All Hiking and Backpacking Trips

Welcome to The Big Outside’s All Trips List

Scroll down this page to view a complete menu of all stories about trips at The Big Outside—to help you find your next adventure. Many stories are free for anyone to read in part but require a paid subscription to The Big Outside to read in full, including my expert tips on planning them.

See menus of all stories about family adventures, national park adventures, and international adventures at The Big Outside; my expert e-guides to many classic backpacking trips and hikes; and my Custom Trip Planning page to learn how I can help you plan any trip you read about at this blog.

Got any suggestions or questions for me? Drop me a note to [email protected].

And thanks for reading The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza


Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside. Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter. Join The Big Outside to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. Click here for my e-guides to classic backpacking trips. Click here to learn how I can help you plan your next trip.


A backpacker at Sahale Glacier Camp in North Cascades National Park.
A backpacker at Sahale Glacier Camp in North Cascades National Park. Click on the photo to see my 25 Favorite Backcountry Campsites.

U.S.

America’s Top 10 Best Backpacking Trips

The 10 Best Backpacking Trips in the Southwest

Tent Flap With a View: 25 Favorite Backcountry Campsites

The 26 Nicest Backcountry Campsites I’ve Hiked Past

Morning Eagle Falls and backpackers on the Piegan Pass Trail in Glacier National Park.
Backpackers on the Piegan Pass Trail in Glacier National Park. Click photo to see “The 10 Best National Park Backpacking Trips.”

The 10 Best National Park Backpacking Trips

10 Awe-Inspiring Wild Places in America’s West

Photo Gallery: 32 Gorgeous Backcountry Lakes

A young girl hiking Angels Landing, Zion National Park.
My daughter, Alex, hiking Angels Landing, Zion National Park. Click photo to see “The 25 Best National Park Dayhikes.”

The 25 Best National Park Dayhikes

Extreme Hiking: America’s Best Hard Dayhikes

The 17 Best Uncrowded National Park Dayhikes

My 30 Most Scenic Days of Hiking Ever

See all National Park Trips, Family Adventures, and International Trips at The Big Outside.

A young boy hiking in the North Fork Cascade Canyon in Grand Teton National Park.
My son, Nate, on a family backpacking trip in Grand Teton National Park. Click photo to see “8 Perfect National Park Backpacking Trips for Beginners.”

8 Perfect National Park Backpacking Trips for Beginners

The 5 Southwest Backpacking Trips You Should Do First

10 Awesome Fall Backpacking Trips

Alaska

Lamplugh Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska.
Lamplugh Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska.

Back to the Ice Age: Sea Kayaking Alaska’s Glacier Bay

Arizona

Backpackers and wildflowers along the Grand Canyon's Escalante Route.
Backpackers and wildflowers along the Grand Canyon’s Escalante Route. Click photo for my e-guide “The Best Backpacking Trip in the Grand Canyon.”

5 Reasons You Must Backpack in the Grand Canyon

8 Epic Grand Canyon Backpacking Trips You Must Do

How to Get a Permit to Backpack in the Grand Canyon

Get my expert help planning your next trip. Click here now!

A backpacker at a waterfall on the Deer Creek Trail in the Grand Canyon.
Jeff Wilhelm at a waterfall on the Deer Creek Trail in the Grand Canyon.
In the narrows of Paria Canyon.
Backpackers in the narrows of Paria Canyon.

Fit to be Tired: Hiking the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim in a Day

April Fools: Dayhiking the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim

How to Hike the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim in a Day

The Best Backpacking Trip in the Grand Canyon

Backpacking the Grand Canyon’s Thunder River-Deer Creek Loop

Finding Solitude Backpacking the Grand Canyon’s Utah Flats and Clear Creek

Not Quite Impassable: Backpacking the Grand Canyon’s Royal Arch Loop

A Matter of Perspective: A Father-Daughter Hike in the Grand Canyon

One Extraordinary Day: A 25-Mile Dayhike in the Grand Canyon

Dropping Into the Grand Canyon: A Four-Day Hike From Grandview Point to the South Kaibab Trail

The Quicksand Chronicles: Backpacking Paria Canyon

Backpacking the Desert Oasis of Aravaipa Canyon

Plan your next great backpacking adventure in Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Grand Teton and other flagship parks using my expert e-guides.

California

Backpackers hiking over Clouds Rest in Yosemite National Park.
Todd Arndt and Jeff Wilhelm hiking over Clouds Rest in Yosemite.

The 12 Best Dayhikes in Yosemite

The 8 Best Backpacking Trips in Yosemite

Where to Backpack First Time in Yosemite

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A hiker atop Half Dome, Yosemite National Park.
Mark Fenton atop Half Dome, Yosemite National Park.

Best of Yosemite: Backpacking South of Tuolumne Meadows

Best of Yosemite: Backpacking Remote Northern Yosemite

Yosemite’s Best-Kept Secret Backpacking Trip

How to Get a Yosemite or High Sierra Wilderness Permit

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A young girl at Precipice Lake in Sequoia National Park.
My daughter, Alex, at Precipice Lake in Sequoia National Park.

Hiking Half Dome: How to Do It Right and Get a Permit

The Magic of Hiking to Yosemite’s Waterfalls

Mountain Lakes of the High Sierra—A Photo Gallery

Heavy Lifting: Backpacking Sequoia National Park

Plan your next great backpacking adventure in Yosemite, Grand Teton and other flagship parks using my expert e-guides.

Backpackers at Evolution Lake in the Evolution Basin, John Muir Trail, Kings Canyon N.P.
David Ports and Marco Garofalo hiking the John Muir Trail past Evolution Lake in the Evolution Basin, Kings Canyon N.P.

10 Great John Muir Trail Section Hikes

Thru-Hiking the John Muir Trail in Seven Days: Amazing Experience, Or Certifiably Insane?

Thru-Hiking the John Muir Trail: What You Need to Know

High Sierra Ramble: 130 Miles On—and Off—the John Muir Trail

In the Footsteps of John Muir: Finding Solitude in the High Sierra

Like a good, hot soak? Find the best hot springs in California at calihotsprings.com!

Climbers approaching the East Face of Mount Whitney in the John Muir Wilderness, California.
Climbers approaching the East Face of Mount Whitney in the John Muir Wilderness, California.

Roof of the High Sierra: A Father-Son Climb of California’s Mount Whitney

A Mind-Boggling Chunk of Lonely: Backpacking in Death Valley National Park

Facing the Biggest Challenge Inside: Friendship and Climbing Rocks at Joshua Tree National Park

Trail Running Across Marin: Four Days, 42 Miles, Inn-to-Inn

In the Land of Dr. Seuss: Exploring Joshua Tree

Colorado

Ouzel Lake in Wild Basin, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
Ouzel Lake in Wild Basin, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

The 5 Rules About Kids I Broke While Backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park

Ask Me: Should I Go Backpacking Solo (in Rocky Mountain National Park)?

Rafters floating the Gates of Lodore section of the Green River through Dinosaur National Monument.
Rafters floating the Gates of Lodore section of the Green River through Dinosaur National Monument.

Why Conservation Matters: Rafting the Green River’s Gates of Lodore

Exploring America’s Big Sandbox: Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes

Florida

Mangrove tunnel on the East River.
Mangrove tunnel on the East River.

Like No Other Place: Paddling the Everglades

Idaho

Backpackers on Trail 95 above Twin Lakes in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains.
Backpackers on Trail 95 above Twin Lakes in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains.

The Best of Idaho’s Sawtooths: Backpacking Redfish to Pettit

5 Reasons You Must Backpack Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains

Jewels of the Sawtooths: Backpacking to Alice, Hell Roaring, and Imogene Lakes

The Best Hikes and Backpacking Trips in Idaho’s Sawtooths

I’ve helped many readers plan an unforgettable backpacking trip in the Sawtooths. Want my help with yours? Find out more here.

A hiker above the Middle Fork Salmon River in Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.
A hiker above the Middle Fork Salmon River in Idaho’s Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.

America’s Newest Long Trail: The Idaho Wilderness Trail

Idaho Wilderness Trail Maps and Overview

Going After Goals: Backpacking Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains

Photo Gallery: Mountain Lakes of Idaho’s Sawtooths

Baron Lake, Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho.
Baron Lake in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains.

Roof of Idaho’s Sawtooths: Hiking Thompson Peak

Hidden Paradise: Backcountry Skiing Idaho’s Sawtooths

Chasing Summer’s Tail Climbing in Idaho’s Sawtooths and Castle Rocks

Hell Hath No Fury: The Stark Beauty, Solitude, and Surprises of Hells Canyon

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A hiker above Scoop Lake in the Boulder Chain Lakes, White Cloud Mountains, Idaho.
Scott White hiking above Scoop Lake in the Boulder Chain Lakes, White Cloud Mountains, Idaho.

Head in the Clouds: Thinking About Wilderness On a Big Dayhike In Idaho’s White Cloud Mountains

Exploring a Wilderness Hopeful: Idaho’s White Cloud Mountains

Ask Me: What Backpacking Trip Do You Recommend in Idaho’s White Cloud Mountains?

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Cliffside Rapid on Idaho's Middle Fork Salmon River.
Cliffside Rapid on Idaho’s Middle Fork Salmon River.

Big Water, Big Wilderness: Rafting Idaho’s Incomparable Middle Fork Salmon River

Reunions of the Heart on Idaho’s Middle Fork Salmon River

Photo Gallery: Idaho’s Craters of the Moon

Mt. Heyburn, Sawtooth Wilderness, Idaho.
Mt. Heyburn, Sawtooth Wilderness, Idaho.

Growing Up On Skis: Two Families, Yurts, and Many Memories

Key Ingredient to Family Yurt Trip: What’s Missing

Snowstorms, Skinny Skis, Yurts, and a Family Tradition

Lambert Gorge, East Fork Owyhee River
Lambert Gorge, East Fork Owyhee River.

The Wildest River: Kayaking the Upper Owyhee

Wild Back Yard: Trails of the Boise Foothills

A 12-Year-Old’s First Time Skiing Wild Snow

An Ode to Favorite Spots Most People Don’t Know: Backcountry Skiing Mores Creek Summit

Maine

A Path Too Far: Hiking Maine’s Mahoosuc Range in a Day

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Montana

A backpacker hiking the Dawson Pass Trail in Glacier National Park.
Pam Solon backpacking the Dawson Pass Trail in Glacier National Park.

5 Reasons You Must Backpack in Glacier National Park

10 Backpacking Trips for Solitude in Glacier National Park

DĂ©jĂ  vu All Over Again: Backpacking in Glacier National Park

A backpacker hiking the Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail above Elizabeth Lake in Glacier National Park.
Jeff Wilhelm backpacking the Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail above Elizabeth Lake in Glacier.

Descending the Food Chain: Backpacking Glacier National Park’s Northern Loop

Wildness All Around You: Backpacking the CDT Through Glacier

How to Get a Permit to Backpack in Glacier National Park

Get my expert e-guides to the best backpacking trip in Glacier
and backpacking the Continental Divide Trail through Glacier.

Morning Eagle Falls and backpackers on the Piegan Pass Trail in Glacier National Park.
Backpackers on the Continental Divide Trail in Glacier National Park.

Jagged Peaks, Mountain Lakes, and Wild Goats: A 3-Day Hike on Glacier’s Gunsight Pass Trail

The 10 Best Dayhikes in Glacier National Park

The 8 Best Long Hikes in Glacier National Park

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A backpacker above Overland Lake on the Ruby Crest Trail, Ruby Mountains, Nevada.
My son, Nate, backpacking above Overland Lake on the Ruby Crest Trail in northern Nevada’s Ruby Mountains.

Nevada

Backpacking the Ruby Crest Trail—A Diamond in the Rough

New Hampshire

A hiker on the Zeacliff Trail, White Mountains, N.H.
A hiker on the Zeacliff Trail, White Mountains, N.H.

The Best Hikes in the White Mountains

Still Crazy After All These Years: Hiking in the White Mountains

Step Onto Rock. Step Down. Repeat 50,000 Times: A 20-Mile, 9-Peak ‘Death March’ of the Presidential Range

Being Stupid With Friends: A 32-Mile Dayhike in the White Mountains

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Big Hearts, Big Day: A 17-Mile Hike With Teens in the Presidential Range

The Hardest 20 Miles: A Dayhike Across New Hampshire’s Rugged Wildcat-Carter-Moriah Range

Ask Me: What Are Your Favorite New England Hikes?

North Carolina

Crabtree Falls, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina.
Crabtree Falls, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah National Forest, N.C.

In the Garden of Eden: Backpacking the Great Smoky Mountains

The 12 Best Dayhikes Along North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway

Oregon

A backpacker on the Timberline Trail around Oregon's Mount Hood.
Jeff Wilhelm backpacking the Timberline Trail around Oregon’s Mount Hood.
Tunnel Falls, Eagle Creek Trail, Columbia Gorge, Oregon.
Tunnel Falls, Eagle Creek Trail, Columbia Gorge, Oregon.

Learning the Hard Way: Backpacking Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness

Full of Surprises: Backpacking Mount Hood’s Timberline Trail

Nature In Your Face: Hiking in the Columbia Gorge

Photo Gallery: A Big Day in the Columbia Gorge

The Wildest River: Kayaking the Upper Owyhee

Hell Hath No Fury: The Stark Beauty, Solitude, and Surprises of Hells Canyon

Stacking the Deck for Adventure: Rafting Oregon’s Wallowa and Grand Ronde Rivers

Bottomless Powder, Big Ski Lines in Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains

A great adventure deserves a good, hot soak. Find the best hot springs in Oregon at soakoregon.com!

Utah

A hiker in The Subway, Zion National Park.
David Gordon hiking The Subway, Zion National Park.

The 10 Best Backpacking Trips in the Southwest

The 12 Best Hikes in Utah’s National Parks

A backpacker in the Paria Canyon narrows.
A backpacker in the Paria Canyon narrows.

Insider Tips: The 10 Best Hikes in Zion National Park

Hiking Angels Landing: What You Need to Know

Luck of the Draw, Part 1: Hiking Zion’s Subway

Luck of the Draw, Part 2: Backpacking Zion’s Narrows

Pilgrimage Across Zion: Traversing a Land of Otherworldly Scenery

Mid-Life Crisis: Hiking 50 Miles Across Zion in a Day

The Quicksand Chronicles: Backpacking Paria Canyon

No Straight Lines: Backpacking and Hiking in Canyonlands and Arches National Parks

Farther Than It Looks: Backpacking the Canyonlands Maze

Still Waters Run Deep: Tackling America’s Best Multi-Day Float Trip on the Green River

Why Conservation Matters: Rafting the Green River’s Gates of Lodore

Click here now to get my expert e-guide to Backpacking Zion’s Narrows.

A hiker on the Peek-a-Boo Loop in Bryce Canyon National Park.
My then-81-year-old mom, Joanne Lanza, hiking the Peek-a-Boo Loop in Bryce Canyon National Park.

The Best Hike in Bryce Canyon National Park

Ancient and Modern Folly: Backpacking Utah’s Dark Canyon

Ancient Puebloan ruins in Woodenshoe Canyon, in Utah's Dark Canyon Wilderness.
Ancient Puebloan ruins in Woodenshoe Canyon, in Utah’s Dark Canyon Wilderness.

The Most Beautiful Hike You’ve Never Heard Of: Crossing Utah’s Capitol Reef

Playing the Memory Game in Southern Utah’s Escalante, Capitol Reef, and Bryce Canyon

Plunging Into Solitude: Dayhiking, Slot Canyoneering, and Backpacking in Capitol Reef

I can help you plan the best backpacking, hiking, or family adventure of your life.
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Washington

A backpacker descending from Panhandle Gap on the Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier National Park.
Todd Arndt descending from Panhandle Gap on the Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier National Park.

American Gem: Backpacking Mount Rainier’s Wonderland Trail

5 Reasons You Must Backpack Mount Rainier’s Wonderland Trail

How to Get a Permit to Backpack Rainier’s Wonderland Trail

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Backpackers on Trail 785 to Image Lake in Washington's Glacier Peak Wilderness.
Backpackers on Trail 785 to Image Lake in Washington’s Glacier Peak Wilderness.

The Best Hikes in Mount Rainier National Park

Wildflowers, Waterfalls, and Giant Slugs at Mount Rainier

Completely Alone on Mount Rainier’s Northern Loop

Wild Heart of the Glacier Peak Wilderness: Backpacking the Spider Gap-Buck Creek Pass Loop

Larch trees reflected in Rainbow Lake in the North Cascades National Park Complex.
Larch trees reflected in Rainbow Lake in the North Cascades National Park Complex.

Primal Wild: Backpacking 80 Miles Through the North Cascades

Exploring the “American Alps:” The North Cascades

Three Generations, One Big Volcano: Pushing Limits on Mount St. Helens

Near Strawberry Point, Olympic National Park, Washington.
Near Strawberry Point, Olympic National Park, Washington.

The Wildest Shore: Backpacking the Southern Olympic Coast

“Backpacking the Pasayten Wilderness—On and Off the Beaten Track”

Nature In Your Face: Hiking in the Columbia Gorge

Wyoming

Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park.
Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park.

The Ultimate Family Tour of Yellowstone

In Hot (and Cold) Water: Backpacking Yellowstone’s Bechler Canyon

The 10 Best Hikes in Yellowstone

Iris Falls on the Bechler River, Yellowstone National Park.
Iris Falls on the Bechler River, Yellowstone National Park.

Cross-Country Skiing Yellowstone

The Best-Laid Plans: A Weeklong Ski Traverse in Yellowstone… and a Monster Snowstorm

A backpacker on the Teton Crest Trail in Grand Teton National Park.
Jeff Wilhelm backpacking the Teton Crest Trail on Death Canyon Shelf in Grand Teton National Park. Click photo to read about backpacking the Teton Crest Trail.

A Wonderful Obsession: Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail

5 Reasons You Must Backpack the Teton Crest Trail

The 5 Best Backpacking Trips in Grand Teton National Park

How to Get a Permit to Backpack the Teton Crest Trail

Dying to backpack in the Tetons? See my e-guides to the Teton Crest Trail and
the best short backpacking trip there.

 

A backpacker on the Teton Crest Trail in Grand Teton National Park.
Jeff Wilhelm backpacking the Teton Crest Trail n Grand Teton National Park. Click photo for my e-guide “The Complete Guide to Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail.”

The Best Short Backpacking Trip in Grand Teton National Park

American Classic: The Teton Crest Trail

10 Great Big Dayhikes in the Tetons

How to Backpack the Teton Crest Trail Without a Permit

Plan your next great backpacking trip in Yosemite, Grand Teton, and other parks using my expert e-guides.

 

A backpacker on the Teton Crest Trail.
A backpacker on the Teton Crest Trail. Click photo to get my expert custom trip planning for any trip at this blog.

Walking Familiar Ground: Reliving Old Memories and Making New Ones on the Teton Crest Trail

Ask Me: Hiking Across Grand Teton National Park in a Day

Rediscovering a Sense of Wonder: Backcountry Skiing the Tetons

A backpacker hiking into Titcomb Basin in the Wind River Range, Wyoming.
A backpacker hiking into Titcomb Basin in the Wind River Range, Wyoming.

Best of the Wind River Range: Backpacking to Titcomb Basin

Backpacking Through a Lonely Corner of the Wind River Range

5 Reasons You Must Backpack the Wind River Range

A backpacker at a tarn in the upper valley of Middle Fork Lake on the Wind River High Route.
Justin Glass at a tarn in the upper valley of Middle Fork Lake on the Wind River High Route.

Adventure and Adversity on the Wind River High Route

A Walk in the Winds: Hiking a One-Day, 27-Mile Traverse of Wyoming’s Wind River Range