Trips

Navigate a vertical sandstone maze to guaranteed solitude on a high-desert summit.

Scramble a sneak route to Rainier-worthy views-of Rainier and much more.

Top a Yosemite-like dome in a sea of green.

Claim a rare feat on this classic-in-waiting loop.

Stand atop The Mountain State's most famous peak.

Feel like you've notched a first ascent.

Walk a scary-narrow rock fin to an airy summit.

Tackle tricky terrain to gain a solitary alp.

Bag a stout weekend adventure-and vistas from the big lake to the High Uintas.

Climb without crowds to the state's top mountain view.

Cross elk-filled woods and bighorn- busy flats on this park's quiet side.

Venture off SoCal's coast for long beaches, hidden canyons, and sea life.

Glide through back-to-back lakes on a classic North Country canoe trip.

Go ahead, look again. And again. These images are worth a third, fourth, and then a tenth gaze.

Tryout tips from a Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. Veteran

Head out on one of these trails in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

Hike these long trails in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Kansas, and Oklahoma, and head south to Texas to see Horned Lizards.

Enjoy soaring views from open ridges on this easy-access overnight.

Escape Skyline Drive to discover secret summits and hidden valleys.

Ramble along a wide river to quiet, old-growth hollows.

For guaranteed solitude in the park's southwest reaches, explore this quiet loop during the off-season.

Watch your step on Utah' Highline Trail. The nonstop views and rampant wildlife are distractingly spectacular. Plus: Gaze away on 9 more elevated hikes.

Climb across mesas and up canyon walls to a cave full of pictographs.

Discover real wilderness just two hours from Portland.

Hike these long trails in Washington, Oregon, and California, and climb to a 10,064-foot peak in Angeles National Forest.

Come for the sheer, glaciated peaks, but be mesmerized by rain-fed waterfalls that pour down on all sides.

Discover a private paradise by crossing the park’s convoluted Waterpocket Fold.

Think you're a tough guy (or gal)? Take our five-week challenge and enter our video contest for a chance to prove it.

If you plan to hit more than one national park in a year, consider this national parks pass.

Paddle to Maryland's Assateague Island; pack an ice axe for the Presidentials.

Hike through three ecological zones in east Texas's carnivore country.

Paddle to shoreline solitude, then perch on dunes above the Atlantic Ocean in Maryland's Assateague Island National Seashore.

Track beneath waterfalls and icicle-hung trees to a soothing soak.

Hike from forest floor to a rocky ridge linking twin summits in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Escape front-country crowds on a trek to the park's idyllic interior.

Going the distance? Use these tips to ease big-mile trips.

BACKPACKER editor Jonathan Dorn's photos and memories of a six-day desert adventure race in Abu Dhabi

If the average picture is worth 1,000 words, the best wilderness images from BACKPACKER's top photographers are worth millions. Get inspired--and find the beta you need to hike to our favorite scenes--in this collection of classics.

Relax in a hiker-friendly lodge at the Appalachian Trail's southern tip.

Soak up high-desert views amid the Lone Star State's tallest peaks.

Roll from dark hollows to dolomite ridges in the Ozark highlands of Missouri's Mark Twain National Forest.

Hike from a wildlife-choked river valley to soaring mountain views.

Hike among moose and wolves on this two-day escape to Isle Royale National Park.

Your favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the Appalachians.

Conquer the rocks, ridges, and ravines on the East's toughest trail.

Like peaks, lakes, and wildflowers? You'll love this Rockies classic in White River National Forest.

Discover a hidden basin filled with wildlife, lakes, and granite peaks.

Cross the west edge of the Chugach for glaciers, bears, and wildflowers.

From routes to food to post-hike brewski, we've got your weekend backpacking plans dialed. This week, we've got three killer adventures in Kings Canyon and Shenandoah. Ready? Read. Rip. Go!

Follow the editors as they test gear on Norway's Folgefonna Glacier.

Few places serve up fierce, unpredictable winter weather quite like Mt. Washington, the 6,288-foot capstone of New Hampshire's White Mountains. Battle hurricane-force winds--and 20-plus feet of annual snowfall--while tackling the East's best mountaineering, or choose from hundreds of miles of snowy trails for a lower elevation romp.

Towering 7,000-plus feet above Jackson Hole, the Tetons wrest more than 30 feet of snow from passing storms and pile it thick on road-accessible slopes.

The granddaddy of the Cascades looms above Seattle like a great white beacon for snow junkies. The mountain's 25 major glaciers hold enough ice to bury Manhattan 150 feet deep, and some of the planet's highest recorded snowfalls guarantee powder for all. Paradise, the park's winter epicenter, has year-round road access.

Traverse a Glacier: On Norway's west coast, ancient ice scapes offer an otherworldly adventure.

Hike to a natural day spa.

See some of the Rockies' most iconic mountains.

Rise from the desert floor to an airy, see-all perch.

Hike a remote paradise just hours from California's bustling cities.

Thru-hike America's most revered long trail: the Appalachian Trail.

Tag a team of the East's most challenging peaks in the White Mountains.

Step for scenery-packed step, nothing else compares to the John Muir Trail.

Sherpa's big year also includes an limited edition Suunto watch to benefit his foundation.

Take the guesswork out of weekend hike planning; download these new trips in Baxter State Park, the Bitterroot Wilderness, and the Trinity Alps.

Tackle Vancouver Island’s wild coast.

Ramble through brilliant red and yellow fall foliage.

Descend to the Ditch's primitive core on a three-day loop.

Hike in the spray of waterfalls deep in the heart of black bear country.

BACKPACKER's Life List: The International Edition is a free guide to the 20 best international hikes ever written about in the pages of Backpacker.

The best hikes near Minneapolis-St. Paul.

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