Trips

Kalaupapa Trail, Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Hawaii

Canyon del Muerto Route, Canyon De Chelly National Monument, Arizona

Bates Mountains Route, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona

Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri

Yapashi Pueblo Loop, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

Chilkoot Trail, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Alaska

Liberty Cap-Ute Canyon Loop, Colorado National Monument, Colorado

A little creak in the joints didn’t stop them. Emotional maturity, discipline, and life experience helped these eight badass older hikers thru-hike as well as—if not better than—any younger trekker.

Island Loop, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia

Florida Trail Loop, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

The sand beckons—but don't just throw down your towel and soak up the sun.

You can now discover the other Caribbean on the Waitukubuli National Trail. But should you?

The reefs and jungles of Mt. Alava are ripe for an off-beat trip.

Towering cacti and no crowds make this a perfect hike for getting away from it all.

Walking in this gypsum dunefield is hard—but it's worth the trouble.

Reef Bay & Brown Bay, Virgin Islands NP

The plains meet the bottomlands in this unique ecosystem.

Backcountry bliss is closer to the Beltway than you might expect. [Sponsored]

At one Colorado rescue, visitors can get up close and personal with the king of canines.

Hike into the wilderness to score a night at these rooms with a view.

Let a 10-year-old be your guide and discover a new kind of fun.

Dreaming of a truly long hike someday? Don't limit yourself to the famous options like the Appalachian Trail. Take this quick quiz to find out which trek is really right for you.

You’ve heard of the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails. Now add one of these ambitious hikes to your bucket list.

Check out Dennis Lewon's author page.

A sure way to make a two-week vacation more exciting? Bring a backpack but no plans.

Go for solitude with a DIY holiday celebration outdoors (pack out your tinsel), or go luxe and enjoy one of these festive feasts before tackling some of the country’s finest trails.

Long distance hiking is awesome, but becoming a thru-hiker can have some…side effects.

I leave the Pacific Crest Trail for the Donner Pass Tunnel hike.

Follow the Fletcher Canyon wash northwest through a pine forest and into a slot canyon. by Chelise Simmons

Hike Sugarloaf and Morrow Mountains in just a few hours at Morrow Mountain State Park outside Charlotte.

Hike to a beautiful waterfall and go for a swim in South Mountains State Park near Charlotte.

Bag three peaks in virtual solitude in the middle of summer on this gem atop Baxter State Park in Maine.

Find complete solitude and expansive views on one of Baxter State Parks lesser known and lesser traveled loop hikes.

Stretch your legs on a short loop hike and climb some natural rock outcrops at the King and Queen Seat

This fall, our editors took an 8-day journey along Turkey's Lycian Way trail. Here's the hikers' paradise they discovered.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Sequoia National Park, California

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Acadia National Park, Maine

Yosemite National Park, California

Olympic National Park, Washington

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Lava Beds National Monument, California

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan

Try these remote shelters for a true taste of New Zealand wilderness.

Start planning and training for next year’s long trail now.

Snowshoe through the Northwoods on this winter overnight to a shelter along the St. Croix River. BY KOREY PETERSON

Scramble across the trailless desert in Joshua Tree's wild northeast corner to inner Basin Pass. BY EMELIE FROJEN

Loop through Savage Gulf and you'll be rewarded with 50-foot cascades, swimming holes, see-forever views, and an amazing campsite. BY ERIC HARRISON

Check out 100parks's author page.

From trailheads to trail towns, US 395 in California serves up the ultimate road trip for hikers.

How’s this for a speed record? In June, BACKPACKER readers hiked almost 2,000 miles in 24 hours. One participant reflects on the unprecedented event.

Tour bluffs surrounding Arkansas’s Buffalo National River before nabbing a view of the tallest waterfall between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains.

Our PCTfield scout and his buddies enjoy Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Our PCT field scout meets his trail family.

Our scout heads out on the PCT.

Our field scout is about to embark on a yearlong journey of a lifetime.

Trek 1.4 miles to the summit of Cathedral Rock. BY CHELISE SIMMONS

Climb to the top of the Sierra Buttes for sweeping views from an old fire lookout. BY CHELISE SIMMONS

Ascend through aspen groves and pine forests and below limestone cliffs on this high-altitude adventure to killer views on the hike from Trail Canyon to North Loop. BY CHELISE SIMMONS

At 11,918 feet, Mt. Charleston is a peakbagger's dream. This strenuous, high-altitude (nontechnical) climb brings you to the top of the most prominent peak in Nevada—and it's only a short drive from Las Vegas. BY CHELISE SIMMONS

Plans to make 20,000-mile trip in five years

For backpackers, there’s nothing better in the entire park system. How much of it can one hiker see in a week?

Faces six months imprisonment, public lands ban.

Five months after an earthquake rocked Nepal, outfitters say that most of the country's trails are ready for trekkers. Here's what to know before you go.

Score local color without the crowds.

California’s rolling hills and desert heat will eagerly invite you to cool off in isolated swimming holes.

Elsewhere in the country, hikers are putting away their boots and packs for the winter, but here in Lost Maples, I’m about to set up a picture-perfect campsite on an outcrop 400 feet above the fall scenery. BY JUDY PAUL

Get the best of summer (waterfalls, swimming, beaching) with the best of fall (mild temps and colorful foliage) on this overnight through DeSoto State Park. BY VICTORIA STOPP

Explore the Superstition Mountains on this overnight across Red Tanks Divide. BY QUINN HARPER

Wind past a half-dozen jade pools on this loop in fall-perfect Huron-Manistee National Forest in Central Michigan. BY STUART PECK

Get the Wallowas to yourself on this loop through prime bear habitat in the rugged Joseph Canyon. BY PATRICE LA VIGNE

The reward for portaging so many times? The best fall foliage show the Northeast has to offer. Get it all on the Seven Carries route in the St. Regis Canoe Area. BY RYAN WICHELNS

Rowdy hikers and an ultrarunner's clash with park rangers have officials threatening to move the northern terminus of America's most famous trail.

Our correspondent endures hail and treks through Yosemite on the latest leg of her hike.

Finding a hike of your own is as easy as getting off the trail—and this Sierra spot makes it easy.

Discover the forgotten lakes and boulder fields in, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, UT. Take Ruth Lake Trail and head off on a private adventure.

Bush whack through the jungles of Congaree National Park, SC, to find the River Trail, then find sanctuary on one of the secluded beaches.

Even locals hardly know about Hesse Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN/NC, this secluded spot is the perfect nature get away to explore.