Trips

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.

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

Where classic Euro trekking meets the Mediterranean coast.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.