Coronavirus

The way we recreate looks different right now. We aren't traveling with our friends or visiting our favorite national parks and out-of-town trails. But we need the outdoors more than ever. From smart news analysis to quarantine reading recommendations and helpful home exercise tips, we've got you covered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A ranger greets a visitor at Glacier National Park in 2018.

Wes Siler
Wes Siler

Jul 16, 2020

Inconsistent Mask Regulations in National Parks Are Risking Lives

The National Park Service has abdicated responsibility for visitor safety, compromising local mandates and leaving staff and vendors to fend for themselves

Oura and other fitness-tracking companies, like Garmin and Whoop, think body temperature, breathing, and heart data from their devices might help users know when they’re getting sick days before they do.

Michael Easter
Michael Easter

Jul 15, 2020

Your Fitness Tracker Might Be Able to Predict COVID-19

The pandemic is prompting activity-tracking companies to pivot from personal to public health

man wearing face mask stretching yellow fabric

Christopher Solomon
Christopher Solomon

Jul 1, 2020

How the Outdoor Industry Responded to Coronavirus

From iconic brands like Patagonia to that indispensable camping store in your hometown, the adventure economy has taken an unprecedented hit. The good news: the people who created these businesses are doers, and they're putting everything they've got into staying afloat and preparing for an uncertain future.

Everything Is Awful, so I Tested a Wearable Sleeping Bag

Kaelyn Lynch

Your Guide to Throwing an Outdoor Thanksgiving

AC Shilton

This Is Our Chance to Reclaim Cities from Cars

Joe Lindsey

What Life Under Lockdown Taught the World’s Greatest Surfer

Kenny Hurtado and Matt Skenazy

My Priceless Summer on a Maine Lobster Boat

During her college break, the author went all in on solitude—living alone on a Down East island and working for one of the area’s few female skippers. Luna Soley reflects on a time of loneliness, hard work, and natural beauty.

Luna Soley

Nov 11, 2020

While some huts will remain closed this winter due to the pandemic, others across the U.S. are going private and adjusting their operating policies to follow local COVID-19 ordinances.

You Can Still Take a Backcountry Hut Trip This Winter

Many backcountry huts are now available as private rentals, so you and your pod can have the entire place and be COVID safe. From Maine to Washington, here are a few of our favorites.

Megan Michelson

Nov 10, 2020

The 2020 Outsiders of the Year

A quarantine backyard ultramarathon. Thousands of protesters on bikes. This year brought the unexpected in countless forms. Here’s who (and what) had the biggest impact on the outdoor world.

The Editors

Nov 10, 2020

But as the pandemic summer passed by, our hikes have revealed themselves as essential learning experiences and a vital way to stay sane as a family.

The Unofficial Parenting Guide to Hiking with a Chatterbox

The pandemic has robbed kids of vital socialization with friends—and put even more emphasis on the importance of spending time with them in nature. But what happens when your child is a nonstop yakker on the trail?

Ryan Van Bibber

Nov 7, 2020

On Sunday morning in New York, racing conditions were more or less optimal.

Runners Salvaged the Spirit of the New York City Marathon

Both professional and amateur athletes ran virtual iterations of the event in recent days

Martin Fritz Huber

Nov 3, 2020

In a normal year, the Cirque Series consists of in-person mountain races at prominent ski resorts. This year, the Cirque Series race director challenged entrants to accrue as much elevation as possible in the month of October.

The Max Vert Challenge Is the Craziest Virtual Race Yet

When the Cirque Series had all its events canceled, the race director challenged participants to spend a month running up and down hills

Martin Fritz Huber

Oct 29, 2020

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