Got the itch to go hiking? Whether it’s prepping for the trip of a lifetime or finding local hikes, these picks from the editors of Backpacker will help you get out more. Find day hikes, multi-day trips, and more.
Got the itch to go hiking? Whether it’s prepping for the trip of a lifetime or finding local hikes, these picks from the editors of Backpacker will help you get out more. Find day hikes, multi-day trips, and more.
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.
Send him out on a work trip. Let wilderness do the rest.
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.
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.
Hikers learn to leave (absolutely) no trace on high-traffic peaks and trails.
Hike this burly wonder to find out what inspired the Appalachian and Long Trail's founders.
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
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.
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.
Whether you fear, respect, or applaud these complex creatures of the night, the tips below will help you find and observe them.
Follow correspondent Kevin Fedarko into the remote Utah slot canyon where Ralston famously separated himself from his right forearm.
Track the sun on these 2-4 day trips in the Southeast, Southwest, and Hawaii
Joshua Tree, Zion, and the Guadalupe Mountains are three hike-worthy desert destinations.
From Florida to Wyoming, track wild horses for four hours or 10 days.
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.
In 10 days, carrying just 25 pounds, you can pound through the John Muir Trail...happily. Get the plan.
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.
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.
Coming soon to your city: far-out adventures that are shockingly close to home.
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.
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?
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
Your car does all the climbing here.
The longest and wildest approach in the bunch
Come enjoy this high peak's playground
The mosquitoes make it challenging, but the towering sedimentary rock makes it worth it.
You could do it in a day, but don't rush this one.
The mile-long walk invites contemplation like few other high point approaches.
America's bloodiest high point
This peak lives up to its reputation.
Welcome to this delightfully weird world of extremes.
A high point that provides an alluring combination of scenery, storms, and access.
A humble high point in a low-lying state
It's all about the journey.
Look closely for the path to this high point.
Go from the path of racecars to the path of a high point.
Come visit this Cherokee named place of fresh green.
The view is high on soy and corn and low on drama.
Traveling to this point will leave you at a loss for words.
There's not a bad napping spot anywhere.
If you loathe traffic, the commute to White Butte is pure ecstasy.
Something's happening in this spot where nothing happened.
The view is nothing to write home about, but this newly crowned high point deserves a visit.
Find this high point in the largest national forest outside of Alaska.
This old logging camp and woolly mammoth marching ground provides incredible views.
Time it just right to get to the top of this one.
Access is limited, but well worth the view.
A fitting place to ponder the true meaning of the term Hoosier.
A long hike to the highpoint where weather and black flies could pose a challenge.
True highpointers will find this peak.
Deep in Wyoming's Wind River Range, an accident with a sliding boulder makes a hiker confront his life, his fate, and his faith in God.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Massachusetts.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Virginia.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Vermont.
Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in New Jersey.
If you're a fan of eskers, moraines, kettles, and kames, Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine State Forest is the right place for you.
With the fervor of a pulpit-pounding evangelist, Ron Strickland has wandered the land, preaching the gospel of the Pacific Northwest Trail he hoped to create.
Vast meadows of wildflowers sprawl across the ridgetops and valley bottoms of the Three Sisters.
All along the 23-mile Shenandoah Mountain trail and in the forested areas throughout the Appalachian Mountains, vernal pools are rich aquatic breeding grounds.