The Math of Walking to Canada
Finishing the PCT before the snows start falling is part of the challenge.
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.
Feeling the "Canada Crunch": PCT Hikers' Race to the Border
Hikers on the Pacific Crest are starting to feel the squeeze—and our correspondent is no exception.
Tour Epic Summits in Virtual Reality
Can't get into the hills? Immerse yourself in these 360-degree mountain shots from the Backpacker crew.
Great Sand Dunes National Park to Expand
NPS to pay $6.8 million for Nature Conservancy land.
Bagging the John Muir Trail
Our PCT correspondent bags a second long trail on her way to Canada.
When Injury Almost Derails Your Thru-Hike
One loose rock can be all it takes to undo weeks of walking.
Minneapolis, MN: Without a Paddle (Boundary Waters Canoe Area)
Go where paddlers can't on this overnight loop through Boundary Waters. BY JASON DRURY
New York, NY: Movement for Migration (Stokes State Forest, NJ)
Amble past amber maples on Kittatinny Ridge as golden eagles and hawks soar overhead on this overnight loop. BY KATRINA ROSSOS
An Icy Climb Up Muir Pass
Amanda Jameson breaks out the microspikes for her climb up an unexpectedly snowy pass on the Pacific Crest Trail.
How Yosemite National Park is Working to Welcome Disabled Visitors
When the Americans with Disabilities Act required better trail access for all, Yosemite saw an opportunity.
A Kid's First Journey in Ed Abbey's Utah
In Canyonlands’ backcountry, a family learns that the wonder of our parks belongs to anyone who goes looking for it.
Sponsor Content: 5 Top Hikes to Discover Revelstoke's Alpine Beauty
Surrounded by mountain ranges, this Canadian mountain town packs a punch with beautiful hikes that you have to see to believe
Our Favorite National Park Ranger: Clay Hanna
You voted, we listened. Meet Clay Hanna, the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Supervisor for Grand Teton National Park, a model for his peers, a protector of visitor experiences, and one heckuva ranger.
Crossing High Sierra Passes on the Pacific Crest Trail
The climb was bad. The PUDs were worse.
Ask a Thru-Hiker: How Do I Get Get Food on the Trail?
Learn the three ways long-distance trekkers get their grub.
A.T. In A Day
We’re throwing a 2,180-mile party from Georgia to Maine! Join us on August 20th for our record-setting attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail in 24 hours.
The Story of Enid Michael, Yosemite's First Female Naturalist
In the early days of Yosemite, a woman could be anything—including herself
Hiking to Catch a Mount Whitney Sunrise
Our PCT correspondent watches the sunrise from the roof of America.
Hiking the Highest Point on the Pacific Crest Trail
Our PCT correspondent goes up Forester Pass—and takes the easy way down.
A Youth Spent Dirtbagging in Yosemite
Some people fall for the parks so hard, they can’t bring themselves to leave.
Ask a Thru-Hiker: How Does a Long Hike Change You?
Don't underestimate the physical and mental ships you'll go through on the trail.
How Trail Crews Fight the Forest in Olympic National Park
Don't let the manicured paths trick you: Workers in Washington state's mountains wage an endless war to keep the trails open.
How a New Wave of Ultrarunners Are Changing the National Parks
Is there a right way to experience our most iconic preserves? As backcountry trail running and multisport recreation boom, park managers are playing catch-up.
Paddling and Hiking North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest
Looking for a multisport trip? You couldn't do better than this stretch of wilderness on the east coast.
Playing Bear Canister Tetris in the Sierra
Fitting a hike's worth of supplies in a bruin-proof container is an art.
The Best National Park Campsites: Cottonwood Creek
Yellowstone National Park, Montana
The Best National Park Campsites: Sahale Glacier Camp
North Cascades National Park, Washington
Balancing Speed and Altitude Sickness on the Pacific Crest Trail
PCT correspondent Amanda Jameson busts out some major miles to get back to her trail family.
Trekking In Gates of the Arctic, Where Time Stops
Cross 70 miles of one of Alaska's loneliest wilderness areas to peek into North America's past.
The Best National Park Campsites: Bear Glacier Lake
Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Fighting Desert Fatigue on the Pacific Crest Trail
After 650 miles of desert, our correspondent is ready for the hills.
Fighting the Wind on the Pacific Crest Trail
The Los Angeles Aquaduct gifts hikers one of the PCT's first flat stretches—but some of its worst wind, too.
Ask a Thru-Hiker: What Injuries and Diseases Do Thru-Hikers Face?
Keep a look out for these ailments on the trail.
Taking a Break at Casa de Luna on the Pacific Crest Trail
For weary PCT hikers, a trail angel couple's house in Green Valley is the perfect place to recharge.
Rapid City Blog: Hiking Harney Peak
Check out Stephen Sebestyen's author page.
Rapid City Blog: The Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway
Check out Stephen Sebestyen's author page.
Rapid City Blog: Microbreweries
Check out Stephen Sebestyen's author page.
Rapid City Blog: Mount Rushmore
Check out Stephen Sebestyen's author page.
Rapid City Blog: Mountain Biking
Check out Stephen Sebestyen's author page.
Rapid City Blog: Cycling Downtown
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Rapid City Blog: South Dakota Air and Space Museum
Check out Stephen Sebestyen's author page.
Rapid City Blog: George Mickelson Trail
Check out Stephen Sebestyen's author page.
Ask a Thru-Hiker: What’s the Triple Crown of Hiking?
Ticking these three prestigious trails off your list is worth the time—but it'll take a lot of it.
A Night in Hiker Heaven
Our Pacific Crest Trail correspondent visits two of the route's most legendary trail angels.
How to Cope When You're Hiking Slowly
When the going gets tough, the tough start singing—and taking lots of snack breaks.
Making and Losing Friends on the Pacific Crest Trail
It's easy to meet people on the PCT—but not all of them stick around.
Rapid City Blog: Custer State Park Safari
Check out Lisa Jhung's author page.
Rapid City Blog: Family Shenanigans
Check out Lisa Jhung's author page.
Rapid City Blog: Downtown Trails and Recreation
Check out Lisa Jhung's author page.
Rapid City Blog: Impressive Learning Center
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Rapid City Blog: Jewels Above and Below Ground
Check out Lisa Jhung's author page.
Rapid City Blog: Crazy Horse Memorial
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Rapid City Blog: The Opposite of Camping Can be Fun
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Rapid City Blog: Oh, the Granite
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In Praise of Mountain Monogamy
By returning to the same place again and again, the old slowly becomes new again.
Braving Weather in the California Mountains
Mt. San Jacinto is a gorgeous hike. Just watch the weather.
When the Trail is Closed
What are thru-hikers to do when fire scars block their path?
The Best Views in the National Parks: Toroweap Overlook
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
The Best Views in the National Parks: Jordan Pond
Acadia National Park, ME
The Best Views in the National Parks: Forbidden Peak
North Cascades National Park, WA
The Best Views in the National Parks: The Dunes
Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO
The Best Views in the National Parks: Johns Hopkins Inlet
Glacier Bay National Park, AK
The Best Views in the National Parks: Hickman Bridge
Capitol Reef National Park, UT
The Best Views in the National Parks: Point of Arches
Olympic National Park, WA
The Best Views in the National Parks: Tall Trees Grove
Redwood National Park, CA
The Best Views in the National Parks: Taft Point
Yosemite National Park, CA
The Best Views in the National Parks: Thunder Lake
Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
The Importance of Doing Nothing
On the PCT, sometimes the laziest days are the most valuable.
Rapid City Blog: Mount Rushmore & Crazy Horse
Check out Madison Perrins and Aidan Lynn-Klimenko's author page.
Rapid City Blog: Nightlife
Check out Madison Perrins and Aidan Lynn-Klimenko's author page.
Rapid City Blog: Downtown, Rapid City
Check out Madison Perrins and Aidan Lynn-Klimenko's author page.
Sponsor Content: The South Carolina Scavenger Hunt
Enter the South Carolina Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win Editor’s Choice Gear!
Rapid City Blog: Badlands
Check out Madison Perrins and Aidan Lynn-Klimenko's author page.
Rapid City Blog: Custer State Park
Check out Madison Perrins and Aidan Lynn-Klimenko's author page.
Rapid City Blog: Spearfish Canyon
Check out Madison Perrins and Aidan Lynn-Klimenko's author page.
Indianapolis, IN: Primo Lakeside Camping (Charles C. Deam Wilderness)
Camp on the tip of this peninsula on a quick overnight in the Charles C. Deam Wilderness. BY STUART PECK
Asheville, NC: Hike with Elk (Cataloochee Divide Loop, Great Smoky Mountains National Park)
While Great Smoky Mountains might be the most visited park in the system, Cataloochee is far from the crowds—with a bit of luck, you can see as many elk as people.
See Out-of-This-World Scenery at Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Explore the moonscape of Idaho—lava tubes, cinder cones, caves, and tunnels— on this weekend trip.
Baltimore, MD: Harpers Ferry to Weverton Cliffs
Follow the white blazes at the symbolic halfway point of the Appalachian Trail and soak in some history.
Portland, Maine: Mount Jefferson and Mount Adams via the Great Gulf Trail and Six Husbands Trail
Test out one of the most notoriously difficult trails in New Hampshire's White Mountains.