Stories

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

Three hikes with scenic wildflower vistas

Push yourself on a self-supported, 167-mile race through the Southwest. The blisters will go away; the accomplishment will stay with you forever.

Your region's go-now guide: Take in Pennsylvania's nighttime skies in the Cherry Springs State Park, ascend the 2,625-foot Mt. Moosalamoo in Vermont, enjoy the new 38-mile section of the Cumberland Trail in Tennessee, and more.

Let our field scouts' beta fuel your next adventure from the wildlife-rich Sky Meadows State Park Loop, to thickets of mountain laurel in Georgia, and more.

Minutes from Salt Lake City, The Wasatch Front is a gold mine for adventure. The 2.1-million-acre area includes 22 peaks above 11,000 feet and with at least 300 feet of prominence, houses 78 bikeable miles on 11 different bike trails, and boasts an average of 226 sunny days annually.

Enjoy the wildlife of Mississippi, search for Morels in Minnesota, view the nesting turtles on Texas' Padre Island, and more.

Take in the birder's paradise around Vern Wolf Lake in Wisconsin, cleanse yourself in the mist of a 15 foot waterfall in Arkansas, marvel at a 320-million-year-old sandstone formation in Ohio, and more.

Test your bravery with these scrambly hikes that take you to airy heights and rewarding views. Don't forget to watch your step.

Your region's go-now guide: get your heart rate up by climbing 1,500 feet in 2.4 miles in Santa Barbara, visit the newest state park in Colorado, enjoy the solitude of the Wyoming Range, and more.

From a panoramic hike above Sin City and Lake Mead to a slot canyon adventure in Utah, our scouts provide trail beta.

Satisfy your sweet tooth in style with these backcountry desserts.

Keep it simple and delicious with Fudge-In-a-Bag.

Relive your childhood with the classic throwback Earth Worm Pudding.

Combine something old and something new with this twist on the classic smore.

Enjoy a healthier dessert with this play on peaches and cream.

Indulge the child inside with this twig look-alike dessert.

Get sugar and spice and everything nice with the Backpacker's Rice Pudding.

Homemade is always better definitely rings true for these make-ahead Niagara Trail Bars.

Take on the tropical with this fruity Upside-Down Cake.