Last January, Carl Stanfield set out to break the world record for the most miles ever hiked in a year. In failing, he found his temporary limit—and, he hopes, a renewed version of himself.
Guidebook author Tami Asars hikes to write about it. Here's what she can teach us about hiking with intention, detail, and purpose.
The outdoors are powerful medicine—and the Refugee Women’s Network is helping displaced hikers get back to it.
"Nature is not a hobby to me, or even something I really think about. It’s simply part of who I am."
After finding her love for the trail, Welcome used hiking to process some of the most challenging moments of her life.
This trailblazing fire ecologist is making a difference in the world of hiking and land regeneration.
Jon Anderson overcame temporary snowblindness to complete the 2,650-mile journey from Mexico to Canada
Outfitters step up to provide career and financial stability for guides—from health insurance to 401ks to paid time off—as demand for outdoor experiences skyrocket.
Everyone has a Why. Our motivations are as varied as our backgrounds, and these passions are what powers adventures big and small.
The results, however hilarious, remind us how hikers destigmatize the body
On Sunday night, British hiker Josh Perry decimated the trail’s long-standing self-supported records after chasing Timothy Olson’s 2021 time
Too many rocks? Not enough people? Illustrator Amber Share says bring it on.
It's been six months since the first NPS director in five years stepped into office facing $22 billion in deferred maintenance. This is what he's accomplished so far—and what's still coming.
A hike in the author's native Washington state gives perspective on half a millennium of persecution, and a home worth fighting for.
Kathryn Miles’s new book, ‘Trailed,’ investigates the killings of Julie Williams and Lollie Winans in Shenandoah National Park 25 years ago—and asks difficult questions about safety in nature
Five-time Iditarod winner Dallas Seavey dishes on staying warm, well-fueled, and sane in extreme climates.
After becoming the oldest person to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail at age 83, M.J. “Nimblewill Nomad” Eberhart reflects on the trip that got him there.
When a normal trip turned strange, one hiker found himself transfixed by the paranormal.
The hiking community has long praised Earl Shaffer for being the first person to complete the iconic trail in a single push. But one man wants us to take a closer look at Shaffer’s claims.
The hiking community has long praised Earl Shaffer for being the first person to complete the iconic trail in a single push. But one man wants us to take a closer look at Shaffer’s claims.
In 2015, while crewing for her husband, Scott’s, successful Appalachian Trail speed record, Jenny Jurek began healing from the grief of two traumatic miscarriages. In 2021, she returned to the trail with their two young children in tow.
Liz and Collin Blunk already checked off the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail. Now they're on-route to complete their Triple Crown with this summer's hike of the Continental Divide. They share the wisdom they've won over nearly 8,000 miles together.
Without a healthy world, there's no backpacking. These 11 backpackers and advocates are fighting for a better Earth.
When Edgar McGregor decided to clean up Eaton Canyon, he started a quest that spanned 2 years and thousands of pounds of trash.
Late last December, Emily Ford, 28, of Duluth, Minnesota, took her first steps on Wisconsin’s 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail with a borrowed sled dog named Diggins. “I was laid off from my job as head gardener at the Glensheen Mansion, and I took full advantage,” she says. Ten weeks later, she became the first woman and second person ever to thru-hike the IAT in winter.
Hiking is for everyone, not just the kind of people you're used to seeing in magazines. See the trail from a different perspective with these 8 fantastic Instagram creators.
Nearly 1,000 young women make up the groundbreaking new class from the BSA.
A program called Goat Walkabouts pairs hikers with “healing herds”of retired yoga goats to help treat trauma in the Rockies.
For this 28-year-old Minnesotan, life on a long path is a series of snowy 20-mile days with a borrowed husky. What will life after it look like?
The 72-year-old activist, who passed away last month, used mining claims, scenic flights, hiking trails, and occasionally outright confrontation to protect the Opal Creek Wilderness.
The founder of HBCUs Outside is using gear libraries and hiking meetups to tear down barriers in the outdoor industry.
Go behind the curtains at this down-obsessed outfitter
After a cross-country road trip, Earl Hunter Jr. made it his business to break down racial lines in the outdoors.
This Appalachian Trail thru-hiker (2010) balances luxe and light on her long-distance jaunts around the East.
This Californian ultralighter knows her way around her home state—and is no stranger to big-name trips across the country.
Akuna's path to the Triple Crown led through battles with PTSD, a failed attempt on the PCT—and a few life-changing friendships.
Whether it's a relationship or a round-the-world trip, sometimes plans fall apart. If you're Reptar, you just pack your bags and roll with it.
She came to the US to hike the best long trails it had to offer. Now, the first known Mexican national to finish the Triple Crown wants to bring the thru-hiking experience back home.
The Outdoor Advocacy Project wants to give every hiker the tools to advocate for the environment—and today, on the last day of the US outdoor industry's biggest trade show, it's hitting the streets.
Thru-hikes are transformative experiences. Here, five long trail alums share the wisdom of those miles.
Nearly a century ago, Peter Parsons made long trail history before there were long trails.
When CDT thru-hiker Cionnaith "Lucky" O'Dubhaigh stopped to resupply in Lake City, Colorado, he was just looking for a short rest. Instead, he stayed and turned his new home into one of the best trail towns in the country.
Will “Akuna” Robinson is an Iraq veteran, a thru-hiker, and now, one of the few African-American backpackers to complete the country’s three most famous long trails.
More than a decade after seeing his first peak, adventurer Tyrhee Moore gives back.
If there was a championship of local hiking, New Hampshire native JR Stockwell would be a lock for first place—except he never tells anyone about his singular adventures in the White Mountains.
As a self-described map nerd, Warren lives for looking at topography and landscapes as blank canvases for both art and exploration.
Meyers fell in love with thru-hiking after discovering Vermont’s Long Trail. Over 9,000 miles later, she still can’t stop.
As she thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, Nisbett grew to love long stretches of hiking through green tunnels.
Denver artist Latasha Dunston paints details she would have missed with photographs.
As Bonan draws the world around him, he becomes intensely curious about the way it works.
Eva Luna Harper-Zahn kicked off her alpinism career with the Lower 48’s highest peak.
It's not that we don't appreciate badass outdoor women every other day of the year. But in advance of Women's Appreciation Month in March and International Women's Day on March 8, we'd like to put a special spotlight on some of our favorites
Nearly four decades after wowing a generation of hikers with his original boot, Randy Merrell went back to the workshop to release a modern version.
Because of her gender, no trekking agency in Ladakh would give Thinlas Chorol a chance. So she decided to create her own.
"The healing is going to start with the women. In indigenous culture, women are a huge part, and it’s got to start with us out on the land."
Photographer Bart Smith, 58, has hiked nearly every mile of every National Scenic and National Historic Trail designated under the National Trails System Act. We caught up with him before his latest outing—a 3,700-mile trip on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail—to talk about the hiker mind, trail magic, and seeing the elephant.
Skip the dog pictures: these nine ‘grammers focus on women-led outdoor adventure.
These explorers’ exploits go beyond just summiting a mountain: They're using the outdoors to preserve Native culture, protect the environment, and more.
They go above and beyond for the love of the trail. Now, BACKPACKER is shining the spotlight on them. Tell us who we should feature next.
This duo melds their passion for music and the outdoors by bringing their instruments into the backcountry.
A childhood Outward Bound trip inspired Perry Cohen to create one of America’s first queer and transgender guiding services. Now, he wants to change the outdoor industry.
Can a trail-loving conservative use public land to bridge the partisan divide? M. John Fayhee joins Representative Martha McSally on the Arizona Trail to find out.