Hiking
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Liz "Snorkel" Thomas, an Appalachian Trail record holder, created a 225-mile route through the Big Apple to help bring attention to the city's need for more playgrounds
Making the decision to start a thru-hike can be daunting, so let us show you what gear you should take
From nifty ways to keep your beer cold to ingenious tricks to get the fire going, here are a few our favorite camp hacks
This week on Tree Huggers, Brad Einstein talks to some baby and fully engorged ticks about the dangers of Lyme disease
Philip Carcia hiked all of New Hampshire's 4,000-foot peaks every month for a year
Because the end of the weekend can also mean new beginnings
He's the legs, and she's the eyes. Together they're bagging peaks and working to make the outdoors more widely accessible.
On-the-ground info to keep you safe in the backcountry
A proposed hydropower transmission line in Maine would impact the AT, wildlife, recreation, and tourism. Is it worth it?
The 1,300-mile Florida National Scenic Trail soaks backpacks and drowns tents with swampy water and sweat. It is not for the feint of heat.
You know that special feeling when you meet a stranger during an adventure, form a bond, vow to keep in touch—and then the whole thing fizzles out? Don’t feel alone. As Chuck Thompson explains, firefly relationships are an outdoor rite of passage, and in their own strange way, they’re magic.
After several months and thousands of miles, Outside's Taylor Gee knows what works and what doesn't
Thinking about tackling the big thru-hike? Consider these four things first.
A Rubbermaid bin stocked with everything you need for camping is one of the best ways to organize your gear
For the trail's most venerable volunteer group, retirement means hauling heavy equipment and sleeping outside for days on end
Hikers around the world pulled on their boots and packs and not much else
Adjusting your pack seems like it should be simple, that is until you're struggling down the trail after not correctly dialing in the fit
In 'Hike the Line,' from Corey Robinson, these hikers share an experience that's unlike any other thru-hike
John and Alyson Kirk have crushed a long list of records in the mountains. This summer, they're chasing another one.
Making your way over an 800-mile trail through deserts and mountains in less than 16 days is no picnic—except for those gas-station resupply stops
This short video features countless hikers on trails across 17 countries, showcasing the diversity of our planet
Guthook Guides' maps and crowdsourced information have made hiking the PCT and AT immeasurably easier. But is that a good thing?
Unless you're hunting, it's a terrible idea to pack heat in the backcountry
'Scotland—Be a Part of It' shows how Scotland is still a place of wildness and adventure, as long as you're willing to look
Mary Davison didn't catch the thru-hiking bug until she was 60. Since then, she's completed the Appalachian, Continental Divide, and Pacific Crest trails, and is now adding the 6,800-mile American Discovery Trail to her list.
'Thru' is an upcoming documentary about thru-hiking and why it's such a painfully enjoyable activity
Celebrate the national trails holiday this Saturday by volunteering at one of these events
Despite an attack that left one hiker dead and another injured, the experience and fellowship of the trail perseveres
Five days after an ad hoc army of volunteer searchers rescued hiker Amanda Eller, the yoga teacher missing for 17 days on Maui, the same crew located missing person Noah "Kekai" Mina just 20 miles away. This time, the ending was not so happy.
'Constant Thought,' from Spruce Tone Films, chronicles Iraq War veteran Brandon Kuehn's attempt at the Pacific Crest Trail
The 1,900-mile-long thru-hike winds through the southern Andes from Santiago to the climbing mecca of Mount Fitz Roy. To complete it, adventurers need a lot more than physical stamina.
The 17-year Army vet was stabbed to death when he and another hiker were attacked on a section of the Appalachian Trial last weekend. The trail had been his path to recovery from PTSD.
After one hiker was killed and another wounded after a weekend attack on the AT, many are asking why something wasn't done about James Jordan sooner
But do remember that it can be a powerful mental-health tool and go beyond the whitewashed Instagram posts to focus on improving access to the outdoors for those who need it most
Nadia Iris Mercado grew up in nature but not in the traditional-summits, red-rocks, and deep-canyons kind of nature
The logic behind requiring permits on Yosemite's famed Half Dome was sound: smaller crowds equals fewer accidents. In this case, the opposite is true.
The sweeping John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act could mean great things for our national trail system, but it may take a while
This new calorie calculator uses an equation developed by the U.S. military to estimate energy expenditure while hiking
Get outside for a night (or two) with this roundup of backpacking must-dos
How a father-son trip to Yosemite conquered my fear of hiking, bears, and falling off chairlifts
We asked hikers for advice on how to readjust to life after the trail
New to backpacking, or never been? Make your next trip (or your first) a success by answering these questions beforehand.
Alpine scrambles and beachfront strolls; multi-day singletrack adventures and quick urban escapes; soaring trees and rolling sand dunes—every state in the country has something to offer intrepid hikers. So we rounded up a bucket-list-worthy, best-of-the-best guide.
Olde Virden's Red Hot pepper flakes turn even the rankest dehydrated meal into mouthwatering fare
The Garden State doesn't usually bring to mind bucolic wilderness. But if you ask people in the know, that's only because you've been looking in the wrong place.
New owners are revitalizing Shaw's, the beloved hostel on the Appalachian Trail
From in-town trails to nearby epics, hiking thrives in and around these urban epicenters
How will a snowy winter affect your summertime high-country plans in the High Sierra and southern Rockies?
Ancient European pilgrimages. Coastal treks along jungle isles. Surprising Rocky Mountain summits. Checking off any of these bucket-list hikes is sure to be the experience of a lifetime.
Epic ultras in the Alps. An urban loop in running's most beloved city. High desert treks through the American Southwest. These are without a doubt the best runs on the planet.
It's so good that you'll start making it at home, too
On July 17, 2017, thru-hiker Joe McConaughy set out to claim the fastest known time for a self-supported traverse of the Appalachian Trail
Violinist-pianist duo Anastasia Allison and Rose Freeman hike into the wilderness and often play for no audience other than nature
The hiking duo Her Odyssey highlight their journey from Patagonia to Colombia by nonmotorized travel
You're probably doing it wrong. And even if you aren't, it won't work anyway.
Setting an FKT is already badass. But what these Fastest Known Time award winners pulled off on the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail is downright awe-inspiring.
Food is heavy. Don't carry it for miles while backpacking just to let something else eat it.
‘Climbing Giants,’ from Red Carpet Producciones, features runner Bárbara Koch summiting Misti and Chachani, two volcanoes in Peru
In 2018, thru-hiker Tyler Lau set out to be the first person of color to complete what’s known as the triple crown in one year
This summer at the southern terminus of the PCT, photographer Ian Tuttle asked a bunch of thru-hikers why they were hiking. Months later and 2,591 miles to the north, he found some of them again and asked what they’d learned about themselves. Turns out, six months in the wilderness is a pretty good crash course in philosophy.
Two hikers just set the only known times on the country's newest state-spanning trail system
The residents of Atlantic City, Wyoming, are just fine being off the grid. But Continental Divide Trail thru-hikers are revitalizing the town in surprising ways.
What the new data says about how long the average hiker takes, what they drink, and how tired they get
The difference between capturing good and great shots comes down to the smallest details
The 34-year-old teacher reportedly died at the hands of a drug cartel
Only five others—all men—have completed the thru-hiker’s Holy Grail in fewer than 365 days
Photographer Tommy Corey spent the summer shooting Hiker Trash Vogue, a photo project featuring thru-hikers as models—minus wardrobe changes and plus a lot of dirt
The 34-year-old from North Carolina hasn't been heard from in more than a week
Iraq War veteran Will Robinson had to do something drastic to save his own life. So he started hiking…and he hasn’t stopped since.
Told here in full for the first time, this is the horrifying story of the first murder on the Appalachian Trail, the kidnapping that followed, and how one woman learned to survive.
The bodies of Garret Bonkowski and Jessica Bartz were discovered on October 1 on a South Rim trail. How they died remains a mystery, and their families want answers.
The route patches together portions of five other thru-hikes and includes sections of trail-less meandering through the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. It's no wonder that only one person has ever completed it—yet.
As America wrestles with high rates of suicide among military personnel and veterans, outdoor programs have been offered up as a promising treatment. Dan Sidles seemed like the ideal candidate: an Iraq War vet who suffered from PTSD, he tried to find a renewed sense of purpose through climbing and mountaineering. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough. Brian Mockenhaupt explores the final years of a tortured friend.
This loop through Yosemite could just be the finest high-altitude thru-hike in the country
Want to take the kids along? Follow these tips from families who've done it the long way.
Sue Johnston has been setting FKTs for decades and inspired a generation of ultrarunners along the way. If you've never heard her name before, that's by design.