SAMO Youth Program Connects Diverse Teens to NPS
A highly selective program introduces high school seniors and grads to National Park Service work in the Santa Monica mountains.
Trips
Trips
Your dream backpacking trips are waiting for you. Find and explore new hiking trails and backpacking routes across the country with advice, adventure travel stories, topo maps, photography, and more from the experts at Backpacker.
Your dream backpacking trips are waiting for you. Find and explore new hiking trails and backpacking routes across the country with advice, adventure travel stories, topo maps, photography, and more from the experts at Backpacker.
The Best Hike-Plus-Brewery Pairs in Illinois
From Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve to Rock Cut State Park, seven perfect days of hiking and beer.
This Summer, 7 Rabid Bats Found in City
According to Cook County officials, too many rabid bats have been discovered in the city.
4 Underrated Hiking Destinations to Visit Now
Discover the country’s least visited public lands, but go now: These close-to-home trips will be classics before long.
A New Perspective on Sweetwater State Park: Kayaking.
Sweetwater State Park is the most popular in Georgia—with 800,000 visitors—but you can still paddle your way to solitude.
Snake Bites on the Rise in South
According to Georgia Poison Control, snake bites are up close to 50 percent this year in Georgia.
Learn about New England Birds of Prey
Check out BACKPACKER Contributors and Editors's author page.
Paddle Cotuit Bay
Check out BACKPACKER Contributors and Editors's author page.
Stone Mountain Is Again an Ideological Battlefield
Sometimes called the Mount Rushmore of the Confederacy, the granite relief of Davis, Lee, and Jackson is the center of a charged debate.
Video: Camelback Santa Takes on Phoenix Parks and Rec
John Cressey, who hikes a Christmas tree to the top of Camelback Mountain every year, might lose his annual tradition.
Video: Teens Rescued from Grand Canyon after 5 Days
Friends Reese McMichael and Rowan Fitch, both 18, found a water source and hunkered down for days.
Catskills Swimming Holes Being Loved to Death
The Peekamoose Blue Hole sometimes sees 1,000 visitors per day. Are more regulations necessary?
"The Great 21st Century Base Camp" Pitched for ADK Frontier Town Site
Frontier Town, a 288-acre amusement park closed since 1998, could be transformed into a classic Adirondack camp.
"The Three Amigos"—Senators McCain, Graham, and Lieberman—Hike in Arizona
"The three amigos together again!" tweets McCain of a hike in Oak Creek Canyon.
For Labor Day Campers, Best Lake Levels in 11 Years
With good lake levels dispersing visitors, and smoke levels improving, Labor Day weekend is shaping up in northern California.
Animal Caused Stanford Dish Fire, Say Officials
A three-acre blaze broke out at the Stanford Dish. The culprit? Probably a bird, officials say.
Hiker Survives Lightening Strike Near Squaw Valley
At Tinker Knob near Soda Springs, an Austrian man was struck—and lived to tell about it.
Aspen Couple Found Dead Near Capitol Peak
Carlin Brightwell and Ryan Marcil, both in their late 20s, likely fell somewhere near Capitol's summit.
Permits, Shuttles, Fees Among Proposals to Protect Hanging Lake
On a busy day, some 1,100 people visit fragile Hanging Lake. A proposed plan would cap hikers at 615.
Study: Colorado 14ers Busier Than Projected
According to a study by the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, hiker-use days jumped 51,000 from 2015 to 2016.
In California, Reduced Emissions and a Booming Economy Go Together
“California is the most energy efficient economy in the world, and least carbon intensive,” says researcher.
LA's Wilacre Park to Close for Upgrades
Wilacre Park, popular for its hiking and great views, will be closed from September 5 to January 5.
Could Lighter-Colored Streets Lower Temps in LA?
Los Angeles is coating some neighborhood streets in light gray. Will project "Cool Pavement" work?
100 Days Outdoors: Bolivia, California
Exploring the surprisingly desolate landscape of the high sierras.
Women Set New Unsupported Speed Record on Wonderland Trail
Allison Macsas and Mallory Brooks complete 93 miles in 29 hours.
Permit Now Required to Pick Huckleberries in Gifford Pinchot
Want to bring home berries from the central and south Cascades? Even amateurs need a permit this year.
Paint the Peninsula Brings Artists to Olympic National Park
Twenty-two artists from around North America are spending the week in plein air, painting the beauty of the Olympics.
Active Duty Air Force Major Dies on Mount Baker
Maj. Mario Cooper, 37, of SeaTac, fell several hundred feet and landed in a glacial crevasse.
The Best Day Hikes in America: The Rest
14 incredible trails every hiker needs to try.
The Best Day Hikes in America: Bears Ears to Adams Pass
Popo Agie Wilderness, Wyoming
The Best Day Hikes in America: Devil’s Gulch
Long Trail State Forest, Vermont
The Best Day Hikes in America: Sandstone Peak Trail
On this 6-mile loop in Point Mugu State Park, you can climb to the tallest point in the Santa Monica Mountains and relax by the shores of Zuma Beach.
The Best Day Hikes in America: Baldface Traverse
White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire
The Best Day Hikes in America: Swift Camp Creek Trail
Red River Gorge, Kentucky
The Best Day Hikes in America: Loess Hills Loop
Sylvan Runkel State Preserve, Iowa
The Best Day Hikes in America: Seven Hollows Trail
Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas
The Best Day Hikes in America: Sycamore Canyon to Parson Springs
Coconino National Forest, Arizona
The East Chicago Lead Crisis, One Year Later
Last year, more than a thousand West Calumet Housing Complex residents were told to relocate. Where are they now?
The Best Day Hikes in America: Mt. Rogers via Massie Gap
Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia
The Best Day Hikes in America: Lighthouse Rock
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas
The Best Day Hikes in America: Fall Creek Falls Trail
Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee
The Best Day Hikes in America: Mt. Greylock via Stony Ledge
Mt. Greylock State Reservation, Massachusetts
The Best Day Hikes in America: Mt. Abraham
Mt. Abraham Ecological Reserve, Maine
The Best Day Hikes in America: Beehive Basin
Gallatin National Forest, Montana
The Best Day Hikes in America: Godwin Hill Loop
Konza Prairie Preserve, Kansas
The Best Day Hikes in America: Rim of the Gap Trail to Jones Gap
Caesars Head and Jones Gap State Parks, South Carolina
The Best Day Hikes in America: West Rim-Turkey Path
Colton Point State Park, Pennsylvania
The Best Day Hikes in America: Little Wild Horse- Bell Canyon Loop
San Rafael Swell, Utah
The Best Day Hikes in America: Eagle Creek Trail
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon
The Best Day Hikes in America: Shining Rock via Art Loeb Trail
Shining Rock Wilderness, North Carolina
The Best Day Hikes in America: Bison Trail
Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma
The Best Day Hikes in America: Wittenberg Mountain
Slide Mountain Wilderness, New York
The Best Day Hikes in America: Ice Box Canyon
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada
The Best Day Hikes in America: Shovel Point
Tettegouche State Park, Minnesota
August Open Cabin Weekend
Check out BACKPACKER Contributors and Editors's author page.
The Best Day Hikes in America: Illinois Canyon Trail
Starved Rock State Park, Illinois
The Best Day Hikes in America: Nu’alolo Cliffs Trail to Awa’awapuhi Trail
Koke’e State Park, Hawaii
The Best Day Hikes in America: Goldbug Hot Springs
Salmon-Challis National Forest, Idaho
The Best Day Hikes in America: Cloudland Canyon Waterfalls to West Rim
Cloudland Canyon State Park, Georgia
The Best Day Hikes in America: Island Trail
Caladesi Island State Park, Florida
The Best Day Hikes in America: Berry Creek Falls Loop
California’s oldest state park hides champion old-growth redwoods in tight gorges and steep, mossy canyons threaded with waterfalls.
The Best Day Hikes in America: Pawnee Pass
Indian Peaks Wilderness, Colorado
The Best Day Hikes in America: Crow Pass to Raven Glacier
Chugach National Forest, Alaska
The Best Day Hikes in America: Walls of Jericho Trail
Skyline Wildlife Management Area, Alabama
The Best Day Hike in America: Winchester Mountain Lookout
Mt. Baker Wilderness, Washington
The Best Day Hikes in America: North Fork Mountain to Chimney Top
Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia
Homeless Group May Sue City Over Planned Bike Path
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless say proposed paths will drive out residents under several Lake Shore Drive bridges.
Hike: Tripyramid Loop
Check out BACKPACKER Contributors and Editors's author page.
Thru-Hike Basics
Check out BACKPACKER Contributors and Editors's author page.
Getting Revenge in Denali National Park
Showing off on a hike doesn't always go the way you plan it.
When You Wipe With the Wrong Leaves
Just because there’s no poison ivy around doesn’t mean you’re in friendly territory.
The Time I Almost Lost an Eye on the Appalachian Trail
An AT thru-hiker invites friends along for a comedy of horrors.
Hikers vs. Bees
When a group of hikers disturb a beehive, things can’t get worse. Until they do.
Video: Adirondacks Hiker Comes Face-to-Face With Moose
Says 35-year-old hiker, "In one picture, he looked like he was actually smiling at me."
New Management Plan for 800-mile Arizona Trail
Right now, "the state's largest volunteer project" is short on resources—but various agencies are coming together to change that.
When Shelter Means Stealing a Cabin
Optimism isn’t a weather forecast.
Two Hikers Found Dead Near Amboy Crater
The Orange County couple were hiking in the Mojave, where temps reached 113 degrees.
Second-Generation Wild Condor Born in Southern Big Sur
Miracle and Nomad, two California condors, have a chick—the first born in the wild in decades.
Pioneer Square Could Redefine the National Park
Seattle's very urban Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park has an important lesson: relevance.
"Is That Dog Vomit on the Hiking Trail? No, It’s Slime Mold"
Slime mold comes in many forms. But this one is the most...memorable.