Trips

Washington's sea star numbers are up in the aftermath of a four-year wasting syndrome epidemic.

Food waste, congestion pricing, protection from chemicals, and more top the list this year.

Negative temps don't deter these hockey players and sledders across Chicagoland.

Officials tried three times to tow a motorist out of deep snow on a remote wilderness road.

New regulations aim to curb the pollution and water abuses of illegal growing operations.

Evergreen Lake, less than an hour from Denver, boasts 8.5 groomed acres and 11 hockey rinks.

Locals fear the 6,500-strong Colockum Herd poses risks to drivers and ranchers.

Cimarron Mountain Club, opening December 2018, will host just 15 families.

The 17-acre Hollywood Hills parcel will be preserved permanently.

From record snowpack to the establishment of moose in the state, it's been an interesting year.

Bookings for some of these 8 elevated perches open up in December.

Get the scoop on new visitor center and inn operating hours, plus winter ranger programs.

Authorities report that the Ventura and Santa Barbara County blaze had two origins.

Enjoy forest sites for free on 12 special occasions next year.

Check out Backpacker Contributors's author page.

Check out Backpacker Contributors's author page.

Check out Backpacker Contributors's author page.

The animals broke free from their winter pasture and trotted through town before police helped round them up.

Recycle it instead! Options include mulching, chipping them into hiking trail surfaces, and more.

The SnowSport Safety Foundation argues that resorts should do more to reduce risk during low-snow conditions.

The "First Saturdays" program will feature monthly activities in partnership with Northside Hospital.

South Mountain Park's busiest trailhead is undergoing a massive makeover.

Local state parks will participate in a nationwide program to inspire people to kick off the new year with a hike.

Twenty state firefighters fly to California to aid on the Thomas Fire.

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$5.1 million in grants will help the forest preserves complete missing trail segments within four years.

The 24-year-old died after falling off his sit-on-top boat.

Unknowns in the deadly Tennessee blaze from November 2016 include windspeed and the fate of the teens suspected of starting the fire.

Changing demographics and climate change are behind the decline.

On a four-day traverse through the spectacularly glaciated Coast Mountains, the BACKPACKER team learns—and embraces—the four steps of overcoming adversity.

Bolinas-Fairfax Road reopened for good last week.

Toxic pollution threatens wildlife at Sierra County's Empire Mine site.

Water treatment woes are behind the recent closure.

The current dry spell is the worst in almost 700 years.

The San Diego Mountain Biking Association supports a Congressional bill to allow bikes in wilderness areas.

Check out Backpacker Contributors's author page.

Check out Backpacker Contributors's author page.

Check out Backpacker Contributors's author page.

Natalie Sisemore, now 13, hiked all 48 peaks with her dad.

The Ventura and Santa Barbara County blaze has burned 270,000-plus acres.

"A Lasting Legacy" profiles a legendary trail volunteer.

Breeding season makes the wild canines more visible.

The funds will go to programs that get kids outdoors statewide.

The new head comes to the Boulder-based philanthropy organization from the National Park Foundation.

On Hawaii, Halape’s secret snorkeling holes, coconut trees, and white-sand beaches stir any hiker’s wanderlust. But the Puna Coast Trail’s rough volcanic terrain keeps the hordes away.

See how far Ventura County's monster blaze would stretch in LA, New York, Chicago, and more.

Cut-your-own trees are popular this season while tree lots in Flagstaff see a dip in sales.

The Trailhead Direct shuttle, which serves popular trailheads in the Issaquah area, attracted about 900 hikers in its debut season.

Members of Jesse James's gang allegedly once hid out in the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve.

Yes, 'springing forward' means it's dark an hour later. But that just means you've got more time to catch the sunrise from one of these four perfect lookouts.

Beat the crowds by braving the wet.

Ring in the new year with one of Colorado Parks and Wildlife's 30-plus events.

The only thing better than experiencing some of Italy and Switzerland's finest scenery—and huts—on the Tour de Monte Rosa? Taking first-timers with you on one of the best beginner hikes in the Alps.

The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band won permanent property rights through a cultural conservation easement.

The bill, which would amend the 1964 Wilderness Act, has sparked strong opposition from conservation groups.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed a 20-year ban on mining in one area while also allowing an existing mine to stay.

The 21-year-old man's death provides a look into Colorado's decentralized system for tracking resort casualties.

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A community group argues the Chicago Park District's plan ignores major developments, such as the future Obama Presidential Center.

Last week's Skirball Fire destroyed six homes.

This year, the NPS waived entry fees 10 times. Next year they'll do it just 4.

The campground, equestrian campground, and two day-use sites are proposed for the former Frontier Town site in North Hudson.

Resort employees, who haven't been able to start working yet this winter, get three dinners a week on the boss.

Georgia Southern's Statesboro Campus is home to the world's largest assortment of tick specimens.

Humans started the blaze last fall in the White Mountains.

Stretch your legs and wet your whistle on this 600-odd-mile journey through America's bourbon country.

After decades of conflict, it’s finally the right time to backpack in the Colombian Andes.

Hit the water—or enjoy some Midwestern hospitality—in this Lake Michigan vacationland.

Smoke from this week's Southern California wildfires is riding a high-pressure system to the Northwest.

Millennium Park's Lurie Garden is just one crucial food source for the pollinators.

Vermont officials scheduled another public input meeting to discuss recreation and conservation plans for the area.

Check out Backpacker Contributors's author page.

Check out Backpacker Contributors's author page.

Michy Ramos is the first Georgia high schooler to attend the Joint Antarctic School Expedition.

Farmland stacks to the sky on a trek through the Ifugao Rice Terraces.

Hike the wild terrain that shaped America’s patron saint of wilderness.

Forget higher—go deeper. The greatest adventure in Asia is a real-life Lost World hidden inside Son Doong, the planet’s largest cave.

Owl populations are still declining in national forests despite logging bans of the '90s.

The Prescott National Forest restrictions protect nesting bald eagles.

The traditional decoration has reappeared in defiance of a Parks Board prohibition.