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Harassing marine mammals in California is illegal, and those convicted can face fines of more than $36,000 and up to a year in prison. Anyone with information about the two individuals, a man and a woman with black hair, can call the National Park Service tip line at +1-888-653-0009.

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.

Several other eruptions have occurred in the past weeks, but all went unseen. Serendipitous timing, however, allowed scientists to record the December 20 ejection from Black Diamond Pool. The area violently exploded in 2024, destroying park infrastructure. It’s been erupting ever since.

At an age when most people are in retirement, the civil rights activist returned to work at 85 to serve as a park ranger in California. For the following 15 years, she continued in the service of public lands, giving historical talks and tours.

When the iconic American television show went on a 10-day trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp, the team knew they were in for the expedition of a lifetime. What they didn’t anticipate was just how vital a role porters play—often with little recognition. Outside sits down with Cecilia Vega, host of '60 Minutes,' for an inside look at her journey.

If passed, the Utah Republicans’ proposal would have rescinded legislation that protects and maintains the boundaries of national parks as federal lands. Yet Senator Mike Lee told Outside, “selling national parks was never on the table.”

A 20-acre acquisition connects this desert national park to a nearby preserve, creating a vital wildlife corridor in the heart of the Sonoran Desert.

Cost of living in California near Yosemite National Park is notoriously high. Even so, federal officials are slashing wage rates for blue-collar workers, sparking outrage from the local union.

Hundreds of vehicles are estimated to have entered the park during the timed entry window each day during the summer, often leaving people on the road. Removing the reservation program may drive more visitors to arrive later in the day, during safer hours.

It’s said that Badwater Basin earned its name when a 1849er’s mule refused to drink from a nearby spring-fed pool, suggesting that the water in the area was bad. It’s not—just very salty.

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?

Utah officials have posted a $3,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a person who reportedly stole a 1,700-year-old skull from an ancient burial ground near the high-desert town of Kanab.

At 267 feet tall, General Grant Tree is estimated to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years old, which means the sequoia was growing alongside woolly mammoths and outlived the Roman Empire.

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.

In the past, Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park regularly shot water over 300 feet into the air. But the feature hasn’t erupted in the better part of a year, and scientists aren’t sure when it will again.

A private meeting of Utah officials highlights a growing rift over how to manage crowding at the state’s most popular national park sites

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.

As we head into the polar vortex, meteorologists are calling for up to a foot of snow in some parts of the U.S.

After 175 years of displacement, the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation has reacquired 900 acres south of Yosemite National Park

Inexperienced skiers and snowboarders are following TikTok videos into Vermont’s snowy backcountry, putting them in potentially dangerous terrain at a time of year when snowpack is notoriously unreliable

After thick clouds grounded a rescue helicopter, firefighters performed a risky, high-angle rescue to save a hapless hiker who had scrambled onto a rock fin.

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?

Non-U.S. residents will pay up to $100 extra to enter some national parks and $250 for an annual pass in 2026 under a newly announced pricing structure approved by the federal government.

The mountain states of America hold within them some of the fastest growing towns in the country. Here they are.

For riders who own the affected model, Peloton is offering free seat replacements. Do not resume riding until your seat is fixed.

Each bear sighting in Yellowstone National Park is about as valuable as the average movie ticket in the U.S. When accounting for all sightings, grizzly and black bears generate more than $16 million annually.

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.

Unstable snow and fluctuating weather conditions brought on by Cyclone Monica are believed to have caused the avalanche. Five tourists and ten Nepali high-altitude guides set out roughly an hour before the slide occurred near the base camp of Yalung Ri Peak.

Known as Moctezuma’s pod, this group of orcas have developed a unique strategy for hunting juvenile white sharks in the Gulf of California. Scientists have recorded the whales inducing what’s known as a state of tonic immobility, essentially paralyzing the shark.

Barred owls are known to attack humans and outcompete other endangered owl species. Now, a controversial management strategy would involve culling more than 15,000 annually.

The hiker was rescued while attempting the Kalalau Trail, a challenging 22-mile round-trip trek from Ke’e Beach to Kalalau Beach. The 22-mile round-trip trek offers the only access to the rugged coastline of the renowned Nāpali Coast.

A helicopter attempting to evacuate tourists flipped over while trying to land near the world’s highest summit. Tropical cyclone Montha has brought heavy snowfall into the region, and officials have closed trekking routes around Everest and the surrounding peaks.

The highly specialized rescue technique involves a helicopter used to insert a rescue ranger on the cliff face above a stranded climber. A weighted beanbag, which helps in high-wind situations, is then attached to line that’s tossed to the injured climber.

It’s the first footage to show ski mountaineer Jim Morrison’s ascent, summit, and history-making first ski descent down the Hornbein Couloir on the direct north face of Mount Everest. His party was only the sixth to ascend the route, and the first since 1991.

The 99 Switchbacks is a 2.2-mile section of the route that gains 1,800 feet of elevation as it quickly zig zags upwards. Recent snow made this part of the mountain particularly perilous over the weekend.

This once-niche cowboy ski-racing sport is going big this winter with its first pro tour across the West

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.

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.

After two hikers lost their way during an unexpected snowstorm in Washington’s Snoqualmie region, search and rescue personnel are urging anyone recreating in the backcountry to be prepared. Here’s a list of 10 essential items everyone should include in their daykit.

The endurance athlete’s ill-fated run up and down the Grand occurred on September 2, 2024. He shaved a sliver off the standard 13-mile route, taking an informal trail to circumvent a switchback on the descent. As a result of the cut, Fastest Known Time refused to recognize his record.

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.

New restrictions in some parts of New Mexico require hikers to obtain a permit to access the southern terminus of the Continental Divide Trail, and appear to ban most non-U.S. citizens from it entirely. Here's what we know about the situation so far.

At least 80 percent of funding from National Park Service recreation fees stays in the park where it is collected, and the other 20 percent is used to benefit parks that do not collect payments or parks that generate only a small amount of revenue

While the data itself suggests a new peak designation nay be in order, the summit has not officially been declared a “new” 14er. So, technically, it’s not categorized yet as such. And experts don’t seem to be in a rush to do so.

Located on the peak’s North Face, the Hornbein has captivated mountaineers since Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld made its first ascent in 1963. Morrison’s party was only the sixth to ascend the route, and the first since 1991.

Grizzly attacks are most common in the spring, when sows are defending their cubs, and in the fall during hyperfagia, a period of extensive eating to prepare for winter. Although both hikers were hospitalized—one in critical condition—both are expected to recover.

With sweeping vistas and steep elevation gains, Shadow Mountain Trail is a 2.6-mile loop just outside of Phoenix. Experts say it’s best to hike during the cooler parts of the day, but losing light on the trail can be just as dangerous as overheating.

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

After collapsing into tears at the trail terminus, the 30-year-old hiker welcomed her birthday with Oreos

One donor compared visiting a national park with no rangers to visiting Disney World without Mickey Mouse

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

In an unexpected turn of events, the world-renowned rock climber is also taking viewers on a tour of his home state in Nevada. We talked to Honnold about his upcoming film projects.

Big Sky Resort told Outside that the project will be built out in two phases, the first of which will use up to 23 million gallons of recycled water each year from Big Sky’s new state-of-the-art water treatment facility

At nearly 1,800 pounds, polar bears are roughly three times the size of a black bear

Gates of the Arctic is home to one of the largest caribou migrations on Earth

The five-part ‘Get a Little Out There’ series will premiere in 2026 across Outside networks

More than half of the deaths in 2025 were human-caused

Idaho’s rugged Sawtooth Valley is as remote as it gets, and it’s not a place where you’d want to have a problem

A new study asks whether 100 years of plush redesign has turned the wild’s most feared predator into a comfort object—and changed how we think about nature itself

The young athlete pulled off these stout solos with a stripe of glitter on each cheek—a habit he’d adopted during a summer of yore involving alt rock, a girl, and partying

At an age when most individuals are bouncing grandkids on their knees—if their knees even function—Carlos Soria Fontán returns, time and time again, to the most inhospitable regions on Earth, to test himself

Alex Honnold announces he will free solo a skyscraper live on Netflix, plus one missing hiker was rescued using a simple, inexpensive tool. Outside has you covered in this edition of our weekly news roundup.

Touring dancers aren’t just artists—they’re high-performance athletes. With the release Taylor Swift’s 'The Life of a Showgirl,' we chatted with real-life showgirl and Lady Gaga's former backup dancer Sloan-Taylor Rabinor to get a behind-the-curtains look at the training, discipline, and endurance it takes to thrive under the spotlight night after night.

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.

The United Nations Messenger of Peace died of natural causes at the age of 91

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

Authorities report three suspects are in custody for initial felony charges

Officials say that the 26-year-old victim was rappelling from the popular Mount Blue Sky route when she suffered a fatal accident

That’s what a group of former National Park Service employees is urging in light of a looming federal shutdown

Two hunters were killed by a lightning strike in Colorado, plus Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel skied from the summit of Mount Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. Outside has you covered in this edition of our weekly news roundup.

The duo sustained non-life threatening injuries in the attack, and were able to drive themselves to a local hospital

John "Legend" Garmine used his hike to raise more than $29,000 for the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ youth

For those who aren’t chasing game but still want to wander the woods, Outside rounded up five safety tips to keep yourself safe while adventuring outside

One day, hundreds of parks, countless ways to give back: here’s how to celebrate National Public Lands Day