'The Valley of Shadows,' a new eight-part podcast, examines the 1998 disappearance of former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy John Aujay, who vanished during a training run in the Devil’s Punchbowl—an unsolved mystery that endures to this day.

In the heart of Glacier National Park, a young diver’s pursuit of adventure ended in a heartbreaking tragedy that shocked all who knew her. The life and death of an 18-year-old Montana woman is now portrayed in a new documentary, ‘How to Kill a Mermaid: The Linnea Mills Story.’

Arborists work in a world of extreme heights and life-or-death consequences every day. I went behind the scenes of a professional tree-climbing competition to meet the people who maintain the canopies above our heads.

We think of the wilderness as a refuge from the dangers of city life, but experts say our sense of security in the wild may be our biggest vulnerability. Here is the hidden reality of safety on the trail.

Six separate rescues in just two days kept Nevada search-and-rescue teams busy. Here’s what the experts say went wrong—and what hikers often underestimate about this Mojave Desert landscape.

With Outside's new text-to-speech audio feature, our top adventure stories are much easier to listen to on the go. Hear your favorite Outside classics, daring rescue stories, and breaking news while you get outside—where we all know you would prefer to be anyway.

Washington skier Michael Harris was encased in avalanche debris he said felt like cement at Stevens Pass. He survived only after his wife noticed his GPS location had stopped moving.

We asked SAR personnel to offer simple tips that every hiker, climber, or skier could someday use in a backcountry emergency.

The climber, whose name has not been released, suffered severe head and back injuries. Their helmet was destroyed in the fall—but officials say it likely saved the victim’s life.

SAR squads across the country rely on volunteer manpower to save lives. Experts share tips for how to join your local team.

The infamous Grossglockner case went to trial on February 19, when a surprise witness took the stand.

Gabriel Vaughn is what the river community would call a stout boater. He’s traveled intense sections of turbulent, dropped waterfalls, rafted whitewater all around the world, and guided countless customers down some of America’s most challenging commercially run rivers. Then, one day he disappeared.

A Tahoe avalanche expert explains how the state’s fickle winter weather has changed the way guides assess risk in the mountains.

Following one of the deadliest summers on record, more than a dozen people have died in the Italian mountains this year. Rescuers are now issuing a warning to those hoping to visit Italy ahead of heavy snowfall.

Damon Petrie, 60, mysteriously vanished in December 2025 near southern Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. A hiker just found his body in the woods.

Rescue teams across the country are rapidly integrating flying drones and artificial intelligence programs into their processes and procedures. But one major hurdle is stymying the new tech.

Two weeks before social media influencer Gabby Petito disappeared, she was involved in an encounter with local police—a harrowing scene now etched in the minds of millions of people who have seen the body cam footage of the traffic stop in Moab, Utah. An excerpt from the new book 'Murder on the Trail' breaks it down.

Outside editors recall the search and rescue missions unlike any others. Here are the stories that will stay with us forever.

Inside the world of search and rescue—from what it’s really like on the ground to the harrowing rescues that stay with us forever.

A backcountry skier in Colorado suffered an unusual—and potentially deadly—injury.

The longevity guru released a public statement after his name was revealed in the U.S. Justice Department’s latest batch of Epstein documents.

Three dogs were rescued from a remote gully near Texas Canyon, a popular climbing area near Santa Clarita, California. Watch the now-viral video where responders describe their heartwarming rescue.

Yosemite, Glacier, and other NPS sites are ditching timed-entry programs and reservation systems, raising fears that summer crowds may overwhelm some popular destinations.

He recently ran 500 miles from Colorado Springs to Moab while microdosing psilocybin and other psychedelics, to understand how the chemicals impact human endurance.

In the days leading up to an avalanche in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado experienced just a small amount of snow. What went wrong? One expert told us it was a combination of factors that led to the slide.

A recent video shows two hikers stranded on a perilous, extremely steep cliffside in Northern California. It joins a growing list of similar clips depicting people being rescued in the outdoors. Here’s why I can’t stop watching them.

Despite its deathly reputation, Mount Baldy is oftentimes neither a particularly precarious mountain nor an especially treacherous trail. Why, then, do so many people perish on the 10,000-foot peak?

Cattle dogs are known for their intense intelligence and limitless loyalty, so it should come as no surprise that one named Cami is credited with saving her owner’s life. Did we just find our good dog of 2026?

The 40-year-old woman had mysteriously disappeared while hiking with her dog near the North Fork of the American River.

A half-mile-long slackline was hung across Telegraph Canyon, a recreational area located about 60 miles east of Phoenix in the Sonoran Desert.

The record-setting polar explorer talks about helping Will Smith film the new docuseries 'Pole to Pole,' rebuilding after injury, and what it really takes to stay sane alone on the ice

YOSAR members, NPS sources, and other experts help us unpack and understand the uptick in rescue missions inside the iconic California park.

An Arizona man recently saved an injured pooch from the slopes of a steep and crumbling peak. Here’s what it was like.

In November, a blizzard with hurricane-force winds struck a popular hiking route in one of Chile’s most visited tourist destinations. Five people died. David Zonshayn, an emergency physician from New York, was on the trail when it happened. Here is his story.

The triathlete went missing while swimming off the coast of California during her weekly swim club meeting. Eyewitnesses report having seen shark splashes in the water shortly before her disappearance.

These trailblazers reshaped how we think about adventure, risk, and resilience in 2025.

With the memory of an elephant and instincts of a seasoned first responder, researchers say this four-legged robot could be the future of backcountry rescue. But are we ready for it?

On March 21, 2004, a hiker discovered the body of Renaldo Burts, 18, in the hills near a strenuous trail in southern California near the city of Idyllwild. Two decades later, investigators have arrested a suspect.

Earlier this year, more than 300 piles of human cremated remains were discovered on public land south of Las Vegas. A local funeral home now holds them, but their origins remain a mystery—and federal investigators aren’t talking.

The 75-year-old experienced outdoorsman was a ritualistic coffee drinker, which makes him leaving behind a full cup with creamer—alongside his wallet, phone and keys—all the more bizarre. Those close to Pachak tell Outside that he seems to have disappeared without a trace.

An elderly woman who recently became stranded while mushroom hunting raises an important question: Are foragers, especially those seeking prized fungi, at a higher risk of getting lost than other outdoor enthusiasts?

Authorities say a young boy called 911 just before 7 P.M. to report that he and three other hikers had been lost for about three hours

A recent tragedy in Colorado wasn't an anomaly. From drowning in quarries to stumbling into open pits, hundreds have died in vacant mines across the United States since 2000.

Three individuals—two women and one man—were swept from the rocks into the ocean while visiting a popular beach in Big Sur. After the two women self-rescued, the 30-year-old man is still missing.

The incident occurred at Grand Canyon West, a private tourist destination located on the Hualapai Reservation

Ron Dailey was supposed to be gone for just a day when he set out on a hunting trip. Alone and cold in the backcountry, he survived 20 days on just 900 calories.

Experts say that when we push past fear and frustration in nature, we’re not chasing thrills—we’re reconnecting with what it means to be human

Winter is coming earlier in some places and later in others, but snowy conditions are just one factor contributing to a recent increase in backcountry rescues. Outside spoke with the National Association for Search and Rescue to determine what's causing the uptick, and how to avoid becoming a statistic.

The latest search and rescue report from Southwestern Colorado involves a late-night rescue in deep snow

Officials said the hikers were “ill-prepared” for winter weather. New Hampshire is one of the few to levy fines on rescued hikers deemed to have entered the wilderness unprepared. Could they pay?

Arizona is among the states with the highest number of lightning deaths and injuries. Severe weather—including lightning, hail, and heavy rain—can occur unexpectedly and frequently at high elevations, particularly in the northern part of the state.

During a multi-day adventure, the author had to navigate a medical dilemma after her boyfriend came down with a life-threatening illness

The Citadel is a technical 13er—a classification of mountains that exceed 13,000 feet—and is considered to have a standard Class 3 approach with 3,005 feet of elevation gain. The rescue occurred in technical Class 4 terrain, further complicated by high winds, making landing zones near the summit unsuitable.

Conner Mantz recently shattered the U.S. men’s record at the Chicago Marathon. Mantz, 28, takes us inside his historic race.

Responders spent six hours rescuing the two, who were stuck on a sheer and rocky couloir deep in the Sierra Nevada

Although BASE jumping is not allowed in national parks, sources tell Outside the activity is not all that uncommon.

Researchers believe Shackleton knew of his ship’s weaknesses in ice. Should that change our understanding of the classic tale of survival?

A hiker was just rescued from a Colorado peak after blowing a simple rescue whistle. The lesson? Satellite messengers are great, but low-tech tools have their place in a safety kit, too.

Todd Shoulders, 54, died in the South San Juan Wilderness, just ten miles away from where two other hunters were recently killed by lightning

“Extreme environmental physiologists” weigh in on what the human body really needs

After a weeklong search consisting of more than 50 search and rescue teams, both men were found deceased on September 18

Family members of one of the missing hunters confirmed the news on September 18

A 29-year-old solo hiker suffered "significant but non-life-threatening" wounds in the attack, which occurred on the Turbid Lake Trail

I knew the safety rules. I didn’t follow all of them. Here’s what happened when a black bear charged me on my hometown trail.

Big Bend does not see many visitors, but it has a high relative death rate.

The body of a Colorado man was located about 300 feet below the rim near the South Kaibab Trail

Five years after Forrest Fenn’s bronze chest was found, a Canadian treasure hunt is reigniting the wild search for riches

Six questions to ask yourself before adventuring into the outdoors, according to the National Park Service.

Plan, download, and navigate the backcountry with Gaia GPS’s new features designed for vehicle-based adventure

Hikers in British Columbia and Montana successfully fended off attacking bears in two separate incidents using this compact deterrent.

In her latest essay, Woniya Thibeault explains how starvation and seclusion impact a participant’s psyche once the days turn into months

Hundreds of festivalgoers are injured at Burning Man each year. To some, the medical bills can be astronomical.

Pete Thompson flew 190 miles over western Colorado by harnessing updrafts and wind. It’s believed to be a record-breaking flight.