Trips by National Park
The Best Spots To Go Stargazing In Joshua Tree National Park
This International Dark Sky Park has some of the best astral views in the country. Here's where to find them.
Latest in Trips by National Park
Going to the Everglades? We Made You a Playlist.
Want a national park to visit while the weather is yucky everywhere else? This is your place. Download this playlist for maximum vibes.
Warplanes Are Roaring Over One of the Quietest Places on Earth. Backpackers Are Fighting Back.
Washington's Hoh Rainforest is one of the few remaining landscapes in the world that's free of human noise—if you don't count the Navy jets tearing above it, that is. Hiker and veteran Chris Marvin goes on a pilgrimage in search of silence.
This Is the Best Winter Ever to Visit Yosemite National Park. Here’s Why.
“Conditions are amazing right now,” says Cory Goehring, lead naturalist for the Yosemite Conservancy, the park’s nonprofit partner. “Yosemite has transformed into a winter wonderland.”
The Best U.S. National Parks for Northern Lights Hunting—and Why This Is a Good Year to See Them
You don't have to fly to Iceland, Greenland or Norway to experience the bright-green glow of the northern lights. You can chase the show in our national parks: in Alaska, yes, but also the contiguous U.S. Better yet, your chances of seeing the aurora borealis are increasing as we march toward what is known as solar maximum, which will peak in 2025.
Going to the Smokies? We Made You a Playlist.
Want a national park to visit this winter? Great Smoky Mountains is your place. Download this playlist for maximum vibes.
Going to Yosemite National Park? We Made You a Playlist.
Yosemite is beautiful in the fall and winter. Download this playlist and get after it.
The Sierra’s Rae Lakes Are Spectacular—and More Fun With New Friends
A basin of beauty resides in the middle of Kings Canyon National Park.
Going to Zion National Park? We Made You a Playlist.
Load up this Spotify playlist and get going.
The Best Hikes in Joshua Tree National Park
Full of rock scrambles, cactus clusters, and desert views for days, Joshua Tree National Park is the southwest at its finest.
This 49-Mile Paddle Through the Everglades Is an Epic Coastal Adventure
Kayak to pocket beaches and Gulf islands in south Florida.
Bryce Canyon Hikes: 12 Trails for Your Next Trip
Forget Zion and Canyonlands; this desert gem has something for every hiker among the hoodoos and bristlecone pines
Grand Canyon Hikes: 11 Trails to Add to Your Bucket List
Want to hike without crowds? See jaw-dropping vistas without torching your quads? Check out these dayhikes and backpacks.
How to Visit Yellowstone After the Flood
The world’s first national park will reopen this week after the devastating floods. Here's what you can expect.
How to Hike Acadia National Park’s Cadillac Mountain
There's plenty of options when summiting the highest point on the country's eastern seaboard, from multi-peak loops to quick out-and-backs.
Isle Royale National Park: Hiking Lake Superior’s Island Wilderness
Michigan’s idyllic national park promises rocky shorelines, aromatic pine forests, beautiful lighthouses, and more moose than humans.
Better in Winter: These 9 National Parks Hit Their Stride in the Cold Months
While the summer crowds hibernate, you can cure your cabin fever. Here are the 9 best national park hikes to do during the fourth season.
The Best Hikes in Yosemite National Park
Whether you have a day or a week, these hikes will bring you to some of the best of this iconic national park.
Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim Hike—The Ultimate Guide
Ready to cross one of the most scenic canyons on Earth? We've got you covered.
The Definitive Guide to the Wonderland Trail
Get ready to trek around Washington's most iconic mountain, through some of the best scenery in the lower 48.
The Best Hikes in Yellowstone National Park for Wildlife, Geysers, and More
Explore a geothermal wonderland with the help of Backpacker's experts.
The Ultimate Guide to Hiking the Zion Narrows
The Narrows at Zion National Park offers an incredible adventure in America's most amazing slot canyons. Here's how to safely explore them.
The Best Hikes in Shenandoah National Park Are Your Gateway to the Appalachians
The trails of Shenandoah National Park have it all, from mountain ridgelines to forested waterfalls to a whole range of thriving wildlife.
Winter Is Hiking Season—and These 3 Magical Trails Prove It
Make the most of the fourth season with these perfect national park hikes.
Explore the Desert on Zion National Park’s Best Hiking Trails
From 100-feet-deep slot canyons to towering mesas, Zion National Park has it all.
A New Paved Trail Will Let Hikers and Bikers Zip Through Zion’s Entry Lines
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.
Hiker Falls to His Death in the Grand Canyon as a Deadly Year Continues at the Park
Cliff falls are the second most common ways people die in one of America’s most dangerous national parks.
Hiking Angels Landing in Zion National Park: Everything You Need to Know
It's one of the classic day hikes of the United States—and with views like this, it's easy to see why.
Hike the Least-Visited National Park in the Lower 48 on Isle Royale’s Greenstone Ridge Trail
See plentiful wildlife and few people on this 41-mile hike.
Being a Disabled Hiker Isn’t Always Easy. In Mt. Rainier’s Paradise, I Found My Flow.
At one of the most beautiful parks in the northwest, this hiker went outside on their own terms.
Scramble Above Zion’s Canyons on Lady Mountain
Scramble up classic redrock and take in the canyon country views on this 4-mile out-and-back.
Take the Long Way up Longs Peak
Climb this iconic summit on an uncrowded sneak route.
Paddle Through a Florida Zoo in the Everglades
Alligators, birds, and even dolphins will be your company on this paddle.
Bushwack to Secluded Lakeside Camping on this 9.9-Mile Rocky Mountain Weekender
Follow this loop mixing on- and off-trail travel through vibrant wildflower displays and past snow-fed streams to a huge alpine lake with unbeatable campsite views of Mount Meeker.
Explore the Tetons the Hard Way in Avalanche and Cascade Canyons
Link two of Grand Teton's deepest and most spectacular valleys via a high pass.
Rediscover Adventure on These 4 Classic Hiking Road Trips
With America reopening, it’s high time to hit the road. See some of the country’s greatest parks, grasslands, and trails on these handpicked routes.
8 Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes Full of Purple Mountain Majesty
Summit peaks, swim lakes, and cross the Continental Divide on the best hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park.
On the Trail, an Immigrant Ponders the Meaning of Home
Our writer reconciles her family and her future on the path to Harding Icefield.
This California Ghost Town is the Ultimate Risk-Reward Hike
Feeling adventurous? Take on the seven-and-a-half mile hike to Panamint City, an abandoned village deep within Death Valley’s Surprise Canyon.
5 National Park Campsites for an Epic Night Out
There are campsites—and then there are campsites. Settle in for one fantastic night at one of these prime spots, from mountain views to a beach getaway in the middle of Yosemite.
Have the Best Night of Your Life at These 10 National Park Campsites
The national parks are our national treasure, and these 10 campsites are the best they have to offer. Hike in, pick up your jaw, and post up in paradise.
Meet the (Scaly, Feathery, Blubbery) Neighbors in Everglades National Park
A weeklong paddle through Florida’s Everglades National Park is chock-full of wildlife encounters.
Hike Yellowstone's Wild Side
Travel to the unpeopled fringes of America’s first national park.
Hike the Grander Canyon
What's deeper than the Grand Canyon and has one-tenth as many visitors? Head to Texas to find out.
Snowshoe to Paradise (Literally) in Mount Rainier National Park
Find otherworldly snow formations just a few hours outside Seattle.
The Best Hiking Trails in Kings Canyon National Park
It was Ansel Adams's favorite park for a reason: Catch the best scenery and the best miles on these six trails.
See a Perfect Sunset in Sequoia National Park, California
Private lake views and a show are a good enough reason to visit the Hamilton Lakes Basin.
Insider's Guide: The Grand Canyon
From dayhikes to weekends to weeklong hikes, our Grand Canyon experts will have you ready to hit this natural wonder in no time.
Do Denali Right
Deepest Denali is big, bold, and sublime—for those willing to pay the price of admission.
The Best Dayhikes in Death Valley National Park
Explore the desert with our favorite hikes, short and long.
Hiking the Elwha River, Olympic National Park
See dense forest and prehistoric ferns on this 45.2-mile jaunt.
The Insider's Guide to Glacier National Park
You don’t need us to sell you on this park’s glacier-gouged peaks, kaleidoscopic wildflower displays, and A-list megafauna. But secret trails and tips? We got those.
Yosemite Valley Loop Trail, CA
Get up close and personal with North America’s tallest waterfall and Yosemite Valley’s greatest hits on this 20.6-mile loop.
Hike of the Week: Mill Creek Trail, Jedediah Smith State Park, CA
Walk among giants on this quiet hike past the Grove of Titans and other 300-foot-tall redwood trees.
Hike a National Park in One Day
Get the best of three of America's best wild areas on these tours de force.
Untracked Alaska
Bigger-than-life wilderness plus smile-a-second skiing equals the best winter trip on Earth.
Get the Giant Forest to Yourself on the Big Trees Trail
In winter, one of Sequoia National Park's most popular spots gets a much-needed dose of solitude
Hike of the Week: Mesa Arch Trail, Moab, UT
Get a new perspective on an iconic view when you look through Canyonlands National Park's famous Mesa Arch in winter.
Arizona Keeps the Grand Canyon Running Amid Government Shutdown
While most national parks cut services, it will be (mostly) business as usual at the Big Ditch.
Explore Sandstone Cathedrals in Death Valley National Park, California
You don’t have to go far away to get far away in the perfect national park for winter.
When an Alaskan River Trip Becomes a Journey Into Memory
On a packrafting trip in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, our scout finds what lies behind the mythology of the landscape—and her own past.
Maps: If National Parks Were Middle Earth
Artist Dan Bell's dreamy maps show British and American national parks as landscapes from J.R.R. Tolkien's books. We asked him to draw a few of our favorites.
Packrafting the Nizina River in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Witness America's largest national park from the water on this
A Wild River Trip Through Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
A packraft, a backpack, and some of the most beautiful scenery in Alaska are the ingredients for a bucket-list-level trip.
See a Sacred Mountain on These 4 Hikes
Make a modern-day pilgrimage to one of these sacred sites.
8 Classic National Park Hikes Every Backpacker Should Do
It's hard to find an ugly spot in the national parks. But these eight hikes take it to the next level, with gorgeous scenery and wildlife. Go for a walk.
12 Little-Known National Park Hikes That Should Be On Your Bucket List
The perfect dozen: Embark on one of these 12 treks, and turn America's most iconic preserves into your own private paradise.
Hike of the Week: Lost Mine Trail, Big Bend National Park, TX
This shoulder-season cruiser delivers you to some of the best views in West Texas.
To Avoid Mt. Rainier's Crowds, Go Off Trail
Venture off the path to find solitude in one of America’s busiest parks.
One Big Adventure: Climbing Wyoming's Grand Teton
This climber’s peak should be on every hiker’s life list.
Explore the Cascadian Kingdom in North Cascades National Park, Washington
Rocky peaks, meadows, and squeaky little pikas: this hike showcases the northwest in all its glory.
Exploring Isle Royale, the Lower 48’s Least-Visited National Park
Head to this preserve's Greenstone Ridge Trail for a deep-wilderness experience in the Midwest.
National Parks Road Trip: Family Camping With Bears
Traveling in bruin country can bring out any parent's inner grizzly.
National Parks Road Trip: The Adventure Begins
Last month, Lisa Jhung hit the road with her husband and two sons. Their mission: go on the most epic national parks road trip that they could in two weeks.
25 National Park Adventures You Need to Have
For more than 100 years, our national parks have provided life-list experiences, adventures, and stop-in-your-tracks views. But not all parks—or hikes—are equal. So what’s a trekker to do? Start with these 25 trips, the new classics of the system. Consider them the merit badges of a very well-traveled backpacker.
Map: Beat the Crowds in the National Parks
Hundreds of millions of people visit the national parks every year. Lucky for backpackers, you just have to know where they go to avoid them.
Finding Acadia
When was the last time you said, “let’s go” and actually went? It’s time to hit the trail.
Avoid Crowds on Fee Free Day
Reap the rewards without rubbing elbows.
Hike Wrangell-St. Elias National Park With These Expert Tips
America's biggest park is almost six times the size of Yellowstone and has next to no trails. Make the most of your trip there with these tips from a guide.
Explore Yellowstone National Park's Geysers in Winter
The only thing better than Yellowstone in summer? Yellowstone in winter. Picture herds of bison and elk, low-hanging steam shrouding evergreen forests, gem-hued pools blazing amid the snow-dusted landscape—and savoring it all in solitude.