Trips

Tick off the state high point on this 3-day backcountry adventure.

Climb this iconic summit on an uncrowded sneak route.

These ten hikes are the perfect Father's Day getaways.

Grab your canoe or kayak and head for the water on one of these six summer paddle trips.

Ditch Houston for the bayou on this paddling adventure. Just watch out for the gators.

See historic bridges and wildlife on this 38.6-mile paddle through America's heartland.

Alligators, birds, and even dolphins will be your company on this paddle.

Paddle 7 miles up the Wailua River to secret waterfalls, hidden swimming holes, and one of Kauai's best rope swings.

By Marissa Gawel

The Bay Area's best hikes range from enormous redwoods to waterfalls dropping straight to the sea.

Link pristine forests, wildflower meadows, and two picturesque lakes on this gentle, 3.7-mile hike near Snoqualmie Pass.

Ditch the high lowland temps and head for the water on these six lake hikes.

Follow this loop mixing on- and off-trail travel through vibrant wildflower displays and past snow-fed streams to a huge alpine lake with unbeatable campsite views of Mount Meeker.

This 11-mile out-and-back climbs to two high-altitude lakes in New Mexico's Carson National Forest.

This easy loop hops islands and sand dunes beside Lake Michigan.

This 23.6-mile backpack along the shore of Lake Superior is perfect for a long weekend or a weekday escape.

Like its name suggests, the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail offers near-constant water views—and if you want to see it all, you’d better arrive before the dogwood flowers do.

Active Pass member Robin Mino takes the rocky route on the descent from Huemul Pass to Lake Viedma in Patagonia.

From lakeshore rambles to mountain peaks, these trails showcase the very best of the midwest.

Flowers aren’t just for meadows. Look up to see spring among the branches.

Link two of Grand Teton's deepest and most spectacular valleys via a high pass.

With America reopening, it’s high time to hit the road. See some of the country’s greatest parks, grasslands, and trails on these handpicked routes.

Summit peaks, swim lakes, and cross the Continental Divide on the best hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park.

This 10.5-mile out and back promises wildflower drenched meadows, stunning vistas, and two pristine alpine lakes perfect for a cold dip or sunrise photo op.

Not every summit needs to be grueling. Get all of the glory with none of the struggle on these 7 hikes.

Some high points require expert skill, a bit of luck, and probably some suffering. Not these. Here are 14 peaks—high on views, low on effort—that don’t play hard to get.

Spring rains turn this swath of forest in the Loess Hills into a natural paradise.

Head from sea level to a ridgeline stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail on the best hikes near San Diego.

Hike some of the East Coast's wildest wilderness on the AT.

Wind through a chain of alpine lakes with spectacular views of Mts. Baker and Shuksan on this easy 6.5-mile overnight.

Our writer reconciles her family and her future on the path to Harding Icefield.

Jackson Hole has world-class summer adventures waiting for every adventurer!

The OCT might not have the wilderness solitude of other long trails. But lean into its unique charm and you'll find a thru-hike experience unlike any other.

World-class fishing, celebrated mountain biking, and epic canoe-access camping, and so much more in this gem of the North.

The 53-mile Lost Coast Trail heads through some of California's last pristine beaches.

This 7.2-mile round-trip hike to the Dutch Doctor lean-to in Harriman State Park takes you right into the wilderness, only an hour outside NYC.

Forget Yellowstone or Yosemite: One of the highest concentrations of bears in the U.S. lives right here in the Appalachians.

Check out Backpacker Contributors's author page.

Grand Staircase-Escalante’s Little Death Hollow takes you into one of the most remote corners of Utah.

After a year of virtual meet-ups and less-than-ideal fresh air intake, this Colorado mountain town is the perfect place to fill up your adventure tanks.

Feeling adventurous? Take on the seven-and-a-half mile hike to Panamint City, an abandoned village deep within Death Valley’s Surprise Canyon.

Start your hiking season without waiting for summer weather on one of these five treks.

Share your solitude with wolves and beavers in Wisconsin's Porcupine Lake Wilderness.

Ditch the crowds but keep the views at Boundary Lake in California's Emigrant Wilderness.

Shake off your cabin fever on one of these five early-season routes.

There are campsites—and then there are campsites. Settle in for one fantastic night at one of these prime spots, from mountain views to a beach getaway in the middle of Yosemite.

The national parks are our national treasure, and these 10 campsites are the best they have to offer. Hike in, pick up your jaw, and post up in paradise.

A short hike in the Adirondacks leads to a classic 1900s Great Camp and a smaller, but no less beautiful tent camp.

More miles means there's more to see when you go bikepacking off the grid.

If you want a side of solitude with your wilderness awe, head to these second-superlatives, where the grandeur is enormous but the crowds are not.

Head off the beaten—or any—path on one of the Adirondacks more obscure slide paths.

Escape the city at this wild respite just a stone’s throw from downtown Chicago

Hopping Pawnee Pass might be the secret to escaping the Indian Peaks’ crowds.

Find seasonal solitude close to home on this ideal backpack for winter beginners in New Hampshire's White Mountains.

See everything from low desert to high peaks on this 30-mile stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail.

Socially-distanced adventures that are so worth the wait.

"You get to feel nature under your feet.”

Amid the vast plains and prairies of Kansas, find an unexpected expanse of rugged geological formations well worth visiting.

Follow BP Field Scout Korey Peterson's two-day route through the Dakota Badlands.

A backpacker contemplates the challenges of Calendar Year Triple Crown on the eve of his 8,000-mile hike.

Meditations on a special place in the desert southwest.

Find alpine bliss halfway through this snowshoe beneath an active volcano in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

The climb up this legendary peak's volcanically shifting landscape is never quite the same, no matter how many times you do it.

Spend anywhere from a few memorable hours to a few remarkable days circumnavigating one of these ten lakes.

You don’t need to travel far to try something new. Redline your state, see a celestial show, or get to know your local wildlife with these 8 ideas.

Make memories without the crowds on five spectacular treks that aren’t household names.

You don’t need to renew your passport to make memories this year: Get out and get hiking with these phenomenal, uncrowded destinations.

Coyote Gulch Trail, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, UT

In the winter, the mountains and ridges of Tennessee transform.

Winter on the Appalachian Trail is blessedly crowd-free. Enjoy it on this classic day hike.

A weeklong paddle through Florida’s Everglades National Park is chock-full of wildlife encounters.

Destinations Editor Kristin Smith loves this shoulder-season overnight on East Bank Ross Lake Trail in Washington's North Cascades National Park.

Ride the train or the bus all the way to the trailhead on these short adventures.

Nature and Old West history meet.

Get to know the northwestern rainforest—and its salamanders—on this overnight route.

What does it take to plan a for a record-setting thru-hike attempt? A Calendar-Year Triple Crown hopeful spills.

Spend two days in the high country of Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Hike to one of these nine fire lookouts for unbeatable views and a unique backcountry experience.

See the coast the way it was meant to be seen.