Hiking
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The last two tree sitters fighting the 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline project in Jefferson National Forest surrendered to police. Will others take their place?
Reporter Kathryn Miles and photographer Ian Tuttle caught up with some of the people hiking the Pacific Crest Trail this year and asked them why they're hiking
Backpacking is one of our favorite ways to experience the outdoors, but embarking on your first trip can be intimidating.
Don’t have time to hike the AT? Try one of these instead.
There are plenty of ways to lighten your load this season. These tips can help shave off the ounces before tackling a long trail.
One of the craziest speed records in ultrarunning takes athletes from the top of the canyon, down to the bottom, and then all the way back up again—twice.
There is perhaps no better reward than reaching a remote and wild waterfall. Here are eight of the planet’s most breathtaking falls.
In 1965, mountaineer Jim Whittaker guided Senator Bobby Kennedy up his father’s namesake mountain, Mt. Kennedy.
In this clip from 'Coming to My Senses', Aaron Baker begins his 20-mile journey across Death Valley.
Decades of political infighting have stymied construction of the North Country Trail, which, if finished, would run for 4,600 miles. Now it looks like Congress may finally be ready to get its act together.
Last month, the university banned the Outing Club on the grounds that activities like backpacking and canoeing were too risky. But the students aren't about to disband without a fight.
While overcrowding plagues America's most popular trails, there are still places to find solitude
Four tips to help you spend less time futzing with gear and more time on the trail
An energized group of explorers are bringing the spirit of wilderness through hiking to American cities. Record-breaking distance trekker Liz Thomas and others are altering how we see urban spaces and inviting folks new to the outdoors along for the fun.
A guide to one of the most unique slices now excluded from Bears Ears National Monument
The fight to keep a 300-mile pipeline out of Jefferson National Forest is heating up. The Forest Service has cut off all food and water supplies to the protesters, and supporters are becoming desperate to help.
With no official governing body, it’s up to athletes to prove their fastest-known-time claims. But as the stakes increase, substantiating these feats has become more complex than ever. For those who still intend to pursue an FKT, though, these guidelines will help.
The Seeker is a film that features hiker Atul Khandar taking a solo journey to Everest Base Camp.
Now you can be part of trail history by helping put signs up along America's often-overlooked (but perhaps most beautiful) thru-hike
No Man’s Land from filmmaker Davide Calafà documents a six-day backpacking journey through Iceland.
A group of hired caretakers, called ridgerunners, are working to protect America’s favorite wilderness footpath from the hordes of people who walk it each year
Singing isn’t the only thing that’s more fun in the rain. Here are ten other activities that are better when wet.
If successful, he'd be the first to do so. Sure, he's had to bail twice, but that won't stop him from trying again and again.
These foundational principles are more than 50 years old. We have three suggested updates for 2018.
It's not just that she's fast—it's that she didn't train at all
From filmmaker Pete Mcbride, Dust in the Blood chronicles McBride’s attempt to thru-hike the Grand Canyon with writer Kevin Fedarko.
We asked a recent Appalachian Trail north-bounder to detail the most essential items during his 2,190-mile journey
The association that manages the West's premier national trail just paid $1.6 million to prevent a property owner from putting up a fence 150 miles shy of the Canadian border
Our 40 favorite wild places, big ideas, foolhardy exploits, stiff drinks, trusty tools, and history-making, crazy-ass mofos
Holly "Cargo" Harrison has finally reached the U.S. on a 15,000-mile hike through South and North America
Blake Crossland grew up frequenting Rocky Mountain National Park with his family, in fact, it's the place where his parents met. So to say he's deeply connected to this place is a bit of an understatement.
For more than two decades, Jeff Caldwell has lured in hikers, couchsurfers, and other women (and they're almost always women), enthralling them with his tales of adventure. Then he manufactures personal crises and exploits their sympathy to rip them off. Our writer corresponded with Caldwell while he was still on the run, and came away with an intimate look at the life of a serial scammer who's found his easy marks in the outdoor community.
Scientists investigate hip straps—the benefits aren’t as obvious as you think
Christian Thomas, a.k.a. Buddy Backpacker, finished the Continental Divide Trail on September 18, becoming the youngest person to complete all three of the nation's longest hiking trails
The shaggy animals can carry our heavy packs, but can they also carry our emotional burdens?
How an eventful anniversary trek on "the meanest 33 miles in history" saved a marriage
Here's some key equipment and planning advice from a first-timer who just completed the Appalachian Trail
The former fastest woman to hike the AT is stitching together ambitious routes right in the middle of urban civilization
Seven hikers have died on 14ers since May, an unusual string of fatalities that has Aspen officials wondering what measures they're obligated to put in place to keep people safe in the mountains
And the potentially catastrophic injuries he suffered make the time even more impressive
August’s full solar eclipse is the first visible from the United States since 1979. Traveling over 14 states on its way east, from Oregon to South Carolina, the eclipse passes over the southern end of the Appalachian Trail - a 2,200-mile wilderness hike that winds from Georgia to Maine.
Andrew “Bob” Harris recently became the first person with Down syndrome to climb the Grand Teton
Another controversial speed attempt on the country's most popular trail points to the need for a better system for verifying hikers' times
How one tragic evening revolutionized bear management in our national parks
We embrace the stereotype to salute the characters who add a little personality to all the backpacking trips we’ve ever taken
Inspired by iconic American long trails, a new generation of pioneers are creating paths for hikers and bikers the world over
We wanted to see just how light we could make our summer backpacking setup—money and comfort be damned
The Great Eastern Trail spans nine states and 1,600 miles just west of the Appalachian Trail, but private landowners, meager funding, and sluggish construction are holding up the completion of America's next big wilderness route
If you want to make an adventure buddy, the first few weeks are critical
California's banner snowfall plus a record number of hikers have kept local search and rescue teams very, very busy
Sammy Hartley skis, climbs, bikes, and backpacks—and just spent five days hiking rim to rim
Part Burning Man, part Camino de Santiago, part Fringe Festival thrown in for good measure, Trail Days is 72 hours of hiking mayhem.
Facing a failed marriage and an underwhelming job, Tonya Holt decided to sell her belongings, cancel her apartment lease, and set out on a six-month wilderness backpacking trip. Who she’ll be when she finishes, she isn’t sure.
Jim Tabor began stashing hand-carved spoons along the AT six years ago as souvenirs for through-hikers. His creations have come to symbolize the generosity of the tight-knit trail community.
Dale Sanders is an 81-year-old Kentucky-born retired civil servant who's leaving his wife and dog at home for the next five months to claim a record on the country’s most popular wilderness trail
Ever wonder what type of person takes six months off to hike the famous trail? Well, here's your answer. Presenting the average AT hiker, based on data from a 2016 survey.
This year, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy estimates that 3,400 individuals will attempt a thru-hike, making it one of the busiest years in the trail’s history. We met up with a few of these hopefuls as they set out.
Exploration of these mountains isn’t new, but it wasn’t until five years ago that the first traverse of the entire range was completed, by Chase Norton, then a PhD student at the University of Hawai’i.
At the cover shoot for the May issue of Outside, we asked 10 of the most influential women in the outdoor world a handful of questions about life, success, and happiness.
The author moved to the United States at eight years old and took her first camping trip soon after. The outdoors became an escape from the stressors of being a new American and a reminder that enjoying nature can be a privilege in itself.
Tried-and-true stuff that will let you go farther and stay out longer
As more hikers take on the 2,190-mile route each year, Lyme disease intensifies its spread across the eastern U.S.
Don't let rain or snow keep you inside. Tips from pros on how to make the most of the wet seasons.
A proposed 300-mile natural gas pipeline would cut a swath across the Appalachian Trail and could undermine protections for other National Scenic Trails across the country
Plenty of people are hesitant to camp solo, but for women, many of whom deal with catcalls during mundane morning jogs, it's harder to dismiss imagined sexual predators lurking in the woods. The author explores why she heads out alone anyway.
One of our most iconic wild places is under threat from mining and development interests. Two journalists hiked 800 miles to remind people why they should care.
Pro skier Kit DesLauriers had a goal; to ascend and then ski the highest peak on each of the seven continents.
Two thru-hikers have taken it upon themselves to pull the trash—thousands of pounds and counting—off the Pacific Crest and Appalachian trails
Outdoor tradition or dangerous, polluting, wasteful relic of the past?
The secret to ultimate fitness isn't all that complicated—just spend a month outside, hiking eight hours per day. Kyle Boelte breaks down how his body evolved into an efficient, fat-burning, testosterone-fueled machine over 29 days on the Colorado Trail.
An unknown hiker from Atlanta claims to have broken the Appalachian speed record. The question is: Can she prove it?
Belgian backpacker Louis-Philippe Loncke has taken down Death Valley and just abandoned his attempt to thru-hike Australia’s Simpson Desert. But he’s not done yet.
Twelve years after disappearing on a hike in western China, David Sneddon is being held captive to teach English in North Korea, according to a Japanese news report
Outsiders plying thru-hikers with sodas and chicken wings might appall purists, but trail magic is here to stay—and that's a very good thing