It’s the classic backpacking adventure: load up the pack, quit your job, and strike out for a thru-hike on one of America’s classic long trails. Whether you’re an Triple Crown aspirant or a weekend warrior, we’ve got the info, tips and tricks you need to have more fun on the U.S.’s longest paths.
Don't hang up your boots for winter yet. Spend the fourth season LASH-ing your way through the most scenic parts of the Pacific Crest Trail.
A year after Hurricane Helene knocked down thousands of trees, flooded miles of trail, and heavily damaged some of the Appalachian Trail's most beloved towns, hiker Grayson Haver Currin headed back to see whether it had recovered.
How can a backpacker make the most of a night in town? Residents share their best tips.
Take it from someone who has done it all. Here are the CDT's highlights, in the form of geysers, peaks, and lakes.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy—the nonprofit that supports the United States’ most iconic footpath—turns 100 this year. To celebrate, AT thru-hikers Mary Beth "Mouse" Skylis and Grayson Haver Currin pick the 100 best miles of trail, spread out over 19 bite-size sections.
With the help of a dog named Orient and a lot of determination, Bill Irwin became the first blind person to complete the Appalachian Trail.
On top of a mountain in Virginia along the Appalachian Trail, a shelter logbook contains some of hikers' deepest, darkest secrets.
Solitude is nice, but let's face it: Often the best part of a long trail is the company. Meet a new group of hiking pals and explore your new favorite landscapes on these guided hikes.
A Triple Crowner discovers how this little-known trail turns the hiking world on its head.
We compared trekkers' pack weights, ages, total spend, and more.
Four legendary thru-hikers share their favorite spots to train for long trails.
Plus more surprising results from Halfway Anywhere's annual thru-hiker report.
From an ostrich farm on the Pacific Crest to a lakeside oasis on the Colorado Trail, these off-trail adventures, chosen by thru-hikers, are well worth an extra hitch or a few more miles.
Cross the whole length of New Zealand's two main islands on this 1,900-mile thru-hike.
Itching to thru-hike, but not sure where to go? We’ll help you decide.
A serial thru-hiker shares lessons learned from countless trips up and down the JMT.
Stretching from the tip of Florida to the western panhandle, this 1,500-mile haul is full of swamps and swamp creatures, snakes and snack foods. It is wild and wildly fun.
The 400-mile trail has the potential to be a popular thru-hike. Will it ever live up to the hype?
In pursuit of the Triple Crown, many hikers save this high route through the Rocky Mountains and New Mexico desert for last. It’s not so scary—as long as you’re prepared.
You won’t have as much solitude as you think, and there’s a reason everyone uses some of the same gear. But once you’ve hiked the Appalachian Trail, you’ll never be the same person you were when you started.
For thru-hikers, there’s nothing better than stumbling upon refreshments partway through a long day. But do trail angels need to babysit their gifts?
What's the easy part of hiking a thousand or more miles in one go? There isn't one. That's why only between a quarter and a third of people who set out to thru-hike America's longest trails actually finish. The good news: If you put in the time and effort to prepare for your journey, you can boost your chances of joining them.
Complete an entire thru-hike before fair-weather hikers lace up for their first trip of the year.
You’ve heard of long-distance hiking’s Big Three, but North America has more amazing thru-hikes to discover. Find a new challenge—and a new perspective on the backcountry—on these incredible lesser-known trails.
An end-to-end trek of the AT takes a lot of time—but anyone with a free weekend or a few vacation days can experience the highlights. We asked longtime thru-hiker Liz “Snorkel” Thomas to pick her favorites hikes on the Appalachian Trail.
What are the best hikes on the PCT that you can do in a weekend? We asked triple crowner and Backpacker thru-hiking columnist Liz “Snorkel Thomas.
With high snow levels making travel on the PCT unusually difficult, many Americans have canceled or postponed their thru-hikes. Not so for the trail's global hikers, who have mostly stuck it out.
Montezuma Valley Market was a beloved stop for PCT hikers until a blaze—and a dreadful diagnosis—threw it into limbo.
With heavy snow making mountain travel more difficult and hazardous than usual, a growing number of hikers are taking a less traditional approach to the PCT.
Up for a walk? A really, really long walk? We've gone big on the world's biggest trails, collecting the most important skills, gear reviews, trail guides, advice, and more for thru-hikers.
Dreaming of a long, long walk up the spine of the West Coast with a few good friends? Here's what you need to know.
Hike farther, faster, and pain-free with these training tips and exercise.
Scott Benerofe finished a rare and daunting southbound winter thru-hike of the AT. His self-proclaimed normalcy about the endeavor suggests such treks might not stay so rare for long.
Is it really an adventure if you have it planned to the mile? Patricia "Blackpacker" Cameron explains why she's playing it loose on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Patricia “Blackpacker” Cameron has a family and a job running an outdoor-equity-focused nonprofit, so taking three months off for the hike of a lifetime was anything but simple. She explains how she did it.
Completing America's most popular long trail is a major time commitment.
Water weighs a lot, audiobooks weigh nothing, and more semi-philosophical tips to guide rookie trekkers to a strong finish
Follow in the footsteps of history from Pennsylvania to the Pacific coast.
Everything changes—even the Pacific Crest Trail. One of the trail's early thru-hikers shares snapshots from his trip up the path in 1985
Start planning to hike these in-progress U.S. trails in 2022.
Plan your next big hike with this map of America's best long trails.
With over 30 years of thru-hiking and section-hiking long trails all over the country (but never the PCT), Andy Niekamp is definitely the voice of experience. Backpacker sat down with him to find out his tips, tricks, and favorite gear.
With over 30 years of thru-hiking and section-hiking long trails all over the country (but never the PCT), Andy Niekamp is definitely the voice of experience. Backpacker sat down with him to find out his tips, tricks, and favorite gear.
He averaged about 10 miles every day, but still had the energy to play freeze tag at night.
The Appalachian Trail is the adventure of a lifetime. Make it yours with our ultimate guide to the country's most famous footpath and the prep, gear, and knowledge you'll need to go the distance.
Hike some of the East Coast's wildest wilderness on the AT.
The OCT might not have the wilderness solitude of other long trails. But lean into its unique charm and you'll find a thru-hike experience unlike any other.
A backpacker contemplates the challenges of Calendar Year Triple Crown on the eve of his 8,000-mile hike.
See the peaks, parks, and hotspots of America's most storied long trail in this interactive 3D map from BACKPACKER.
Some hikers grouse that blazing the CDT and other wild western trails will ruin them—but that’s exactly the problem with doing nothing.
Visit Georgia's best section of the Appalachian Trail in winter for a crowd-free experience and Blue Ridge vistas frosted in white.
See arches and sea stacks—and no people—when you visit the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor in winter.
Hit these endangered trails to vote with your feet and send a message that protection pays off.
Get the gear, the skills, and the trail beta to tackle Colorado's Mount Zirkel Wilderness on the CDT.
You could eat a half-gallon of ice cream in one sitting, or hike 100 miles eating only Pop-Tarts: On a long trail, anything goes.
The PCT doesn't just have some of the country's best scenery—it has some of its best brews, too.
Get ready for the PCT—or just daydream—with our map of the highlights of one of America's iconic long trails.
Reality check: Not everyone can quit their jobs to hike the PCT. But if you have a week or two of vacation, you can complete one of these.
Find solitude on thru-hikes with A-list scenery and B-list crowds.
Long-trail hikers agree: These are the best places to spend a zero day.
In a cabin in the Maine woods, two men cook up "the best trail magic" of the entire Appalachian Trail.
The hardest part of hiking from Mexico to Canada? Coming home.
It takes most thru-hikers around five months to finish the Appalachian Trail. It's taken Casey Lyons sixteen years—and counting.
Six months on the AT means a whole lot of time for singalongs under the stars. But as Case Conover discovered, taking along an instrument on America's most famous walk isn't easy.
Wend beneath sugar pines, Pacific yews, mountain hemlocks, and Shasta firs on this remote section of the Bigfoot Trail in Northern California. BY LAURA LANCASTER
Sample the 310-mile Superior Hiking Trail on this overnight past Oberg Mountain and Lake Agnes. Fall bonus: Northern Lights. BY KATHLEEN FERRARO
After 148 days on the trail, our correspondent finishes the walk of her life.
With the finish line just a few days away, our PCT correspondent mulls over what that means.
Dreaming of tackling the AT after graduation? Liz "Snorkel" Thomas has some advice.
With the finish line of the Pacific Crest Trail fast approaching, our correspondent deals with an uncooperative body.
People said that Washington would be rainy. People were right.
With 300 miles to go until she reaches the border, our correspondent finds the trail isn't getting any easier.
Now in Washington, our hiker tries to make miles while the sun shines.
Our PCT correspondent crosses into her last state, and the home stretch begins.
Waterfalls, grey days, and big peaks are the name of the game for our hiker's last few miles in Oregon.
Our PCT correspondent faces a new set of challenges in Oregon.
Our trail correspondent dreams of seeing the sun again.
Our correspondent breaks off from the official Pacific Crest Trail route.
With resupply options few and far between, our correspondent has plan ahead.
Sure, you'd like to take half a year off to hike a long trail. But how do you pay for it? Our resident thru-hiker answers.