Trail News

For Earth Day, Obama, Biden, and former President Clinton join Student Conservation Association tree-planting project

Band-e-Amir and its crystal blue lakes given national park title today

Obama’s Secretary of Energy is just a regular guy who rides his bike to work like us. Oh, and he might change the world.

A Maine family chronicles their daily energy use on Twitter

We sure hope you care about the environment but even if you don't, Earth Day is the day to fake it

Female BACKPACKER editors discover fashion trumps function in hiking dresses

Look out, gearheads—your source for this year's best packs, tents, boots, bags, and more is here

The national marker identifying the the intersection of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona is in the wrong place

Real climbing gets delayed by a ice crashing in the Khumbu icefall.

Tell your boss it's a national holiday and you're free to hit the trail

Dave HAhn and the First Ascents crew plan for an assault on Camp I

180 miles of new sections discovered—new hiking opportunity?

Hunters, climate change blamed for an uptick in bear fatalities in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem

Will Ferrell joins Bear Grylls on 'Man vs. Wild'—and lives to tell about it

One editor wears this softshell like a second skin in the office—but how does it perform in the wild?

Map Editor Kris Wagner shows you how to share your epic journey with friends, family, and the world

This May, Army Lt. Colonel Marc Hoffmeister and three other soldiers wounded in Iraq won't let their injuries stop them from tackling Mt. McKinley. We caught up with Hoffmeister just before the big climb to get the lowdown on Operation Denali.

Pack 'em fresh or pack 'em powdered, then pick one of our favorite egg recipes for this weekend

BACKPACKER mappers log New York's Big Slide Mountain, Washington's Klickitat Trail and New Mexico's Spence Hot Springs

You won't find shrimp on the barbie in Capitol Reef or Dixie National Forest

Large avalanche breaks off Nuptse in between Camp 1 and Camp 2

A woman entered the polar bear enclosure in the Berlin Zoo during feeding time. Guess what happened next?

Dave Hahn and the First Ascents team greet the onslaught of climbing-season regulars, and indulge in a brand-new basecamp extravagance--a shower

A Chinese student invents new way to pop a squat. Could this be the end of blue bags and cat holes?

State official nearly ruins cricket game scheduled for Everest

Feds & P.I. on case, as cash reward amount grows

Want to experience the avian wonders of the wild but it's too cold to leave your couch? Satisfy your inner voyeur with Xcel Energy's Bird Cams.

Australian cattle dog survives on remote island for four months

Grand Canyon 3D-Flyover headlines three new BACKPACKER classics. Download and go now!

Feeling guilty about pollution but can't part with your SUV? Now you can proudly display your autophobia over your exhaust pipe.

Try this nutty, protein-packed meal: Reader submitted, editor approved!

The team finally stops trekking and prepares to make an assault on the world's highest mountain.

New evidence contradicts classic advice to stand still and not run away during a mountain-lion encounter.

Three Sherpa brothers plan to hang out, pray, and break record on world's highest peak

It's not just waves, eddies, and rodeo rolls for pro kayaker Brad Ludden. The 27-year-old has parlayed his success into helping others with his cancer foundation, First Descents. We caught up with Ludden for the lowdown on the foundation and what's next on his extreme life list.

On your next trek, forget the compass—there's an app for that

As a filmmaker, the best rock climbers, kayakers, mountaineers and cavers can be your mentors. Pay attention. You'll make better movies.

No, were not talking about those colorful rubber shoes—we’re talking 11-foot reptiles

The team fights off altitude sickness and infection on their last day before arriving at Everest Base Camp

Six-mile stretch of Appalachian Trail closed due to clever and hungry bear

Les Stroud's 'Survive This' takes kids into the wilderness and tasks them with finding their inner 'Survivorman'

Under fresh snow at 16,200 feet, Peter Whittaker and the First Ascents team scramble to arrange for their gear arrival

A look at backpacking history through the archived issues of our magazine

Jamaican-size ice sheet breaks off; Clinton calls for greater polar protection

Everest team begins to train lke mountaineers and face upcoming dangers by paying tribute to fallen climbers

Jon Dorn's homemade milk dud recipe is exactly that—a dud

Ed Viesturs and Melissa Arnot hold forth on the dangers of altitude sickness, from 14,200 feet and up.

Record-holding Sherpa begins trek today for yet another summit—this time with an eco-friendly twist

It's a down day for Viesturs, Hahn, and team—which means a visit to an ancient Nepalese monastery.

Huge, already-endangered migratory sea turtles may become extinct in a few decades, scientists say

The Omnibus Public Lands Bill (HR 146) put the importance of wilderness conservation to the forefront of political chatter. Despite the positive provisions, the inclusion of Izembek land transfer proves that no victory comes without a price.

BACKPACKER mappers log the Walls of Jericho in Tennessee, Three Fingered Jack in Oregon and the Ano Nuevo State Natural Reserve in California. Download and go now!

BACKPACKER Twitter followers chime in with their goofy tales of hiking misfortune—what's yours?

Park Service intends to eliminate massive carbon footprint affecting their own lands

Viesturs, Hahn, Whittaker, and the First Ascent teams down meal after meal while on the way to Everest Base Camp

Learn to whip up these chewy, chocolatey--and cheap!--homemade Milk Duds

To help bolster falling revenue and a stalled economy, National Park Service plans to sell portions of America's first national park

The natural foods grocery store adds new products, foods, and stores in today's April 1 rollout.

Suing over a flying squirrel? No April fools jokes here--the Bush decision to remove flying squirrel from endangered list causes controversy

From the Grand Canyon to Hawaii, it's never been cheaper to hit that trail you've been lusting over

The team gets their first glimpse of Everest as they march to their next staging area, Syangboche

A bumpy plane ride takes our climbers to Lukla Airport—stage two for any Everest climb

Paperwork, daunting logistics, and jet lag confront our adventurers as they begin their journey to the top of the world

After years of inaction, the Interior Department revisits plans to designate more World Heritage sites at home

British North Pole expedition finds their way using sexy underwear instead of GPS or compasses

Here's a hint–the biggest tree in the world wins

Farmers are tracking their Holsteins, parents are Lojacking their kids, and geocaching escapes the basement. Let us count the ways GPS has infiltrated the world.

Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter shares her favorite freezer bag meal

In our current economic crisis, more families are ditching the hotel room and learning how to pitch a tent—so make your outdoor reservations now

New York deploys environmental police—what you gonna do when they come for you?

After the president's expected signature, over 2 million acres will get the highest federal protection possible

In a survival situation, what comes out on top—Apple's must-have gadget or a caveman's tried-and-true tool?

Uphill and downhill hiking provides different benefits for the body and the mind

Mount Redoubt erupts five times, rains ash, cancels Anchorage flights

Same individual appears in Sierra Forest one year after discovery

Mountain Hardwear sponsors program to get underprivileged kids outside—here's how you can help

Thanks to these cutting-edge wilderness techniques, our jobs are in serious danger

House votes later this week to officially declare the Pacific Northwest Trail a National Scenic Trail

Colorado cops arrest crooks who target hikers' empty cars

Climbing author totals the bill for your average quest to conquer the highest points on all continents