Trips

Stunning and easy-to-access vistas to bookmark for your next road trip

When it's finished, this in-progress long trail will let hikers take a stroll up the Appalachians without battling the AT's crowds.

After pandemic restrictions forced Sharon Wu and her fiancé to reschedule their wedding, they set their eyes on a consolation prize: the rugged Trans-Catalina Trail.

Start planning to hike these in-progress U.S. trails in 2022.

With the help of our friends and readers, we set out to find the best trail in all 50 states. From epic thru-hikes to short jaunts, these were the ones that rose to the top.

These difficult hikes will challenge you no matter who you are.

Where did our readers want to go this year? Turns out, a bit of everywhere.

The trails of Shenandoah National Park have it all, from mountain ridgelines to forested waterfalls to a whole range of thriving wildlife.

Plan your next big hike with this map of America's best long trails.

Watch as the freeskier and his camera man load up in the Bronco for some early-season scouting in one of Colorado's most rugged zones

No, they aren't Everest, but these soaring summit hikes will make you feel like you're standing on top of the world.

With an average of 43 feet of snow per year, Crater Lake is one of the best places to sample winter.

Make the most of the fourth season with these perfect national park hikes.

Grizzlies vanished from North Cascades National Park five decades ago. Or did they?

Whether you're after deep powder, dusty singletrack, lively après, or all of the above, the Biggest Little City in the World delivers

With over 30 years of thru-hiking and section-hiking long trails all over the country (but never the PCT), Andy Niekamp is definitely the voice of experience. Backpacker sat down with him to find out his tips, tricks, and favorite gear.

With over 30 years of thru-hiking and section-hiking long trails all over the country (but never the PCT), Andy Niekamp is definitely the voice of experience. Backpacker sat down with him to find out his tips, tricks, and favorite gear.

On a ski trip to the Pacific Northwest, Backpacker's editors found beauty, snow, and solitude.

Leave the tent at home: At these 12 perfect backcountry huts, you'll find an entirely new way to experience the trail

Circle an upland swamp rich with views, solitude, and wild edibles.

Want to do some good on your next big trip? Join us in Nepal in spring 2022. On this special adventure, we'll volunteer on a post-pandemic recovery effort, then go on a life-list trek.

Ten trails. Ten unmatched miles each. Get maximum bang for each boot step on hikes that our most-traveled contributors call their all-time favorites.

Ghosts, serial killers, and abandoned towns: These spooky-season hikes hit harder than your average Halloween attraction.

Deep in the wilds of Northern British Columbia's Spatsizi Wilderness Provincial Park, our scout proves there’s no joy like misery.

If you’re operating on a three-season schedule, you’re missing out. Here are a dozen reasons to keep your boots at the ready.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve is a pathless autumn paradise.

Make like a goat and hoof it to the trail: just a hop, skip, and a jump from D.C.

When most people think of fall colors, the first thing that comes to mind is leaves dropping from maples and aspens--but there's a whole rainbow to be found beyond that.

Every fall, male spiders in search of mates crowd the rocks of the 5.7-mile Condor Gulch to High Peaks Loop.

Sometimes the best trails are the ones you can easily access.

This is one hike that's worth getting up early for.

These peaks, passes and beaches are the perfect place to spot the first rays of the day.

From tiny foxes to giant sea cliffs, Channel Islands is a world all its own.

From 100-feet-deep slot canyons to towering mesas, Zion National Park has it all.

Picture the Alps without the crowds, and you have Island Lake.

This 12.1-mile overnight bags a Catskills Peak on the way to your lean-to camp spot.

You'll need to know your way around a tide chart—and be comfortable with rugged terrain. But a hike down California's Lost Coast Trail is worth the trouble.

With more than 17,000 feet of elevation change in 25 miles, this hike will push you to your limit.

These waterside trails are half beach vacation, half hiking trip.

An 18-mile paved trail will run from St. George to Zion National Park and offer parking lots, bathrooms, benches, and more. But you'll be waiting for a while.

Cliff falls are the second most common ways people die in one of America’s most dangerous national parks.

On a trip up Mt. Rainier's Disappointment Cleaver route, Cherlyn Eliza remembers that only your skills and your heart matter to the mountain.

He averaged about 10 miles every day, but still had the energy to play freeze tag at night.

Experience the beauty of fall foliage in Minnesota with these bucket list hikes

Take in the stars from an easy-to-reach backcountry campsite in Badlands National Park.

These hikes will take you from sandy beaches and sea stacks to glaciated mountain summits in just one day.

It's one of the classic day hikes of the United States—and with views like this, it's easy to see why.

The world's largest gypsum dune field isn't just a wonder of the natural world—it's a great place to hike, too.

This descent into this Wind River Range highlight is one no hiker will ever forget.

Explore a secret wonderland in the West Needle Mountains.

It's the most-visited 14er in Colorado. But that doesn't mean you should skip it.

See plentiful wildlife and few people on this 41-mile hike.

Charming mountain towns, adrenaline fueled adventures and beautiful views are waiting for you

At one of the most beautiful parks in the northwest, this hiker went outside on their own terms.

Almost entirely above treeline, this 6.5-mile day-hike loop cruises below rounded 12,000-foot ridges en route to Tobacco Lake in the heart of Colorado’s South San Juan Wilderness.

If you're new to Colorado's 14ers or simply looking for a day hike into the clouds, try these (relatively) easy adventures on Colorado's tallest mountains.

Why this lesser-known trail in northern Arkansas should be your next thru-hike.

At 93 perfect miles long, the Wonderland Trail in Mt. Rainier National Park is about at short as thru-hikes get. But that doesn't make it any less spectacular. Plan your trip with our advice.

One of the windiest hikes in the world is no slouch on views, either.

Ohio is the last place you'd expect to discover an off-trail wonderland. But in Cuyahoga Valley, where cross-country hiking is allowed, finding the good stuff takes a little bit of work.

Bubbling hot springs, steaming geysers, and kaleidoscopic lava flows: If the world feels freshly made here, it's because, in a sense, it is.

The Appalachian Trail is the adventure of a lifetime. Make it yours with our ultimate guide to the country's most famous footpath and the prep, gear, and knowledge you'll need to go the distance.

Wildlife, wildflowers, and views await on this short but sweet Colorado hike.

The short and steep trip to Lake Agnes delivers with craggy peaks, scree fields (home to pika), and fish-filled alpine waters.

Climb to the top of Death Valley National Park on this 12-mile out-and-back.

The 33.2-mile round-trip Hoh River Trail winds through a rainforest wonderland fueled by over 12 feet of rain per year.

Climb through scree, alpine meadows, and boulder fields on these off-trail summit adventures.

Scramble up classic redrock and take in the canyon country views on this 4-mile out-and-back.

This 2.5-mile loop in the Wichita Mountains nabs a summit and heads through a series of boulder-built caves.

Check out Drew Allred's author page.

Mastered walking? Time to use your hands as well as your feet on these adventurous day 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