The Most Popular Backcountry GPS Units
A simple overview of three of the most popular GPS satellite communicators for backpacking, including Garmin, SPOT, and Somewear.
Emily Ford’s Record-Setting Thru-Hike Becomes a Journey of Inspiration
When Emily Ford set out to thru-hike Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail in December she thought it would be a good way to find her place in the racial justice movement by connecting people of color to backpacking.
Central Cascades Permits Needed for 2021; Applications Open April 6
The Deschutes and Willamette National Forests in Oregon will require permits for hiking this year from May 28 to Sept. 24, with an exception for Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers who have a long-distance permit. Day-use permits will be required for 19 of 79 trails in the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, Read more
A New Civilian Climate Corps Envisioned to Conserve Public Lands, Tackle Climate Change
The Biden administration has planted the seeds of a Civilian Climate Corps that would hire workers for projects aimed at conserving and restoring public lands while addressing climate change. Here’s the update
US House Moves to Expand Wilderness, Rivers Protection
More than 2 million acres of public lands and 1,000 miles of rivers in Arizona, Colorado, California, and Washington State would gain federal wilderness protection under a bill passed by the US House on Feb. 26. The Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act passed 220-200 in the House, and now goes to the Senate.
15 National Parks Set Visitor Records in 2020
Fifteen national parks set records for visitors in 2020, a year that saw Americans head for the outdoors to escape Covid-19 limits on indoor gatherings. But overall visits to the 423 parks in the National Park System declined 28 percent from 2019 to 2020, a drop attributed to 66 parks Read more
Arizona Trail Remains Closed at Southern Terminus
Seven months after the southernmost mile of the Arizona Trail was closed because of border wall construction, open trenches, unstable soil from blasting, and abandoned construction areas continue to make the trail unsafe for hikers.
Backpacking and Covid in 2021: Are Shorter Thru-Hikes the Way of the (Near) Future?
With Covid-19 still an unavoidable part of US life, a Triple Crown trail might not be the best option. Remember, there are more options
Striving for a <10-Pound Base Weight: It's Not For Everyone
Hugh adds up what it would take to go ultralight, and decides it’s probably not for him.
Pandemic Complicates Trail Work, but Trail Organizations Adjust
Trash—and even human waste—piled up along hiking trails last summer as a rush of people sought refuge in the outdoors during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s how the trail organizations are adjusting.