North America
Archive
From the red-rock vistas of Abiquiu to the dunes of White Sands—with a few shots of tequila mixed in—New Mexico is another world. Try these 12 perfect days in the Land of Enchantment. Horseback Riding into the Sunset Cerrillos Twenty miles south of Santa Fe, where the southern Rockies peter…
A new breed of luxury camping mixes fresh air and fireside fun with crisp linens and five-star dining
Thirty-three years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, New York’s 315-mile Hudson River, long an icon of industrial and municipal pollution, is running clean enough that native fish species like the striped bass are boosting their numbers even in the waters off Manhattan. And they’re not alone. About…
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, Fl Little Palm Island FLY IN, BOAT OUT: Little Palm from your taxi window This 28-bungalow retreat is as off the grid as it gets—120 watery miles south of Miami, accessible only by boat or floatplane. Snorkel and kayak off white beaches, or…
Climb aboard for the ultimate ride with the ultimate boat buddy: Martin Litton, the Colorado River legend and conservation warrior who, as much as any other single person, shaped the Grand Canyon float trip into an American classic
Think outside the cubicle. Ditch your desk and soak up the sun courtesy of the nation's best alfresco Wi-Fi unplug-ins.
No one denies that our 50th state is Paradise, USA. But anyone who's ever been to this lush chain knows a simple truth: Not all the islands are created equal. So which is best? Welcome to the Great Hawaiian Island-Off. Read on, and pick your perfection.
An 812-mile effort to revive the spirit, if not the tactics, of the West's most notorious monkey-wrencher
An ANWR defeat would deal a major blow to the entire concept of wilderness protection. In this exclusive essay, Senator JOHN KERRY vows to take the fight to the GOP leadership.
Does President Bush have the votes to drill Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? The world is about to find out.
WHEN OLYMPIC ORGANIZERS reintroduced the old-school sport of skeleton at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, after a 54-year hiatus, they had a hit. Skeleton, which sends competitors headfirst down icy tracks at up to 80 miles per hour, is the “moonshine of winter thrills,” as American gold-medal winner Jim…
In the February 2005 issue of Outside, Senator John Kerry argues that oil development in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would bring irreparable harm to a uniquely American treasure. His essay is the latest in a series of Outside reports exploring the pros and cons of drilling in ANWR. Here,…
An ANWR defeat would deliver a major blow to the concept of wilderness protection – and environmental leaders know it. Backs against the wall, green lobbyists are planning to fight, and one group at the forefront will be the D.C.-based League of Conservation Voters. Long feared by legislators for its…
Forget hiking the Kalalau Trail on Kauai’s famed NA PALI COAST. You’ll get a much better view of these fluted green cliffs by boat—and winter is prime time to see humpback whales that have migrated here from Alaska. This season, Na Pali Explorer, a Kauai-based outfitter, is offering morning whale-watching…
The wedding's a wrap, the guests are gone, and now the real fun begins. these eight perfect honeymoons will launch your new life together.
This fall, workers are finishing construction on the world’s largest tree house, set among 16 lime trees in the Alnwick Garden, a 40-acre public space 30 miles north of Newcastle, England. Hardly a glorified kiddie clubhouse, the three-story, 10,000-square-foot turreted spread will contain a 120-seat restaurant, private dining rooms, a…
How to see your stomping grounds as a concrete jungle.
Four luxurious north-woods hideaways where you can chill into fall
On the high plains of the West, tough men still ride herd on the open range. But the new riders are lonely gauchos from Chile and Peru, and their 21st-century frontier is a place where the cowboy myth meets a harsh reality.
Which of our 2004 Dream Towns is the best place for unbridled fun and outdoor adventure? Cast your vote now! Results will be reported in an upcoming issue of Outside. Lanesboro, Minnesota Etna, California Cashiers, North Carolina…
Week of July 16-22, 1998 Dodging lightning in the mountains and canyons Off-roading in South Dakota’s Black Hills Navigating Nova Scotia Touring Asia by bike Off-roading in South Dakota’s…
June 20-July 4, 1995 Dream Towns Debate Your kind of town? After a cross-country quest to find the best towns in which to hang your bike helmet and your shingle, Outside correspondent Mike Steere got online to discuss his…
Week of February 14-21, 1996 Camping at Point Reyes Seashore, CA Alabama backpacking destination The new Crater Lake Lodge Camping on Florida's barrier islands Bike touring Nova Scotia and the Maritimes…
Week of September 5-11, 1996 Alabama's scenic Pinhoti Trail Question: My wife, Carolyn, and I want to take a four-day backpacking trip September 11-14, but we don't want to travel too far from Indy. We are thinking about Alabama but…
 Outside magazine, December 1996 Mush, Mush, Mush, Dammit, Mush! As it preps for its 25th running, the Iditarod considers a mangy history of PCism, marauding polar bears, and the occasional random murder. Trail notes from America’s last great race. By Elizabeth Royte…
The Big Dig hits pay dirt—in the shape of a new island playground in Boston Harbor
Go straight to the source and taste the good life at these organic farm getaways
Our word-of-mouth report: adventure lodges that belong on your radar screen
Savor our top 20 wild Canadian adventures (including 5 new parks) for heaping helpings of glacial lakes, alpine meadows, swift rivers, and snowcapped peaks
The highest points in heartland states like Kansas and Iowa aren't much to look at, but when you knock off seven of them in a four-day, 3,000-mile blitz . . . well, let's just say the little bastards have a way of kicking back.
As the brutal battle over proposed drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge grinds on, a former oil worker returns to the North Slope in search of the truth about the pro-exploration argument. His conclusion? (Brace yourself.) The unthinkable is the right thing to do.
Sex. Danger. Family values. This backyard soap opera has it all—plus feathers, razor-sharp talons, and a neighborhood obsessed.
Ten North American spas that will recharge your mind, body, and soul
We stopped at a boulder below the saddle of 10,229-foot Heyburn Mountain as early-May sunshine broke past the ridge and washed over us: three backcountry skiers on a mission to schuss the wild peaks of central Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, and me, a snowshoe loafer in search of serenity. As my…
View from the California Riding and Hiking Trail Q: Now that fall is here we’re thinking of taking a backpacking trip through the desert. Any hints on where we should go? What about day hikes? — Nicole Frisbee, Denver, Colorado Adventure Advisor:…
The gray wolf may lose federal protection. Will killing it become the law of the land?
Escape urban gridlock in West Virginia, where country roads and mountain mamas are only a fraction of the attraction
A modern speed demon breathes new life into an ancient Hawaiian sport
He grew up poaching alligators, he sells Cadillacs, and his friends run oil companies. But saving the bayous of Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin is Harold Schoeffler's number-one deal.
Everybody loves the Klamath. Everybody wants a piece of it. And they're willing to go to war to get it. Editor's Note/Correction
1. Havasu Falls, Supai, Arizona Hike two miles to this perfect turquoise pool, with year-round 72-degree water, in Havasu Canyon. All About H2O The wet stuff is always there for us—it grows our food, puts splash and spirit in our adventure, and (by the way) keeps us alive.
Horrible winters. A dwindling, aging population. Abandoned farms reverting to prairie grass. Perfect, says our writer.
Family trips can leave parents feeling like they need a vacation from their vacation. Moms and dads can't always cater to kids—they occasionally need to indulge in adult-friendly pursuits, like flying down a white-knuckle mountain-bike trail or taking off on a sailboard. Here are five innovative trips—with built-in baby-sitting—so children have f
From the heart of Jack London country to Quebec, the best of 60 degrees latitude and higher
At twice the size of Texas, Alaska isn't easy to boil down into a "best of" list. The fact is, just about every cranny of this behemoth state can be labeled with a superlative: the wildest, the most vast, the most breathtaking. Even though any intrepid family can land in Anchorage, rent a car, start driving, and come upon wildlife and characters that guarantee
Blackwater NWR is the center of the greatest nesting density of bald eagles in the eastern United States north of Florida. Q: I'm thinking of taking a kayak trip around the Chesapeake Bay. Can you point me to some resources for planning a route, camping areas, maps of…
When the sea summons you, answer! Fourteen idyllic beach escapes, from Cape Cod to Sanibel.
Anza-Borrego’s raw desert beauty Q: I’m looking to camp someplace pretty, not too popular, and mild in temperature around this time of the year. Can you give me any suggestions? — Anne Moore, Long Beach, California Adventure Advisor: A: There…
