Stories

Go on a Halloween hike, leaf-peep in the Smokies, soak in Colorado hot springs, visit a gear expo, spy whales in the Pacific, and plan for four more adventures near you.

Grab your paddle to explore a watery wilderness where solitude reigns.

Little rain and stable weather make fall the ideal time to go canyoneering.

After four decades of backpacking and climbing in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, 75-year-old Joe Kelsey is living proof that, while time may stop for no one, it might just slow down for hikers.

Cool off this summer with these shade-filled trails and swimming holes.

Want to fall asleep to the sound of lapping waves? Nab one of these prime waterfront campsites.

Who says rocks have to be boring? You can hike and/or paddle to these 10 geological wonders.

A new anthology features writings from Muir, Roosevelt, London, and more.

This month's Photo School photographer picks 10 of his favorite shots from around the world. See more of Jack's work at www.mountainphotography.com.

A hidden box of treasure. A cryptic poem from a wealthy Santa Fe art dealer. Four states’ worth of Rocky Mountain wilderness. Our reporter joins the hunt.

Bless the planners of the world, with their tight itineraries and advance reservations. This story is not for them. Here are your go-to, last-minute getaways.

The prettiest cascades in the country

Articles on nature and climate change as they relate to backpacking, and environmentally friendly backpacking gear.

From Rialto Beach to the Roan Highlands of North Carolina, our readers captured these stunning sunrises and sunsets.

What's the best backcountry guide service in Nepal? The best trail town in Chile? New Zealand's best hiker bar? Nominate your faves on every continent for our first-ever Adventure Travel awards!

If the scenic, scrappy Cabinets had buffed trails and sat near urban centers, they'd be as busy as New Hampshire's Whites or Colorado's Indian Peaks. Thankfully they have neither, and that makes them perfect for motivated trekkers who don't mind huffy climbs, and off-trail routefinding, like the route we found.

Trek along the country’s first national river in Arkansas, find solitude in Michigan’s Trap Hills, watch whooping crane chicks learn to fly outside Madison, WI, and plan for nine more summer trips.

Hike through wildflower-laden alpine meadows in Washington’s volcanic high country, see a meteor shower in dark-sky New Mexico, escape the crowds above Lake Tahoe, and more.

Stalk golden trout.

Snorkel among manatees.

Savor instant solitude.

Bust out beyond the beltway.

Hide out in Ozark Hollows

Hike New England's highest paths.

Scale Utah's mightiest mountain.

Escape to a high-alpine hideaway.

Soak in simmering springs.

Retreat into a watery labyrinth.

Tag two tough fourteeners.

Explore the Rockies' sharpest peaks.

Splash in swimming holes.

In our September 2013 issue we polled our experts on their favorite views in the U.S. What are your favorite views in each state?

Your region's go now guide: Find wild horses near D.C., spot 8 waterfalls on a family-friendly loop, view the "Niagara of the South" in Kentucky, and more.

Trace a West Virginia ridgeline in the Alleghenies, show your family eight waterfalls on one Pennsylvania hike, check out a rare moonbow in Kentucky, and go on nine more adventures.

Your region's go now guide: HIke with your kids in Missouri, watch the endangered whooping crane in Wisconsin, and more.

Trek along the country's first national river in Arkansas, find solitude in Michigan's Trap Hills, watch whooping crane chicks learn to fly outside Madison, WI, and plan for nine more summer trips.

Your region's go now guide: Explore the Pacific coastline in California, hike in isolation near Lake Tahoe, and more.

Hike through wildflower-laden alpine meadows in Washington's volcanic high country, see a meteor shower in dark-sky New Mexico, escape the crowds above Lake Tahoe, and more.

Of all the reasons to be jealous of Denverites (craft beer, deep powder, Peyton Manning), the Front Range's backyard peaks might top the list. These glacier-carved mountains straddle the Continental Divide and offer 133 miles of maintained trails, plus endless serrated ridges to explore. Local or visitor, venture into this land of massive crags with these routes that promise views from every vantage point—if you don't live here yet, you'll wish you did.

An after-hours trek on one of the Northeast's best hikes yields unexpected sights.

Help us decide the winner of the next photo contest

You're back from the trail with a bunch of beta--now show it off.

Pick the right case to shield your device, never lose touch, boost your juice, and conserve battery power with these tips and tricks.

These apps help you navigate through weather, identify plants, and navigate.

In the past, route-planning involved browsing guidebooks, consulting rangers, and convincing locals to give up their secret places. Today, that information lives on the internet; you just have to know how to find it.

Snake through swamplands in Congaree NP, see fireworks atop Vermont's highpoint, catch a firefly light show in the Smokies, and grab nine more early summer trips.

Hike the border country in Big Bend NP, bring your kite on an Illinois hike, see bison duel in Wind Cave NP, and go on nine more adventures.

Trek past eight lakes in Lassen Volcanic NP's high country, check out the newest national park. hike the Wonderland Trail in Rainier NP like a pro, and more.

Maps, waypoints, and turn-by-turn directions for the eight hikes featured in Hidden Montana (July/August 2013).

Your region's go now guide: See synchronous fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, hike through a Civil War battlefield, witness a July 4th celebration on a Vermont peak, and more.

Get magnificent coastal views in Maine, snag a few fish in West Virginia's Otter Creek Wilderness, spot sunning alligators in the Florida panhandle, and more.

Hike the border country in Big Bend NP, bring your kite on an Illinois hike, see bison duel in Wind Cave NP, and go on nine more adventures.

Hear various bird songs during Ohio's bird breading season, cool off in clear swimming home in a hidden Oklahoman gem, and more.

Your region's go now guide: Trek past eight lakes in Lassen Volcanic NP's high country, check out the newest national park, hike the Wonderland Trail in Rainier NP like a pro, and more.

Experience the varying habitat in California's Lobo Canyon Trail, get a high-vantage view of the Colorado River in Arizona, hike former mining roads, and more!

With 1,584 square miles of soaring peaks, alpine tundra, and yes, glaciers, this mountain mecca belongs on every hiker's life list. We rounded up five of our scouts' top treks in the Many Glacier region—so when you get there, you'll shoot straight to the park's best terrain.

Sample the best of our crown-jewel lands on these superlative trips.

Travel rugged, red-rock backcountry in Canyonlands National Park the easy way—by boat.

Bag eight peaks on the way to New York's high point.

Enjoy panoramic views on an exposed, granite ridgewalk.

Tackle 40 miles of an island ridge above Lake Superior.

Take this park's best tour.

Hike the length of an ancient fossilized reef.

Catch an eye-full of the volcanic Superstition Mountains just 45 minutes from Phoenix.

Bag six of the state's loftiest peaks in a single, stout day on the Long Trail.

Breathe in the views and grandness of the Sierras without the crowds of the John Muir Trail.

Cross the top of Glacier National Park.

Soak up the alpine solitude in the "Swiss Alps of Nevada".

Tick of Washington's alpine gems the fast-and-light way.

Gorge on views that don't quit on a high stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

Choose your own adventure on this rocky mountain routefinding test piece.

Ever wished the view never stopped? It doesn't on these mountain-straddling routes. Here's how to conquer the skyline.

Paddle an Outer Banks island, hit a new trail in Tennessee, stargaze in Pennsylvania, and grab nine more adventures.

Sample a section of Missouri's Ozark Trail, harvest Minnesotan morels, see endangered sea turtles in coastal Texas, and more.

Get your waterfall fix in Oregon's Columbia River Gorge, find solitude in Wyoming, check out a new Denver-area state park, and tag more spring hikes.

Three authors write about the moments that changed their impressions of the backcountry forever.

We've gathered top skills for new backpackers and a dozen unforgettable—yet beginner-friendly—trails. What they say is true: You'll never forget your first time.

Three trails teeming with wildlife

Three beautiful water-side hikes

Three hikes with spectacular views