Trips

Get ready for the PCT—or just daydream—with our map of the highlights of one of America's iconic long trails.

Travel the country with all the creature comforts of home

Sick of the snow? South Florida is your ticket to sun, warmth, and wildlife.

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.

Go hiking at one of these ten reader-suggested destinations, and you'll never stop.

Travel the world or go for a long walk? You don't have to choose.

Find solitude on thru-hikes with A-list scenery and B-list crowds.

Few blazes, fewer trail angels: Canada’s Great Divide Trail offers a rare chance to go back in time and experience the birth of a thru-hike.

Long-trail hikers agree: These are the best places to spend a zero day.

Sate your hiker hunger with these fan favorites.

In a cabin in the Maine woods, two men cook up "the best trail magic" of the entire Appalachian Trail.

By putting real names to trail names, The Hiker Yearbook is helping AT hikers keep in touch.

Oregon harbors some of the greatest gems on the Pacific Crest Trail—but you’ll never know it if you don’t take your time.

Only have a few days? Sample the best of the Pacific Crest Trail on this bite-size trip.

The Trans-Alaska Trail would be America’s wildest path—if a determined group of Alaskans can make it happen.

We sent Amanda “Zuul” Jameson to the PCT to share what it’s really like to live the life of an end-to-ender.

The Packing It Out crew hauled thousands of pounds of trash off the AT and PCT over the last two years. If we all followed their lead, perhaps there’d be nothing left to pick up.

The hardest part of hiking from Mexico to Canada? Coming home.

Wander through the sand on these three impressive trails.

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.

Experience thru-hiking fever (and New England hardwoods) on this section of the historic Long Trail across Glastonbury Mountain. BY RYAN WICHELNS

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

In Ethiopia, the Bale Mountains’ glacier-carved plateaus and canyons teem with rare wildlife.

All hikes end. Sometimes that's a blessing.

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.

Find some feathered friends on these three hikes.

Go ahead and complain about admission in national forests—just remember what they do for the wilderness you love.

Waterfalls, grey days, and big peaks are the name of the game for our hiker's last few miles in Oregon.

Paddle through a blackwater swamp and see A-list wildlife in Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. BY KATHY KYLE

See Missouri's tallest waterfall and stand on its tallest peak on this overnight on the Taum Sauk section of the Ozark Trail. BY MARK HINCH

Hike to backcountry Rainbow Hot Springs in the Weminuche. BY KIRSTEN DOBROTH

Sample the recently restored Wild Rogue Loop on this circuit through canyons and woods in Oregon. BY LAURA LANCASTER

Walk along Paint Creek in Yellow River State Forest on this overnight backpacking trip and you'll know it's true: Iowa is rugged. BY KOREY PETERSON

Kayak where land, sea, and river converge, then camp on a beach and take to a wildlife refuge on foot on this multiway paddling trip to Capers and Bulls Islands. BY DAVID KUCZKIR

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.

Our PCT correspondent finally crosses the border.

Check out Morgan Tilton's author page.

Check out Morgan Tilton's author page.

Check out Morgan Tilton's author page.

Check out Morgan Tilton's author page.

Keeping weight on is a tough game when you're walking 30 miles a day—and when you don't bring a stove, it only gets worse.

Now on the second half of her hike, our PCT correspondent braves blazing temperatures in NorCal.

With 1,300 miles behind her, our PCT correspondent is halfway done with the biggest hike of her life.

You don't need snow (or a trust fund) to enjoy this legendary ski town.

Sample a smorgasbord of mountains from this chill California outpost.

Bald eagles, skiing, and mountain biking galore: It doesn't get much better than this outdoor paradise.

In Homer, playing outside is a way of life.

With two national parks and endless wilderness nearby, this may be America's best-situated adventure town.

Explore Arizona's red rock country.

Hike to a giant stone wall, and take a dip afterward.

Why Crested Butte? Because it's crowded with wildflowers, not people.

Get a tour of the best that the Adirondacks have to offer in this upstate destination.

Sneak in the side door to Great Smoky Mountains.

West Virginia's coolest trail town is a great place to refuel on pancakes—and a great place to earn them.

This gateway to the Apostle Islands is a haven for paddlers.

Check out Morgan Tilton's author page.

Check out Morgan Tilton's author page.

Check out Morgan Tilton's author page.

Check out Morgan Tilton's author page.

Start planning your West Virginia adventure.

Our PCT thru-hiker restocks her wares and meets up with an old friend.

Twenty-plus miles of mud and sweat every day can leave a hiker smelling worse than a locker room's lost-and-found

Hike up to 9,000', set up camp, and put on your best suit or dress and enjoy a chilled cocktail.

Your correspondent heads to Door County, WI for an active winter weekend with great local food. by MATT CLAPP

Sometimes, you just need a break from the adventure. Our expert sounds off on how to get a bed and a hot shower mid-trail.