Trips

It'll blow you away

A hair-raising hike

Ghost stories always seem scarier beside a flickering campfire. So, dim your headlamp and scoot up closer: our writer-at-large explores the ghoulish beginnings of these age-old tales and shares a few of his all-time favorite blood-curdlers. We dare you to read on.

A gym teacher's speed hike becomes a five-day bushwhack in Olympic National Park.

Read these real-life tales from five survivors who made it out alive, and learn what they did wrong–and right.

Survivors of the Bataan death march overcame one of history's most grueling walks. What kept them on their feet? and could you do the same? every year, more than 4,000 people hike through the New Mexico desert to find out.

Check off the most remote miles in California's Range of Light.

Is he a pilgrim, a victim, or a thief? The Appalachian Trail provides a path and refuge to all sorts of seekers. Few are as baffling as the man they called Saved.

Follow these guidelines to keep your gear dry, secure, and well balanced in a canoe or kayak.

Your partner can't go on. Should you stay–or go for help?

Here's how to avoid hypothermia.

As conservationists and energy developers fight over Wyoming's Red Desert, one thing is certain: There's no time like the present to hike through its unreal geography.

Coastal views, mountains, and fjords await on the Long Range Traverse in Newfoundland's Gros Morne National Park.

Wildflowers, bugs, and other nature photographs shot by our map correspondent on the AT © Jeff Chow

We've got your Appalachian Trail packing list dialed. Here, take stock of what you'll need to thru-hike the trail. Just print it out and get packing.

The system was rigged, says a former ranger. Here's how to beat it.

Hike with grizzlies in this remote northern corner of Alaska's greatest park.

America's first national park is a playground for grizzlies, wolves, moose, and hikers (not in that order).

Explore two ecosystems in this hinterland of moss-draped forests, ancient trees, and snowcapped peaks.

Trees, trees are everywhere, but sometimes there isn't a dry twig in sight.

Graze blueberry patches, explore swimming holes, and tag the South's high points on this sultry hike.

Send him out on a work trip. Let wilderness do the rest.

Drop into America's belly on a little-known hike that dips in and out of four different canyons, each blessed with gurgling spring water.

First John Francis stopped riding in cars. Then he stopped talking. More than three decades, two continent-spanning hikes, and countless trail miles later, he's still following his remarkable path of protest–only now he's not alone.

Climb classic Sierra passes, ogle granite monoliths, and camp above treeline in John Muir's second home.

Scramble up class III peaks and cross late summer snowfields on this strenuous but straightforward trip through Montana's big-mountain country.

Check out Marc Peruzzi's author page.

The ultimate vacation in one of America's iconic parks requires the ultimate hiking plan: classic scenery, no crowds, and secret campsites. Here's how to spend a perfect week in Glacier, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Olympic, Denali, and the Great Smoky Mountains.

To discover the best-kept secrets in Utah's Grand Gulch, you need to start at the bottom.

The Ice Age left its mark from Acadia to Yosemite. Here's scenic evidence.

Follow Dan Koeppel and photographer Michael Darter as they jump a magic bus in L.A. and camp in Angeles National Forest. You may never drive again.

In "Destination Nowhere" (September 2008), Mark Jenkins explores the most remote wilderness location in the continental United States–a top-secret spot in Yellowstone. See his trip photos and read an interview with Jenkins where he discusses the assignment.

After reading Dan Koeppel's latest urban hiking adventure "Don't Pay at the Pump" (September 2008), we guarantee you'll want to crank "Magic Bus" and ditch the car on your next trip to the trailhead. We can help. Our map team has assembled more than 25 hikes you can access via public transportation. Plus, check out more of Michael Darter's photos and read Koeppel's 2004 feature, "I Climbed Los Angeles," to learn about his slightly insane 19-mile L.A. staircase route.

Plan your perfect week in the Tetons right here.

Hikers learn to leave (absolutely) no trace on high-traffic peaks and trails.

On your mark, get set ... hike. Inside a 5,600-mile footrace on the country's hardest trail.

Hike this burly wonder to find out what inspired the Appalachian and Long Trail's founders.

3-D hike videos, complete trip planner pdfs, our interactive ParkFinder tool, and more.

We sent 209 readers out to GPS the Continental Divide Trail, the biggest, baddest long-distance path of them all. They brought back the makings of the first authoritative map of this American classic. These are their stories–and their favorite sections.

With the right preparation–and a little help from a half-dozen friends, two exotic techno-gadgets, and one very sweaty hypoxic chamber–can a sea-level-dwelling rookie climb the highest peak in Colorado?

On this burly, 210-mile traverse, which crosses 33 passes and barely touches established trails, you can find Alaska-sized scenery, complete solitude, and just enough risk to keep things interesting.

Hike the best section of the Great Divide Trail.

Two Everest-scaling Sherpas face their biggest challenge yet–surviving suburban America.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Once a guide and counselor near Yosemite, up-and-coming musician Brett Dennen is now taking his backcountry jams to the masses.

In search of a guilt-free adventure in the tropics, Jason Daley discovers the line between saving the world–and seeing it.

6 more must-dip pools from Alaska to Hawaii

Here are the top wilderness soaks on the continent. Can you keep a secret?

Meet Michael Rash, sanitation king of the backcountry. Be glad he uses Purell.

Three ways to hike, bike, and paddle your way to freedom in the Twin Cities.

We sent 209 readers out to GPS the Continental Divide Trail, the biggest, baddest, long-distance path of them all. They brought back the makings of the first authoritative map of this American classic. Here, read the Backpacker Blog on the project, and vi

Can I get married in a national park?

What happens when a couple's vows are tested by hard miles and hunger pains on the John Muir Trail? A sore-footed bride tells all.

Half a world away, you'll find exotic highs while hiking in Tasmania.

You can only get so far off the grid in a single day - that is, unless you take a shortcut into the mountains. Many ski resorts, including the three premier sites mentioned below, open a lift or two in summer and fall, offering an express route to places high and wild. There's no other way to get this deep into the woods this fast.

Adventurous types can still find magic in the rivers, lakes, and paths of Detroit.

Our map team has been hard at work plotting the coolest hikes. Check out May's selections here.

Whether you fear, respect, or applaud these complex creatures of the night, the tips below will help you find and observe them.

When you're slipping and sliding, don't let your partners help you. Learn how to climb yourself to safety.

Don't worry about lava. Worry about rocks and mud and ash.

Follow correspondent Kevin Fedarko into the remote Utah slot canyon where Ralston famously separated himself from his right forearm.

Retracing the route to people's accidents can help us prevent our own. These 10 trips lead you to the exact locations of disasters from Denali to the Grand Canyon.

Rising treeline threatens the Northeast's best views.

One writer ditches his S.U.V. for a vegetable oil-powered Volkswagon Beetle and drives into the Sierras to hike the Pacific Crest Trail and test his environmentalist platitudes

We surveyed more than 40 scientists, conservationists, and professional adventurers, then ranked the 15 parks that are most in peril from climate change.

Time is of the essence in the backcountry. Learn how long it will take an impending thunderstorm or avalanche to find you.

Check out Clyde Soles, Climbing: Training for Peak Performance's author page.

The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) today announced it will host two distinct Adventure Travel World Summits in 2008 on two continents.

SOLE, makers of performance custom footbeds, socks and sandals, has inked a deal to be the title sponsor of the third annual Baja Travesia Adventure Race.

Secluded coastline and bikable rain forests are just two things waiting for you in Mexico

Need trip-planning beta for your National Park adventure? See our comprehensive list of National Park phone numbers, websites, and drilled down details here. You’ll be ready to hit the trail in no time.

This wilderness area houses a classic section of the CDT but is a little off the beaten path.

Track the sun on these 2-4 day trips in the Southeast, Southwest, and Hawaii

Inspired by a mountain view, Don Moseman walked out of prison and hiked his way to a better life.

Joshua Tree, Zion, and the Guadalupe Mountains are three hike-worthy desert destinations.

Add Olympic National Park to your to-do list.

From Florida to Wyoming, track wild horses for four hours or 10 days.

Cozy huts, five-course meals, and world-class foliage highlight one family's fall trek.

Thru-hike L.A. County? It can be done with Southern California's Backbone Trail.

Where classic Euro trekking meets the Mediterranean coast.