Trips

Explore the mountains from the inside out in these always-chilly, sometimes-spooky spots. Bring a headlamp.

While spotting bison may not actually be that hard, some places are definitely better than others for seeing them. Here are some of our favorites.

It's the day every PCT hiker waits for: we finally arrive at Kennedy Meadows, the gateway to the Sierras.

I am no endurance athlete, but the Pacific Crest Trail allowed me 30 sweet miles in a day.

The Pacific Crest Trail wants to test my sleeping bag's rating. Spoiler: it failed.

Finally getting trail legs on the Pacific Crest Trail.

The Pacific Crest Trail drums up a wicked four-day storm.

When my buddies bailed on a backcountry fishing expedition, I figured I’d just go anyway. I didn’t expect how different it would be.

These 10 miles of pure Alaska experience are among the best 100 miles of trail in the whole national park system.

Explore waterfalls; check out the best view of Mt. Hood; spend the night alongside mountain lakes in Portland's best local hikes.

Get crowd-free, after-work views; see the Superstition's greener side; and overnight in a heavenly oasis on Phoenix's best local hikes.

Collect wild berries; steal amazing views of Mt. Rainier; or camp in the shadow of twin mountains in some of Seattle's best local hikes.

Share America’s best idea with your children at these parks any adventurous family will love.

Register for our 24-hour thru-hike AT in a Day on August 20, 2016 and be part of something huge.

For long-haul hikers, time has a way of putting things into perspective.

National park campgrounds are crowded and expensive. Here are your no-fee alternatives.

Explore beaches, mountains, and redwood forests on California's Lost Coast.

The Tetons are showy enough to make roadside views almost as good as the backcountry ones. Almost. This wilderness lake is a haul to reach, but the journey is just as good as the destination.

By Melissa Avery

By Matt Mills

Most people look at Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains and see a line of peaks. Our scout saw an opportunity: pioneering the range’s first traverse.

Upgrade your lunch break; visit a lush state park; and get Big Bend-style views without the drive on three of Austin's best local hikes.

Appreciate the urban on a nitty-gritty city trek; dayhike to a crowd-free airy view; and snag a peak-bagging overnight on Los Angeles's best local hikes.

Answers to your AT in a Day FAQs

Snag killer sunset views, escape to the Oquirrhs, and swim in the Uintahs with these easy-access picks for Salt Lake City's best local hikes.

Vist a canyon, tag a summit, and cross alpine passes, all without driving more than 90 minutes from downtown on these top local hikes.

Escape the city on these easy-to-reach trips, from after-work jaunts to an overnight paddling trip on the Rock River.

There's plenty of wilderness to be found after work, in a day, or for a weekend on Orlando's top close-to-home trails.

We've got your picks for the best after work, day-long, and overnight trips near Beantown, including the White Mountains, Blue Hills, and more.

Like your favorite neighborhood watering hole, you can count on New York City's best local hikes to deliver exactly what you need, where you need it.

The first 60 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail aren't what I imagined.

Our contributor makes the tough decision to step off the Appalachian Trail.

Make a quick getaway to a lush forest 10 minutes from Uptown at RibbonWalk Nature Preserve.

Experience the best of what Maryland has to offer in less than 8 miles in Catoctin Mountain Park.

Enjoy lake views and isolated woods on this easy trail along Badin Lake in Uwharrie National Forest.

Wander the famed Scottish Highlands by day and enjoy refined, trailside B&Bs by night on the West Highland Way in the British Isles.

Sometimes you just need a dose of nature to get you through the day. Let these mountain landscape photos inspire you.

Our planet is an amazing place. These incredible photos, excerpted from the book "The Art of Adventure," celebrate all kinds of ways to enjoy it.

Climb the peak with the infamous moniker "Home of the World's Weather" in winter.

Here are the stories behind 10 of North America’s most impressive trail-building feats—and how to see them yourself.

These backcountry wildflower photos will make you want to go all Sound of Music and romp through these meadows and prairies.

Petrified Forest National Park's trailless backcountry is the setting for a trip that will test both your navigation skills and your desert sense.

By Stuart Peck

Explore Badlands National Park's trailless interior on a backpacking trip along Spring Draw Creek.

Our contributor checks off the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail—69.6 miles in.

Hike past expansive beaver ponds and prime elk habitat on this loop through Yellowstone’s scenic northwest corner.

Explore well-preserved Living History Farm on this short hike near Charlotte.

Visit Little Zion in Red Rock Canyon for sandstone canyons, springs, waterfalls, and massive ponderosa pine trees.

Enjoy a short hike to 200-year-old ruins along Reedy Creek on the Robinson Rockhouse Trail in Charlotte.

When you're in need of some amazing views, and willing to drive for them, hit the Grindstone Trail on Pilot Mountain outside Charlotte.

If this trail wasn’t already on your bucket list, we guarantee it will be now.

What everyone asks about the Pacific Crest Trail, and what I want to know.

Leave the desert scenery behind as you hike beneath twisted rock spires and towering ponderosa pines en route to the Hidden Forest Cabin. This hike can be done in a day or as an overnighter.

Trace the path of the Palouse River through a basalt canyon on the 3.1-mile Colfax Trail south of Spokane.

This close-to-Charlotte hike takes you along McMullen Creek via fun, bike-friendly boardwalks.

Weave through a maze of rock formations on this 2.6-mile loop in the Dishman Hills on the outskirts of Spokane, Washington.

Stroll 4.8 miles along Lake Norman on the Lake Shore Trail about an hour from Charlotte.

Yes, you should visit Arches, but don't pass up stunning Corona Arch outside Moab. Bonus: You'll get views of the Colorado River and Bootlegger Canyon.

It's spring! The high country trails may still be covered in snow, but drop down into one of the Inland Northwest's many scenic canyons and you'll find warmer temps, blooming wildflowers, and abundant wildlife.

Trails and Ales provides a fun, informal opportunity to meet other hikers and learn about opportunities for outdoor volunteering in Spokane.

Take in breathtaking views, stunning rock formations, and historical ruins on this 5-night itinerary.

Expansive views of Latah Creek and the city of Spokane, Washington await hikers who tackle the trails of the High Drive Parkway.

Mount Rogers via Massie Gap: A state high point, the Appalachian Trail, and wild ponies all in one hike—jackpot!

Wander through an ornithologist’s dream on this 1.3-mile loop through a secluded wetland south of Spokane, Washington.

Our contributor prepares to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.

People expected less of me on the Appalachian Trail because I was a woman.

Ski through a peaceful pine forest on this 3.1-mile loop east of Spokane, Washington.

Looking to escape the Las Vegas crowds? You better work! The trail up to Turtlehead Peak is strenuous—but the payoff is 360-degree views that you’ll likely have to yourself.

Discover basalt rock formations and blooming desert plants on this 3.8-mile hike in Nisqually John Canyon south of Spokane, Washington.

Get a quick dose of nature on a family-friendly hike that is surprisingly colorful.

Ooo, la la! Couples are swooning in each other’s eyes, cheap chocolates are selling like hotcakes, and single people are writing ironic posts on Facebook. Whether it’s your first date or your 50th anniversary, these hikes will make the fire burn brighter.

People come from all over the world to see Fire Wave, an unusual wave shaped rock that rises out from the sandstone.

Take the lesser-traveled route up one of Shenandoah National Park's most storied peaks.

Be a "birder" for a day on the easy Shady Trail in Latta Plantation.

Alpine meets Caribbean on this Idaho gem.

Test yourself in the Ouachita Mountains.

Hike to the best views in the Ansel Adams Wilderness.

Find solitude in Yellowstone's mountainous northwest corner.

Explore redrock canyons and ancient ruins.

See colorful wildflowers and big views on the Appalachian Trail.