more famous for fall foliage, you can find fiery color all over the Lower 48. Use this map to see when each region typically peaks and what leaves you can expect.

A fight is brewing over the country's most endangered bruin.

Can a rare breed of highly trained, Russian-bred dogs help keep hikers—and bears—safer? Land managers around the country are betting on it.

Has the AT’s party culture gone too far? Bill Donahue joins the trail’s biggest blowout to find out.

Every year, scores of hikers go missing in the wilderness. What happens when one of them is someone you love? Robert Woodie joins the hunt for his father in the Sierra Nevada.

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

The best way to leaf-peep is by boat—as long as you don't end up in court.

As more and more outdoor brands adopt give-back programs, it’s time to wonder: What does my purchase accomplish? Can good gear really do good? On a trip with LifeStraw’s clean-water campaign in Kenya, Dennis Lewon investigates.

Fifty miles a day for 45 days. No crew. Joe McConaughy’s AT thru-hike was one for the record (and history) books.

Terminal cancer. What would you do if your doctor delivered the scariest two words in the English language? Andy Lyon went for a hike.

Smokejumpers drop into some of the purest, most isolated wilderness in the country to fight summer wildfires. During four years on the front lines, Thomas Haney used his camera and words to capture the essence of the job, the vastness of its reach, and the moments and places that make it unlike any other.

Literally. Let’s try a new system when it comes to managing poop in the mountains.

What if urban parks are better than distant wilds at turning city kids onto nature? Ted Alvarez heads to Baltimore to investigate a new movement in the effort to connect kids to the land—and save the city’s soul.

In "A Field Guide to Losing Your Friends," a writer recalls how the national parks helped him heal from a tragedy.

When you’re swallowed by night, the celestial show begins.

Sacred paths the world over help hikers discover deeper truths about the world and themselves. But what truly makes a path transformative? Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan treks a new 170-mile loop in Montana in search of the pilgrimage she needs.

When one of the winningest ultrarunners in the sport set out to break the AT's supported record, the path's elder statesmen gave him one piece of advice: respect the trail. Eight years later, a new documentary shows why.

Spend enough time adventuring and chances are you'll require some assistance.

Hangovers are bad enough in the frontcountry, but one reader must finish his hike anyway.

Most thru-hikers use blogs and Facebook to stay in touch with home. Miyagi used watercolors.

You don’t need to be an English major to make poetry part of your next hike.

Silver Falls, Oregon

Sinks Canyon, Wyoming

Roan Mountain, Tennessee

Antelope Island, Utah

What’s better than climbing one peak? Climbing two. Or three—or five. Head to one of these summit-blessed basecamps and go up until your legs give out.

Because you need to catch it at least once before you die.

Venture deep into the heart of this paddler’s paradise for the best fish-and-foliage adventure in the Lower 48.

With mountains, being the highest doesn’t always mean being the best. This fall, raise a trekking pole to America’s best dayhikeable penultimate peaks.

Education and recreation meet on these campuses, with thriving outdoor programs and nearby trails and mountains.

We delight in revealing your favorite trail, lake, or campsite—and your hidden place is better off for it.

Concentrated beauty

Acadia National Park

Yosemite National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Pinnacles National Park

Congaree National Park

Olympic National Park

Glacier National Park

The World Bank has invested $2 million in creating a long path in the West Bank. Can hiking help where politics have failed?

A personal perspective on camping in all 50 U.S. states

The Department of the Interior wants to update a successful conservation model for the modern era.

There are more than just 59 beautiful wild lands in the States. But which areas have the best shot at earning coveted national park status?

For millions of visitors each year, the national parks are a playground and a sanctuary. For a few, they’re a final stop.

Nepal has fueled hiker dreams for more than four decades. It’s time for hikers to return the favor—but be prepared for an experience that goes beyond great treks.

Thinking of hiking a long trail or just love dreaming about it? Curl up with one of these dozen stories.

With Arctic ice reaching record lows, Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters completed what many say could be the last human-powered expedition to the North Pole. Now, viewers can relive it with them.

Maximize your winter fun with a backcountry basecamp where you can spend all day skiing or snowshoeing, and all evening lounging by the fire.

On a trek through Arizona's Paria Canyon, a young mom discovers that, contrary to her fears, motherhood has made her an even better adventurer.

Articles and Photo galleries from the Road Team on the NPS100 Tour

Jason Mark goes into the wilderness to find clarity and ends up having to rescue himself in this excerpt from Satellites In the High Country

The underappreciated Bighorn Mountains hide some of the Lower 48’s best alpine scenery.

With towering sandstone bluffs, herds of Rocky Mountain elk, and hundreds of waterfalls, it’s easy to see why this 135-mile stretch of free-flowing, crystal-clear water was the country’s first National River.

Savor the last warm days of the year by exploring these watery wilds by boat.

A mom's lesson to her 8-year-old son yields a lifetime of wisdom.

Hollywood takes on the Appalachian Trail in the cinematic adaptation of a hit travelogue

If you want a predictable family trip, go to Disneyland. Who knows what'll happen on a National Park adventure?

Off-trail hiking can feel like the best idea ever—until it suddenly doesn't.

When the Boy Scouts let in openly gay boys, dissenting leaders formed their own group. Which raises the question: Is there a right way to get kids outdoors?

Take an adventure north of the border with these stunning Canadian national park hikes that are closer than you think.

Get the most out of America's most patriotic holiday with our pro tips.

Make plans to be in the backcountry for these awe-inspiring night sky events this season.

You've probably heard of America's 59 national parks, but what about the other 348 areas run by the Park Service? Discover stunning scenery and undisturbed solitude in these underrated cousins of our national parks.

Want to support your favorite park? Go beyond a simple donation.

America’s national parks boast thousands of stunning trail miles, but some are just a hair more amazing. Find the top 100 miles in the entire system on these 13 hikes.

Once a national park, always a national park? Think again. These 10 lost national parks (and monuments) got kicked out of the club. May they rest in peace.

Like your favorite neighborhood watering hole, you can count on these hikes to deliver exactly what you need, exactly where you need it.

Most people look at Colorado's Sangre De Cristo Mountains and see a line of peaks. Our scout saw an opportunity: pioneering the range's first end-to-end traverse.

From sacred Native American sites to remote settlements, these historic NPS units are worth exploring on foot.

For almost two decades, Donna Saufley opened her home to PCT thru-hikers at the legendary "Hiker Heaven." But was this trail angel a victim of her own success?

The early season wilds might be cold, but getting out there is always worth it.

In 1863, a legendary Navajo headman evaded the U.S. Army in the desert. David Roberts goes in search of the Southwest's best-kept secret.

David Roberts ventured into Utah's tortuous canyons to solve the mystery of Hoskinini's escape.