Stories

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.

Journey through America's most accessible wilderness in search of untouched places, and you might just find peace of mind to match the lakes and hills.

We've picked the top 10 miles of North America's 10 most memorable hikes. Find your way to wilderness nirvana with these map and planning guides.

America’s leading advocate of wilderness silence shows the way to Mt. Rainier National Park’s quietest corner. Plus: 9 more campsites with life-list listening.

Enrich your trip memories by recording nature's soundscapes.

Bad things happen to good hikers. Everyone should have a smart back-up plan--or two.

Warren Doyle has hiked the Appalachian Trail 16 times, and he has a no-fee plan guaranteed to help others complete the 2,180-mile trek. The hardest part? Hiking with Warren Doyle.

BACKPACKER and CLIMBING have teamed up to bring you a one-stop resource for scaling the best treks and technical climbs in the country.

When you're planning a weekend outing, you don't want good, you want the best. Well, here's perfect. These hikes tour the deepest backcountry, best views, and quietest wilderness areas in every state.

Discover surprising solitude and endless vistas on an easy-access multiday trip between rim and river.

Rule #1 when planning a hike through this iconic park: Let your ambition match the scenery.

On a climb from the Hoh River's silty riffles to high-country glacier views, pass through a moss-hung rainforest that might be the lushest place in America.

Wade through wildflowers, listen to wolves, and escape the crowded trade routes in this secluded corner of the park.

Enjoy this legendary park (without the legendary crowds) on a four-day trip through the Clark Range.

A forgotten explorer's route leads to off-trail, high-peak adventure and bona fide solitude.

Don't own a massive pack for your big annual adventure? Here's how to make it all fit.

The prognosis for naming new sanctuaries looks grim. Is our best strategy to vote a few misfits off the island?

Seven great books and the outdoor places to enjoy them

Hike these long trails in North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Florida, and paddle three days in the Everglades backcountry.

We're down to the last two weeks of our five-week Tough Guy Challenge. Are you still hanging in there?

Your life-list only starts with the top 10 parks. Our favorite hikes from the next 40 will fill it with glacier-edge paddling, desert-oasis exploring, and more.

Denali isn’t just for experts. These guinea pigs will prove it. Probably.

Can you ever really have too much of a good thing? Once you've seen the biggest tree, largest glacier, and deepest canyon, nothing else compares.

Week three of our five-week challenge will have you navigating obstacles and increasing mileage.

Hike these long trails in Montana, Idaho, Arizona, and Colorado, and raft an eight-mile section of the Arkansas River.

This remote chasm boasts big views, craggy mountains, abundant wildlife, and staggering solitude.