Trips

Add Adirondack State Park's Mt. Marcy to your life list.

The Grand Canyon is steep and deep, but besides rock you can take in lush springs and junipers.

Find out what happens when four people hike the 221-mile John Muir Trail in just a week. Then learn how to bag the classic in more sensible lightweight fashion.

Thoreau, Hemingway, and Kerouac all went into the backcountry to find the right words.

No, it's not an oxymoron. You, too, can say buh-bye to endless energy bars and instant rice glop--and eat like royalty for less than two pounds a day.

A 10-step ultralight backpacking plan that keeps pack weight under 15 pounds

In 10 days, carrying just 25 pounds, you can pound through the John Muir Trail...happily. Get the plan.

The wilderness can be deadly if you don't know what you're doing. Take our test to rate your survival IQ—and learn a few skills that might save your hide.

There's a backcountry killer on the loose, and it's not hypothermia, grizzly bears, or rockfall. The thing mostly likely to maim you on your next hiking trip is living inside your head.

Shave pounds from your whole packing list.

Whether you are after fishing holes or skinny-dipping, Backpacker tracked down the best campsites in the country

Sharpen your double-bit axe, get your pecs ready for action, and shoulder the biggest pack you've ever seen. Then dive into the trenches with a screwball trailbuilding crew, fixing the neediest hiking paths in the Adirondacks. Assuming you're not afraid of some very heavy lifting, this just might be the ultimate summer job.

A pilgrim heads into the canyon where Aron Ralston lost his arm to pin down the meaning of survival.

Some things are so inevitable there's no sense disputing them: death, taxes, and the unrivaled beauty of the Sierra.

Find spectacular views and deep solitude on this weekend hike.

Don't miss your chance to take the best dayhike on the CDT.

You won't want to miss this breathtaking 8-mile dayhike.

Bob Coomber is determined to become the first man in a wheelchair to ascend a 14,000-foot mountain.

Like crowded campsites and easy trails? Then by all means avoid this deafeningly quiet expanse of rugged, wildlife-rich mountains and forest in Washington's North Cascades.

Head out with six hard-charging huskies, and winter will never feel more alive.

Kayak amid the reefs and sand of Virgin Islands National Park

Hike, bike, and climb in this Utah gem--much more than a skier's paradise

Seven national parks in 7 days--starring a ragtop, Red Bull, and one scary rabbit.

Tour the wildlife menagerie that is southeast Alaska on two kayak trips

Start packing now for a once-in-a-lifetime ski tour through silent, snow-draped Yosemite.

Stand on the roof of Africa this winter with our all-you-need-to-know guide.

Foliage, lazy canoe waters, and high-ride hiking make the Delaware Water Gap a prime fall destination.

Texas-sized solitude is practically guaranteed when you explore the high peaks and striking river canyons of this lightly visited wilderness.

Forget Sunset Boulevard. The City of Angels' abundant coastline and steep canyons will have you creating your own walk of fame.

Up high and down under--Tasmania's wildest hiking route.

Pioneer a brand-new trail in Louisiana's Atchafalaya swamp, where the gators are friendly. Really.

Canada's outdoor playground par excellence

Michigan's Upper Peninsula has way more than big lakes. Explore it all by foot, paddle, or pedal.

Kayak island-to-island on the Maine coast

Appreciate Seattle's fresh and saltwater beaches, plentiful forests, and the 27-mile urban path as much as locals after a long, wet winter.

The stampede is over--but not the fun--in this trailhead town.

Idaho is full of surprises--whitewater in the country's deepest canyon, endless climbing at City of Rocks, and high, wild scrambles in the Sawtooths.

Prolong summer weather by planning a vacation to the mountains and waters of heat-blessed Arizona. You'll soon understand what makes Phoenicians so proud.

Coming soon to your city: far-out adventures that are shockingly close to home.

Hike a historic long path through Yellowstone--if you're lucky enough to find it.

Slide through Rocky Mountain National Park's mellower back door.

Beantowners are seeing the light at the end of the Big Dig tunnel, and it's a beautiful shade of green.

See all (or any) of northern California's three faces.

Experience the nighttime sky from 20,320 feet up majestic Mt. McKinley -- but first read our guide to the trip.

Colorado climber Ricardo Peña's surprising discovery raises new questions in the infamous tale of survival

Explore burial effigies, seven-foot petroglyphs, and images etched in lava as you discover the ultimate mix of manmade and natural beauty.

The Long Trail offers steep climbs and solitude-and a whiff of border intrigue.

Feel mile-high by hiking foothills, paddling downtown, and pedaling Mt. Falcon Park.

Hike, climb and fish the wild Adirondacks

To hike from Mexico to Canada and back, a man needs strength and speed and luck. He needs something else, too. If only he knew what it was.

It's not just one of America's best campsites. The Blue Lakes Trail below Mt. Sneffels is gorgeous the whole way.

It's better than you've heard, and closer than you think. Here's how to see it all in 10 perfect days.

Canyoning, mountaineering, kayaking, and camping, Kiwi-style

Invent your own hike, and go where no one (well, almost no one) has gone before.

Learn everything you'll ever need to know about swamps while canoeing the Everglades.

You'll never confused Plains with plain after exploring these hard-changing hiking, biking, and climbing routes.

Jump off into the North Woods' best wilderness

Three days. Two nights. Five New Yorkers who had never slept outdoors. And a leader who has some issues with map and compass. What could go wrong?

Big currents flowing down the Mississippi, recently-blazed trails, and howling coyotes make up only a few of the many attractions that draw crowds to this city's outskirts.

The slow boat to Alaska requires duct tape, an elastic itinerary, and a hunger for in-your-face adventure.

Hike and climb-and then kick back-in a High Sierra sweet spot.

Hurricane-force winds and a snowfall average of 246 inches per year? Cake, compared to the challenge the mountain poses in summer.

Discover the beauty of our most southern states by paddling down Carolina rivers, camping out beside Alabama waterfalls, and climbing a 3,792-foot summit in Georgia.

You could do it in a day, but don't rush this one.

The longest and wildest approach in the bunch

Come enjoy this high peak's playground

Your car does all the climbing here.

Bighorn sheep and golden eagles await you at this high point.

Head through the Pearly Gates for a heavenly sunrise

Expect unexpected challenges to reach the summit

An easy high point with an unpredictable personality

The mosquitoes make it challenging, but the towering sedimentary rock makes it worth it.

It's all about the journey.

America's bloodiest high point

This peak lives up to its reputation.

Welcome to this delightfully weird world of extremes.

A downright goofy dome marks this highpoint.

Look closely for the path to this high point.

Go from the path of racecars to the path of a high point.

A high point that provides an alluring combination of scenery, storms, and access.