When we came upon a four-semi accident at Green River in Utah, a mystery man saved us and others in the pouring rain from a deadly pileup. I’ve always wondered who he was.

When Pam Houston traveled to the nordic island nation to ride its unique breed of spirited horses, she wasn’t just after an adventure—she was urgently seeking a way to be well again

While riding the 2,000-mile Pony Express Trail, I learned that the most dangerous aspect of the Utah desert isn’t the heat or the rattlesnakes or the lack of water

A psychedelic renaissance is underway in the U.S., with an emphasis on the healing potential for depression and trauma. An Outside editor gives ketamine a test run and reports that the power is real.

Scientists are focusing on the power of awe, and for good reason. Experiencing it is essential for our health. Our author hit the road during California’s superbloom to figure out how our mind and bodies are transformed when we’re blown away by nature.

As a young actor, his first-ever trip outside the United States opened his heart to the astonishing power of the natural world

Nothing says “I do” like a small blood sacrifice

When the actor took a suborbital rocket ride, he came down with amazing (and fearsome) insights about the previous nature of our planet

Nick Offerman’s annual family trip was always to the same lake in Minnesota, where he was taught things that really matter.

Serious illness gave our writer an urgent need for physical and spiritual rebirth. She found both by bonding with a unique riding breed that seems touched by Viking spirit.

When the travel guide’s life turned upside down during the pandemic, he saw a chance to venture toward the kind of future he really wanted

From the moment this story broke, I kept checking—and checking—the news. Distant tragedies can grip our minds and souls, put us there. I started thinking about why.

Spend time getting reacquainted with the most important person in your life: you.

I’ve lived in the state for 35 years. It pains me to be disloyal to my own hamlet, but I am compelled to say it: another small town in the Rockies takes the cake.

The writer learned to have patience with himself after a catastrophic first day as an amateur sheepherder

Getting through a harrowing motorcycle adventure across Africa convinced the journalist that she can survive just about anything

The hairstylist had abandoned religion as a teen. Then a profound experience in a forest in the Middle East set her on the path to be a chaplain.

Faced with risk and loss in the mountains, our writer grapples with what it means to lead a life well-lived.

As a high-school student, she signed up for an ambitious adventure—and learned the hard way to be upfront about what doesn’t know

Dad and I had always planned to climb Africa’s tallest peak together, but cancer took away our chance. I knew he wouldn’t want it to take mine, too.

Wolves are my favorite animal, but my parents see them as the enemy that kills their livestock

Randy Udall was most at peace in the wilderness. After he died on a solo backpacking trip, his daughter took up his tradition of hiking to a secret place in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, where she was surprised by what she found.

Discover stories from Backpacker, Outside Online, Clean Eating, Climbing, and other brands across the Outside Network

Most of us can’t imagine not flying. But as airline emissions continue to adversely affect the climate, our writer deliberates why making the ethical choice is so hard—and why those who have done so are actually happier.

The Colorado mountain town has always been famous for its steep skiing, epic powder, and hippies, oddballs, and celebs. But with changes like those of recent years, can a place stay weird?

You might not about outdoor adventure in New York City. But you should. With 51 nature preserves and 520 miles of coastline, there are hidden worlds of natural wonders to explore. Here's how to find them.

I thought I’d found my calling guiding clients in mountains around the world. I sought out the highs of an adventurous life, but I wasn’t at all prepared for the dark side.

During the phenomenon of polar night, parts of the Arctic don’t see the sun for weeks or months at a time. The darkness drives some people insane, but for others, it opens a gateway into wonder and peace.

Sorry for sending the crowds your way, but sharing special places in the outdoors is my job, and if it’s done right, it’s for the greater good

Wells Tower on discovering the hard way that his father sleeps naked, how to navigate sibling punching episodes, and the simple fact that, pitfalls and all, it’s important to take your chances and just go

You don’t have to have a fancy rig or expensive gear to build the perfect camping truck. The system I set up in my 1998 Toyota Tacoma is more than fine.

Travelers may think of the Himalaya and Patagonia when it comes to life-list trekking. But the Huayhuash circuit in Peru is an equally spectacular cultural immersion and takes you by the mountain made famous in the film Touching the Void.

Got little ones and want to adventure far and wide? Here’s how to do it in an RV.

People develop sensitivities to just about everything these days, but can you really be allergic to frigid temperatures? Our writer takes us on a wild—and potentially life threatening—journey to find out.

From the Wave to the Wonderland Trail, more famous outdoor destinations are enacting lottery systems. For one writer, it’s not worth the hassle.

There’s a reason crowds flock to places like Havasu Falls and Horseshoe Bend—they’re absolutely gorgeous

After setting out on her longtime fantasy to travel the world on a sailboat with her family, one writer learns just how beautiful—and devastating—it can be to finally get what you want

The stunning destination of Sedona, Arizona is feeling the squeeze, along with many other iconic destinations worldwide. A new film called ‘The Last Tourist’ offers up ways we can fix the travel glut.

Reeling from her husband’s request to divorce after 25 years of marriage and two kids, Florence Williams was experiencing debilitating grief. An accomplished reporter, she decided to explore the science of heartache to see if she could find a cure. In this excerpt from her new book, ‘Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey,’ she heads out for a 120-mile solo paddle on Utah’s Green River, with a too heavy portable toilet and a shattered heart.

When Maggie Shipstead set out to report on women-only expedition travel, she was driven by a desire to learn new skills in a low-bro-factor environment. But six days exploring Alaska with the state’s first woman-owned adventure outfitter turned out to be regenerative in ways she didn’t expect.

With far-flung travel off the table, I learned how to enjoy the meandering flexibility of a road trip

Our writer and her partner were about to embark on a longtime plan when their relationship abruptly ended. Despite her fears of doing it alone, she’s hitting the road—it was always her fantasy to be realized, anyway.

Getting lost teaches me mindfulness, even when I’m terrified

When President Biden needs a break from Putin and Mitch McConnell, he vacations on the Delmarva Peninsula, a blend of mid-Atlantic beauty, quirky accents, and tasty treasures from soil and sea. I grew up in the heart of it. Hear my song to this glorious land.

Our country’s open spaces are a sanity-saving antidote for this writer

The weather is perfect. You get to do everything on your list. No one gets food poisoning or giardia or blisters.

Nothing matters once you’re out the door! Whatever you forget is simply not joining you on the adventure.

Oranges for dental work, milk for English lessons—when COVID-19’s initial lockdown dried up tourism dollars and supply chains, the islands bartered their way through

After my mom suffered a massive stroke that left half of her body paralyzed, my family and I decided to create adventures where none seemed possible

In 1967, Marlon Brando bought a tiny atoll near Tahiti with the aim of preserving it as a tropical paradise. That effort continues, supported by a resort where Beyoncé, Obama, and other big shots chill next to a stunning private lagoon. Hampton Sides went there to meet with scientists and splash around an eco-fantasy island.

High school didn't serve up much adventure, so Devin Murphy signed up to do grunt work on expedition ships that sailed to Alaska, Iceland, Antarctica, and other far-flung places. Turned out to be a pretty great idea.

For more than three decades, Paul Knapp Jr. has taken travelers out into the Caribbean Sea to hear humpback whales. Now seismic blasts threaten to silence their songs.

As the world continues to grapple with COVID-19, travel for many is still a faraway dream. But Ian Frazier reminds us that there’s no more promising feeling than hitting the road, windows down, hair blowing, full speed ahead.

Are social media and selfie culture killing the outdoors? Nah... but as a visit to some overshared spots reveals, they’re challenging our notions about whether there’s a right way to appreciate nature—and who gets to do it.

Polar explorer Eric Larsen found inspiration in Robert Service's poem "The Call of the Wild" when he first read it

Electric vehicles are becoming popular among the environmentally conscious, but are they realistic for road trips to more remote destinations? I took my Tesla to Utah to find out.

While a sailing trip is undoubtedly less stressful than the current times, crossing the Atlantic with three other people taught me some important lessons for lockdown

An armchair psychological study of outdoor Instagram poses—and what you can do to stand out from the crowd. As illustrated by Outside staffers.

Renowned architect Bjarke Ingels has crafted an epic synthetic slope on top of a massive waste-to-energy plant

Anxiety, hypochondria, OCD, and travel might sound like a recipe for disaster. But I've seen the world despite my mental health. Here's how I manage my mind on the road.

The author, a proud son of Nebraska, and his wife were in a funk after a move from the soothing heartland to the noisy canyons of Chicago. What better cure than a trip down a short, muddy stream that's often interrupted by dead trees and barbwire fences?

There have been countless reports denouncing travel in the fight against climate change. This environmentalist thinks you should consider the bigger picture.

After tragedy followed Hugo Sanchez from El Salvador to Canada, he started photographing the northern lights, finding a new sense of purpose in the wintertime sky

Author and political consultant Stuart Stevens loves a good sufferfest, so he couldn't resist Border to Border: 420 kilometers of nordic sliding through a country that defines what winter is all about

Grammy nominee Mike Posner left behind his life in L.A. to go on a 2,851-mile journey in search of... something. Here's what he learned about grief, motivation, struggle, and authenticity.

Our New York City–based bike columnist visited America's most up-and-coming cycling destination and found it well deserving of the hype

With every post, Kiona, creator of the popular blog and Instagram account How Not to Travel Like a Basic Bitch, is teaching herself and her followers how to be, well, less basic

On a plane ride over the Mountain West, a grieving father retraces his adventurous youth and searches for solace in the rugged landscapes that molded him

When Baltimore Jack died near Franklin, North Carolina, the news shook the Appalachian Trail community. Jack had left behind the real world to live on the AT, thru-hiking it seven times and helping countless others to reach their goals. To some, his choice to live off the grid was irresponsible. Others celebrated that he'd managed to break the shackles of convention. A look back on the life of an AT antihero.

Reachable only by boat, this remote Pacific atoll is inhabited by descendants of a footloose Englishman. The idyllic vibe is unmistakable, but it's tested by the realities of living in a very vulnerable place in a warming world.

Riding to your flight is the ultimate in smugness

Last winter, Moroccan officials found two hikers dead on the trail to the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains. The international investigation that followed revealed the fragility of the adventure travel economy, as well as what happens when a small tourist hub is suddenly made strange by violence.

Colombia boasts huge mountain ranges, large portions of the Amazon, and endless coastline and surf breaks. But can a country come back from a civil war to become a mecca for adventure?

Like the rest of us, Tom Vanderbilt was dreaming of a new kind of vacation. He wanted adventure and a physical challenge, but also a trip that would appeal to his wife and young daughter. The answer: swimming in the open ocean, day after wet, wild day.

Canaima National Park, sacred to the indigenous Pemón, is a marquee destination for international explorers. But the region's economic future is in doubt after forces loyal to Nicolás Maduro shot and killed longtime guide Rolando Garcia in February.

There was something about Primland that made Emily Nunn see red—a lavish and expensive outdoor Xanadu situated near her beloved Virginia hometown. Then she went there and had... a pretty good time. Blame the trout stream and the 400-thread-count linens.

At 1.1 million acres, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is one of the largest and most popular backcountry destinations in the U.S. and a longtime proving ground for adventurers. But now the region is facing the threat of sulfide-ore copper mining. Stephanie Pearson paddles into the wild.

Vanlife might seem like the most eco-friendly living option, but in reality, my gas-guzzler is hurting the environment more than I would in a small, nonmobile home

Outpost wants to disrupt the outdoor gear trade show business. Our writer descended on its California festival last fall to check out the felt hat–wearing, Bulleit bourbon–sipping crowd and to find out whether the buzzy experience is anything more than an Instagram-ready fad.