Destinations
ArchiveOutside magazine, Family Vacation Guide The Islands of Summer Where your only concerns will be what time the tide will turn and where you left your flip-flops Santa Catalina Island, California It may seem hard…
Skip the well-trodden tourist routes and join this trek through a pristine mountainous area virtually unknown to Westerners.
It's climbing season again on Everest. And as hundreds of summit hopefuls converge at Base Camp, the great debate persists: Has the Big E become the Big Easy? Alpinists Greg Child and Dave Hahn take sides.
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
Witness a singletrack revolution on the fresh trails of a land in transition
From secret surf stashes on the Pacific to untouched Caribbean isles—plus all the volcanoes and colonial plazas in between—Nicaragua has the makings of a sporting paradise. Come discover Central America's red-hot center.
Keep the GPS handy, fly rod at the ready, and don't forget your rubber boots
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 handpicked resorts that are rich in sun-drenched beauty, high on adventure, and fine-tuned for luxury.
Adventure Adviser, Colorado Sunset near Cripple Creek, Colorado Q: Where are the best mountain bike rides in the Royal Gorge and Colorado Springs area? I will be there in early June and wish to see some beautiful scenery while off-road biking in the mountains.
Ronni heard it first: the softly insistent, slightly descendant keloo-keloo of the quetzal, strobing from the cloud forest around us. We were hiking the five-mile Sendero de los Quetzales (“Path of the Quetzals”), a trail that winds through the 35,390 lush acres of Panama's Volcán Barú National Park in UNESCO's…
Ready to bask in the warmth of endless summer? Our online resource is your key to the Caribbean’s most idyllic getaways. Here, you’ll find great travel deals, gorgeous places to stay, and active adventures guaranteed to get your heart racing. Dive in, the water’s warm! Nevis: Unhurried and unsung hero…
Ten North American spas that will recharge your mind, body, and soul
Twelve value-packed Caribbean resorts where your room comes with a view—and killer perks, too
9. Ancient Crumbles in the Jungle Tikal, Guatemala Why I’m bounding up the steps of Tikal’s Temple of the Masks predawn on a chilly March morning is still not clear to me—let’s chalk it up to barroom advice that sounded completely rational after a few beers. But I…
Trekking hut to hut along South Africa’s shore is just what the witch doctor ordered
To maximize the return on your investment in wanderlust, you need know-how and solid advice. We’re here to help. From saving on destination packages and high-value gear to insider trips and the bet reasons to blow a bundle, we’ve got the lowdown on affordable, rip-roaring, full-value adventure travel.
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:…
Eileen and Tom Lonergan went out for a day of scuba diving, and never came back. The story behind the movie Open Water.
The gray wolf may lose federal protection. Will killing it become the law of the land?
Winding a thousand miles from India to China, the Burma Road was built to defend China in World War II, but the atomic bomb made it irrelevant and the jungle reclaimed it. Mark Jenkins vowed to do what no one had done for nearly 60 years—travel the entire Burma Road—and discovered the madness of present-day Myanmar.
Escape urban gridlock in West Virginia, where country roads and mountain mamas are only a fraction of the attraction
What are you looking at? Q: How can I take a safari in Africa without being a millionaire? — Gudrun Nalitla, Reykjavik, Iceland Adventure Advisor: A: At first it seems hard to believe that a little drive through a…
A modern speed demon breathes new life into an ancient Hawaiian sport
Today's topic: We rank the Top 40 schools where you can hit the books AND the backcountry. Your assignment: Rappel off that ivory tower and take our cram course on America's most adrenaline-friendly colleges. You'll come for your B.A. (Bachelor of Adventure) and want to stay for life.
If it's Riviera glitter you're after, head to Monaco. But for endless climbing, epic singletrack, and wild seacoast adventure, set a course for Finale Ligure.
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.
A plan to save Guatemala's Mayan cities with a park and a posh eco-lodge has enviros and locals boiling
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.
This spring, a quarter of a million Americans took a trip. It was noisy, hot, and violent. Accommodations were poor. Some of them didn't come back.
Horrible winters. A dwindling, aging population. Abandoned farms reverting to prairie grass. Perfect, says our writer.
California’s Skylonda Lodge Q: I like dried fruit, camping and bugs. My wife likes brie, soft beds and spas. Question: Where can we go in August where we can hike and bike by day, and have a full service resort at night? — Philip Cordova…
Get a fresh perspective on the Old Country: pedal, paddle, skate, and hike in these eight ruggedly charming European outposts
Budget-conscious families should know two things about the tropics: First, Central America and the Caribbean are only a few degrees hotter in summer than in winter. Second, as temperatures rise, resort prices often fall by 15 to 20 percent or more. What's a little humidity in exchange for a great, affordable family trip? We found six of the best spots-from Puer
Australia's first great adventure was part Lewis and Clark, part Donner Party—searing proof that fame is a four-letter word
A cobblestone sidestreet in Santa Rosa Q: My wife and I are interested in heading to Honduras, especially Santa Rosa, but I can't seem to find any ideas on a place to stay there. I know there's a big budget travel scene down there, but our days of…
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
Outside Editorial Director Alex Heard is auctioning off two pieces of Everest history on eBay this week. Both items were carried to the mountain’s summit by writer Jon Krakauer during the disastrous 1996 climbing season that inspired his bestseller, Into Thin Air. Proceeds from the sale of these items will…
The Macal River Valley in Belize is home to three-toed tapirs, elusive jaguars, and a rare subspecies of scarlet macaw. But if Belize Electricity Ltd. gets its way, one of the richest riparian habitats north of the Amazon will disappear beneath the waters of a controversial hydroelectric dam. So who's gonna get zapped?
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…