Trail Stories

A would-be thru-hiker hit the trail to change her life. She knew about the natural hazards. It was the human threat she never saw coming.

When a father-daughter team tackles the Pacific Crest Trail over the course of seven summers, they learn something about long-distance hiking—and each other.

I wasn't ready for an emergency—but my gear was.

For early thru-hikers, steep hills and long distances were only part of the challenge.

From big fish caught to big mountains summited, kids can do the darndest things.

Are hiking dresses, skirts, and kilts more than a novelty? I freed my legs to find out.

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.

Is hiking with a total stranger a smart way to find a partner—or a train wreck unfolding one step at a time?

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

They say you can learn something by walking in another man’s boots. On the Appalachian Trail last summer, hikers learned what happens when you carry them.