These Insanely Tough Backcountry Competitions Will Challenge You to the Core
The Tuckerman Inferno, Mount Marathon, Badwater 135, Barkley Marathons and more… these are some of the most extreme backcountry races in the country.
Arctic Refuge, Boundary Waters Receive Conservation Alliance Funding
Conservation efforts to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness received a big boost from The Conservation Alliance, which awarded $75,000 in funding for each in 2021 and 2022. In all the Alliance awarded $1.11 million for conservation efforts, including funding for Indigenous-led conservation Read more…
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
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
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.
National Parks Require Hikers to Wear Masks When Social Distancing Isn’t Possible
Hikers on national park trails who cannot maintain a safe distance from others will be required to wear masks under new guidance from the National Park Service.