Trips by State

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

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

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.

Hike to a natural day spa.

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.

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

The best local hikes in the southeast, as chosen by the area's best hiking clubs.

Reach great granite heights on Katahdin's next-door neighbor.

Have rocky ridges and sparkling alpine lakes all to yourself.

Marvel at America's first national monument.

Discover the inner sanctum of California's second largest wilderness.

Hike through a winding canyon, then cool off in a whitewater spa.

Climb high and then plunge deep on this hike in Southern California.

Slip and slide into refreshing pools at these backcountry swimming holes.

Want to vanish into the quietest, wildest corners of the Boundary Waters? Say these magic words: Primitive Management Area.

My hike, like a million other trips each day in Los Angeles, starts with a ride on a rumbling bus.In the heart of Los Angeles, a band of hikers starts a local-trails revolution--one step at a time.

Explore quiet forests where George Washington wintered his troops.

Feast your eyes on this photo of Alaska's North Slope, along the Arctic's Sagavanirktok River.

No one stays young forever, of course. Just don't tell the hut keepers in New Hampshire's White Mountains.

See snaggly summits and hook trout galore on a high-alpine trek.

Cross a rugged coastline on the edge of Washington's Hoh Rainforest.

Check out these city hikes in Walt Disney World, Las Vegas, and Manhattan.

A wrecked alpine village from Colorado's mining history awaits you at the end of this dayhike.

Photos by Mike J. Donley

Hike to an historic fire tower and camp beside secluded ponds.

Explore an unknown Nebraska wilderness for a surprising dose of rolling hills, wildlife, and solitude.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Take a lightly trafficked trail into the word's biggest grove.

Think you know all there is to know about these famous peaks? Get an insider's guide right here.

Lose the leaf-peeping crowds on this quiet ramble above Virginia's loftiest canopies of color.

Don't waste winter: Tackle this cross-country canyon trek in the Lower 48's largest national park.

Never let your guard down on this deadly peak, where the weather–and spirits–are unpredictable.

Online or via your cellphone these trips are ready to be downloaded and explored.

Cross the Stillwater Plateau to trout-rich ponds at the foot of Montana's second highest peak.

Tackle a challenging, rocky route in the shadow of America's most famous volcano.

Trek 18.2 miles from the South's best view to its most famous mountain.

Connect alpine lakes and tag three summits on this wildflower- and wildlife-packed loop.

Explore a supersized wilderness that's home to Idaho's densest population of gray wolves.

Our editor in chief digs through his years of trips, trails, and tales to share some of his adventures in the wild, from the Grand Canyon to Mount Rainier.

Sharing is for kindergarten. Try one of these hikes to have the wilderness all to yourself.

Alternative routes, where to find solitude in the Lower 48, and avoiding the crowds in America's most crowded park

You won't find bottlenecks on these untrammeled peaks.

Find real solitude amid the crowds at these secret stashes.

Trek to the trail-free summits of Macomb, Hough, and The Dixes

Stroll through wildflower-filled meadows to a frozen slice of the Cascade Range.

Three treks to life-list phenomena

Ten perfect summits for your next group hike

Get big views and rack up long miles with these close-to-home adventures.

A quick guide to the best acres, trails, and views.

The threat to this 1.2 million acre wilderness? Oil Drilling. Hike to the top of 6,660-foot Alamo Mountain to see what's at stake.

Climb riverside bluffs in the South's oldest national forest.

Explore South Dakota's 7,242-foot high point in a weekend or a day.

Check out the world's hottest hydrothermal fumarole, Glacier's grizzlies, and a venus flytryp in North Carolina.

Trek through a trio of wilderness playgrounds on shape-shifting mountains of sand.

Does your kid want to be an ice climber? How about a thru-hiker, or paddler? These cities have just what you need.

Which towns offer the ideal mix of accessible trails, inspiring teachers, and great recreational resources? We worked with The Outdoor Foundation to identify America's top 25 places to beat nature deficit disorder.

From Boulder to Juneau to Bozeman, see which cities made the cut for the best place to raise an outdoor kid, and why.

Time to cool down. Hike to these refreshing swimming holes and settle right into summer.

Hike across forested hills to gape at ocean vistas just one hour north of San Francisco.

Get national park scenery without the crowds on an alpine overnight with lakeside camping.

Disappear into the largest–and probably the wettest–wilderness east of the Mississippi.

See glowing plankton, mushrooms, and bugs on these brilliant adventures.

First, check out our tips for healthy hiking on steep terrain in the May 2009 issue then, put them to the test on one of our favorite high-angle trails from California to North Carolina.

Use our comprehensive state-specific pages to find hikes in your home state our a state you're planning on visiting.

Use our comprehensive city-specific pages to find hikes near your hometown or in a city you're planning to visit.

Discover the best hike in every state, as voted by BACKPACKER readers. Plus: your essential gear, most desirable tentmate, worst-ever adventure movie, and our picks for the best reader-submitted photos.

In Colorado, wilderness hut managers recruit hikers to track an elusive wildcat.

Pack snowshoes for these nine epic treks to snowy solitude in the Pacific Northwest, Rockies, and Northeast.

Fall camping season seems to go on forever with these fair-weather weekend trips.

Paddling, hiking, testing self-arrest skills–we cover it all in these 10 epic trips throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

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.

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

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

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.