The planet is crisscrossed with epic trails, from the Alps to the Andes. There are snowy summit trips for fleet-footed peak-baggers, long and leisurely rambles for wildlife lovers, and everything in between. While the options are almost infinite, here are a few epic hikes to add to that ever-expanding life…
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What It’s Like to Run the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim
Those who have trail run the Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (R2R2R) madness of the Grand Canyon know this: you leave a little piece of yourself in the canyon. The 40-plus-mile route is a grueling out-and-back journey with more than 10,000 vertical feet of gain and loss, which travels from the South Kaibab Trail…
The 10 Best Places to Camp for Free in Northern California
It’s hard to think of a more satisfying way to spend a beautiful weekend than camping on one of Northern California’s spectacular array of public lands—except, perhaps, camping there for free. Land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management is typically home to lots of…
Why You Should Visit Yellowstone National Park in the Off-Season
If you drive into Gardiner, Montana, after the hustle and bustle of the short three months of summer, you’ll notice a tranquility settle upon the town. The locals relax, the wildlife wanders in from the park, and the crowds disappear. Glancing at the passing license plates, the traffic is distinctly…
Trekking Through One of the Least-Visited Regions of Mexico
It’s closing in on noon, and the day couldn’t be more perfect. The morning started out in a cool, mist-covered shroud, but now the sun is shining bright, trickling down as the pine-needled carpeted trail gently meanders uphill, past peeling madronas draped with Spanish moss. The thin air up at…
14 Awesome Places to Camp in Tennessee
There’s nothing quite like sleeping out in the great outdoors with a campfire crackling nearby and the stars twinkling in the sky. From the quiet beauty of the Tellico River to the incredible hiking opportunities in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Volunteer State is full of waterfalls, mountains, and…
6 Top Spots for Winter Camping in and Around Charlotte
Here in the Carolinas, we may feel a twinge of envy when the flakes fly up north, but it passes quickly when crisp, clear weather and a surprising number of mountain and lakeside campsites close to Charlotte make it so easy to enjoy winter camping. In fact, with warm-weather crowds…
Backpacking the Westernmost Section of the Florida Trail: A 32-Mile Trip Along a National Seashore
By the time cool October winds begin to blow across mountainous landscapes, hikers on the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide, and Pacific Crest Trail are scrambling to wrap up their seasons. But across the country, another long-distance trail is marking the start of its season: the Florida Trail. Spanning…
The 20 Best Day Hikes in Colorado
These are the kind of articles that keep me up at night. Whittling down a list of Colorado’s best day hikes to a mere twenty is a daunting task. There are literally hundreds of hikes that would fit the bill, and none of them would be wrong. If that comes…
The Best State Parks and Recreation Areas Near Austin
The Austin area is surrounded by incredible parks and outdoor recreation areas. With rolling green meadows, wide open spaces, giant cypress and oak trees throughout the countryside and along creeks, limestone cliffs, rocky riverbeds, rivers, lakes, and caves, Central Texas has some of the most diverse landscapes and ecosystems in…