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The Big River's been saved—and just in time. Here's how to enjoy the northern coast's newest playground and its spectacular environs.
 Marine iguanas? Yes. Tourist crowding? No.: Bartolome Island in the Galapagos Q: I'm looking for a Latin American vacation spot with great snorkeling and rock climbing and not too many tourists. Any ideas? — Carrie, Portland, Oregon Adventure Advisor: A: The first place that…
Cool off north of the border, in the land of boundless rivers, lakes, and pristine wilderness.
Three variations on pain-free wilderness trekking... hut-to-hut hiking, mule packing, and base camping.
Is a great beach more than a gazillion grains of sand mixed with sun and water? You bet. Here, the 15 best for families.
Gold-medal gorgeous: end of day on the coast of Olympic National Park Q: We are traveling to Olympic National Park in July. We have two small children, ages three and four. Do you think the coastal hikes are realistic? Do we need reservations? — John Perdaems,…
It’s no wonder that the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia has produced some of the world’s best mountaineers: You can’t travel north of the country’s capital, Ljubljana, without butting up against some of Europe’s most precipitous ranges. And since the 11-year-old country is still underneath most Americans’ radar, Europeans have…
After a decade of failed attempts and fatal rebuffs, an Outside-sponsored expedition runs Tibet's Upper Tsanpgo Gorge—and lives to tell about it.
Iceland isn't the only place to revel in Nordic madness. Once the rest of Scandinavia has made it through another winter, the residents start to vibrate...they grin...they regress...and turn positively Viking. All you need to know is where and how to tap
Only on this remote North Atlantic island do you find such glorious quirks as tolting ponies and entire villages of sleep-deprived puffin chasers
A bird obsessive chases a maddening truth: the more elusive the prize, the more tantalizing the hunt
Rick Young—restaurateur, technophile, obsessed basement hobbyist—is about to pilot the first perfect replica of the 1903 Wright flyer, the rickety, wood-and-fabric biplane that kick started aviation history. At least four other teams are poised to launch flyers of their own, but Young is rushing to make it into the record books first—or become th
Pretty in pink: flamingoes at Lake Bogoria National Reserve Q: I’m about to spend three weeks in Kenya, starting with a game drive in Masai Mara. After that, I want to get off the tourist track and see some more remote parts of the country. Any ideas?…
Fifty-five parks, 70 all-new experiences, and nothing but long summer days ahead. Here’s how to CLIMB. KAYAK, HIKE, FLY-FISH, MOUNTAIN BIKE, or just wander far from the maddening crowds in every national park in the United States. You’ve got 61 million acres of wilderness heaven at your disposal. What are…
How To Get Off the Beaten Trail (or River, or Mountain) With These 43 Soon-To-Be-Classic National Park Adventure
Slickrock style: taking the high road near Moab Q: Five of us are looking to take a mountain biking trip in the western United States. We have thought about Moab in Utah but wanted to know if there are any alternatives we should consider. Thanks,…
Horsepower: Berber riders in Marrakech Q: If you wanted a little culture, a little nature, and a little adventure but only had a week, where in Morocco would you go? I would like to cover a lot of territory. — Sally Bentley, Portland, Oregon…
At the First Church of What Happens Next—MIT— a NASA-trained engineer and his stable of whiz kids are jump-starting the future of outdoor gear
Ten lodges where you can take it all in, and then launch an expedition out the back door
The road less pedaled: storm clouds approaching in the English countryside Q: My son and I are planning to cycle the length of the UK in June, 2002, including Wales and Ireland if possible. I need to find out who might help me in planning the route.
Exploring the back of beyond in Bolivia's Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado
Beyond Kenya's endless plains lie the mythic Loita Hills, home to one of East Africa's last great swaths of wilderness. To a young Masai who gave up his birthright for the hustle and blare of Nairobi, a journey to the pure heart of Masailand offers a vision of what he left behind—and a glimpse of his people's fearful future.
We’ve learned a lot in a quarter-century of roaming the planet. This month, to kick off Outside‘s silver anniversary, we’ve chosen 25 bold, epic, soul-nourishing experiences that every true adventurer must seek out—from the relatively plush and classic to the cutting-edge and hard-core. All that’s left for you is the…
Family outing: mom and the kids head downstream Q: I’m looking to take 30 to 40 people to Alaska for a two-week fishing/fun adventure starting in mid-June, 2002. The group will consist of some experienced Alaska fishermen, some city folks, and kids of all ages. Are there…
Follow your nose: elephants fall into line in Kenya Q: We are planning a three- to four-week backpacking journey through Africa in March. Any thoughts on where to go to get a good general impression of Africa? What about destinations preferred by typical backpackers?…
End of the road: Machu Picchu, terminus of the Inca Trail Q: I’ve heard that the Inca Trail in Peru will be closed starting in February for repairs. Despite the fact that this is a world-renowned destination, I can’t find out if this is true. Is it?…
Last spring, 41-year-old Andrew McLean and 29-year-old Brad Barlage set out into the arctic wilderness of northern Canada ‘s Baffin Island for a month-long expedition in which they would complete 19 first ski-descents on runs as long as 5,100 feet. The key to the journey was an arsenal of giant…
Who knows best the cost of rowing solo across the Atlantic? She who finishes last.
IMAX mogul David Breashears aims for another really-big-screen hit with Kilimanjaro
What does it take to steer across the Bering Strait? Guts, persistence, and—oh yeah—a seven-ton SUV.
We've been researching the world's best adventures for 25 years. To see where we're been and where you'll soon want to go, we've culled our archives and created a list of recent favorites.
The just-in-time, let's-party, fear-no-evil Winter Olympics get ready to rip in the country that needs 'em now more than ever
Warm, windswept, unfettered, ever-changing—North America's four great desert regions hide untold possibilities for classic winter adventure. They may be scorching and sere, with prickly dangers over every horizon, but if you know where to go—and how to explore wisely—you'll find these 500,000 square miles of desolation downright hospitable.
A tough-as-nails cadre of Russian and Ukranian speleologists wriggles and blasts its way to caving's grand prize: the mythic 2,000-meter mark
Aussie arch: waves and rock off Port Campbell, Australia Q: My girlfriend and I are looking for a two-week winter trip in a warm climate. We are pretty strong bikers but would like beaches and hiking, too. Any thoughts? — Bram Weinkselbaum, Venice, California…
Me, myself, and bike on a 1,253 circumnavigation of the South Island
In the fall of 2001, big-wall climber Mike Libecki went from the vertical to the horizontal, ditching his ropes and portaledge for trekking poles and a sun hat to complete a grueling 600-plus-mile crossing of the Taklimakan Desert in northwest China. Beginning in late September some 3,000 miles west of…
Cigar-smoking santos, icy Belikin, crumbling pyramids, freshly spun tortillas, slithering vipers, and everlasting love
Welcome to Bigfoot's winter hideaway, where unclimbed mountains, roaring whitewater, and a new luxury eco-lodge await you
Multi-sport kingdom: a river-top view of Beynac Castle in Dordogne, France Q: I’m interested in doing a two-week, multi-sport adventure (bike, hike, car) trip through and around the regions of France, and can’t find a good English Web site or guide to reference for ideas. Any thoughts?…
Our thoroughly opinionated guide to the five sexiest sporting islands.
 Pura vida: mountain forest in Costa Rica's Guanacaste province Q: My friend and I are planning a trip to Costa Rica around January 2002. Is this a good time? Also, is it safe to hike and camp there? — Joe-Anne Brantford, Ontario Adventure Advisor: A:…
Lazy river day: the Rio Grande winds through Big Bend National Park Q: A group of around five to ten of us intend to take a two-to three-day trip to Big Bend National Park during the Thanksgiving holiday. Any advice for a group visiting the park for…
THIS MONTH, READERS will note the return of a familiar voice: Tim Cahill, a founding editor of Outside, stages a welcome comeback after an extended hiatus devoted mainly to sipping fine scotch and exploring the mountains around his home in Missoula, Montana. An inveterate vagabond whose wanderings have yielded seven…
As the Last Cool Place becomes an adventure-travel magnet, the scientists and bureaucrats who run the show are feeling crowded. Is this big, beautiful continent big enough for everybody?
For a preview of the Taklimakan Desert Traverse, click here Uighur people in the ancient market town of Kashgar, China October 23, 2001 The plan was relatively simple. Every few weeks during his 60-day, 870-mile walk across China’s formidable Taklimakan desert, 28-year-old Mike Libecki was supposed fire-up…
Hiking Dominica can get a little damp, but culinary surprises await at slog's end.
Amazon exposure: a toucan under the green in Brazil’s Amazon basin Q: I am traveling to Manaus, Brazil this fall. I know it is the low season, but I am hoping to do an adventure trip for a few days a bit off the beaten path. Do…
Rock-ride recipe: sun bathed cliffs and scrub at New Mexico’s Pajarito Plato Q: Where’s a good spot to go mountain biking near Albuquerque, New Mexico? Any suggestions for other types of outings in the area would also be appreciated. — Janet Washington, D.C.
Irish photographer Seamus Murphy’s work accompanies Patrick Symmes’s story of the Nepalese guerrillas who revere Mao and seek to take over the country. To bring his incredible photographs even more to life, Murphy answered some of our questions about the trip and about his work. Related Articles Photo…
Ride a sudden whim or a sturdy steed to arid expanses where solitude reigns
Casting for bonefish in the mangrove-choked lagoons of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula
For newcomers—meaning most of us—they are merely picturesque. But for Native Americans, the sacred places of the Great Plains and Northern Rockies are alive with centuries of memory and meaning—and something much, much bigger.
Forming the ideal spitball, firing the propane, perfecting the Miss America wave—and other mind-expanding ways to spend your vacation
On a bicycle tour of Cuba, solidarity can only take you so far
Let the motorized leaf peepers have their New England. It'll keep them far away from ours.
Late fall in Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area Q: Do you have ideas for great backpacking trails in the Flaming Gorge area of Wyoming? We will be with two children (eight and ten years old). Thanks! — Luckey, Avon, Connecticut…
Want to sound like a real Tour de France pundit? After all, with three consecutive wins by American Lance Armstrong, le Tour is now chit-chat at everything from group rides to cocktail parties. As most of us couldn’t watch the live TV coverage each morning or otherwise follow all the…
Want instant access to the Big Outdoors—trails, rivers, wild shores, just minutes from home—without compromising your livelihood? Then check out these ten towns on the verge of paradise, where you don't have to ditch it all to have it all.
Exploring remote canyons is dangerous fun, but expert advice will get you through it alive. Marc Peruzzi learns the ropes, deep in the Arizona backcountry.
Hello, this is your President talking. Have I got an environmental plan for you!
On Ireland's western fringe, the mystic highlands of Connemara hide an unexpected kingdom of adventure.
East of San Lucas's sun-drunk hordes, the Baja that was still is.
What: An 870-mile, end-to-end walk across the 125, 000-square-mile Taklimakan Desert Where: Northwest China, travelling from west to east. When: September 16 to November 17, 2001 Who: Climber-turned-walker Mike Libecki, teammate Don Bowie, as few Chinese officials as possible, and two…