\n
Click on the links to my stories in these brief writeups to learn more about each of these trips. Much of this story is free for anyone to read, but reading the entire story requires a paid subscription<\/a>. See my Custom Trip Planning page<\/a> to learn how I can help you plan a trip to any of these lakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you know some gorgeous lakes that are not on my list, please suggest them in the comments section below this story. I try to respond to all comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s to your next peaceful moment beside a gorgeous lake deep in the mountains somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Early on\nthe second morning of a six-day, 94-mile traverse of Glacier National Park, mostly\non the Continental Divide Trail, three friends and I set out from the\nbackcountry campground at the head of Elizabeth Lake, hiking along the sandy\nshore. An elk bugled from somewhere in the forest nearby. The glassy water\nreflected a razor-sharp, upside-down reflection\nof the jagged mountains flanking it. Among many lovely backcountry lakes\nin Glacier, Elizabeth Lake is one of the finest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n See my stories \u201cWildness All Around You: Backpacking the CDT Through Glacier<\/a>\u201d and \u201cDescending the Food Chain: Backpacking Glacier National Park\u2019s Northern Loop<\/a>,\u201d plus my e-guides \u201cThe Best Backpacking Trip in Glacier National Park<\/a>\u201d and \u201cBackpacking the Continental Divide Trail Through Glacier National Park<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the wake of a violent thunderstorm, we crossed 11,955-foot Muir Pass on the John Muir Trail in Kings Canyon National Park in early evening on the eighth day of a nine-day, 130-mile hike through the High Sierra. Finding what seemed the only two patches of rock-free ground, we pitched our tents above Helen Lake, at around 11,600 feet. The next morning, the rising sun ignited the peaks across Helen Lake, the scene captured in razor-sharp reflections in the lake and a tiny tarn near our camp\u2014burning that almost accidental camp above Helen Lake into memory for all three of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my story about that trip, \u201cHigh Sierra Ramble: 130 Miles On\u2014and Off\u2014the John Muir Trail<\/a>,\u201d and \u201c10 Great John Muir Trail Section Hikes<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Searching for a suitable campsite along the Highline Trail late one afternoon on a five-day, roughly 43-mile loop hike in the Winds, my wife, a friend, and I reached an unnamed, small tarn\u2014and the view stopped us in our tracks. From our camp a few hundred feet off-trail beyond the tarn, we overlooked grassy meadows littered with glacial-erratic boulders that sloped down to another lake. Beyond that, 12,119-foot Sky Pilot Peak and 12,224-foot Mount Oeneis towered over the valley. I shot this photo as we hit the trail the next morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See \u201cBackpacking Through a Lonely Corner of the Wind River Range<\/a>\u201d and all stories about backpacking in the Wind River Range<\/a> at The Big Outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Idaho\u2019s Sawtooths must be in contention for the title of American mountain range with the most beautiful lakes\u2014maybe eclipsed only by the High Sierra and Wind River Range. Like the Sierra and Winds, backpacking in the Sawtooths brings you to the shores of multiple lakes every day, shimmering in sunlight, rippled by wind, or offering a mirror reflection of jagged peaks on calm mornings and evenings. Alice (also shown in lead photo at top of story) is one of the larger and prettier of them, a spot I\u2019ve visited several times without getting tired of the view across it to a row of sharp-edged peaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See all of my stories about Idaho\u2019s Sawtooth Mountains<\/a>, including \u201cThe Best of Idaho’s Sawtooths: Backpacking Redfish to Pettit<\/a>,\u201d \u201cJewels of the Sawtooths: Backpacking to Alice, Hell Roaring, and Imogene Lakes<\/a>,\u201d and \u201cThe Best Hikes and Backpacking Trips in Idaho\u2019s Sawtooths<\/a>,\u201d and my e-guide \u201cThe Best Backpacking Trip in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains<\/a>,\u201d which describes a route that includes Alice Lake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n Precipice wasn\u2019t even our intended campsite on the third day of a six-day, 40-mile family backpacking trip in Sequoia, in California\u2019s southern High Sierra. We planned to push maybe a mile farther, to camp on the other side of 10,700-foot Kaweah Gap. But when we reached Precipice Lake at 10,400 feet, and saw its glassy, green and blue waters reflecting white and golden cliffs, and took a bracing swim, it wasn\u2019t a hard sell when I suggested we spend the night there. It became one of my 25 all-time favorite backcountry campsites<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my story about that trip, \u201cHeavy Lifting: Backpacking Sequoia National Park<\/a>,\u201d and all of my stories about Sequoia National Park<\/a> at The Big Outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hiking in the chilly, early-morning shade of the North Fork of Cascade Canyon, we looked up to see a huge bull moose sauntering through a meadow speckled with wildflowers, maybe a hundred yards from us. Minutes later, thanks to our early departure from camp, we reached the rocky shoreline of at Lake Solitude\u2014the first people there that morning, enjoying a true period of \u201csolitude\u201d at this spot that\u2019s enormously popular with dayhikers. In the calm morning air, the lake lay absolutely still, mirroring in sharp detail a cirque of cliffs, rocky mountainsides, and lingering patches of old snow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my story about my most recent trip in the Tetons, \u201cA Wonderful Obsession: Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail<\/a>,\u201d my stories \u201cWalking Familiar Ground: Reliving Old Memories and Making New Ones on the Teton Crest Trail<\/a>\u201d and \u201cAmerican Classic: Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail<\/a>,\u201d and all of my stories about the Teton Crest Trail<\/a> and Grand Teton National Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n After a relentless, seven-mile-long, 3,500-foot uphill slog to Rainbow Pass in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, a friend and I descended to a wonderful, wooded campsite on the shore of Rainbow Lake. We stuffed fistfuls of huckleberries into our mouths, then walked down to the lakeshore, where the setting sun was setting larch trees\u2014their needles turned golden in late September\u2014afire. It seemed a fitting final night of an 80-mile trek through the heart of the North Cascades National Park Complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my story about that trip, \u201cPrimal Wild: Backpacking 80 Miles Through the North Cascades<\/a>,\u201d and all of my stories about the North Cascades<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Near the end of my family\u2019s second day of a four-day, approximately 36-mile traverse of Nevada\u2019s underappreciated Ruby Crest Trail, a nearly 2,000-foot uphill slog landed us at a pass at about 10,200 feet. Almost 1,000 feet below us, a stone bowl held Overland Lake like a pair of cupped hands. Beyond it, the backbone of the Ruby Mountains stretched for many miles\u2014exciting us over the alpine walk that awaited us. We descended into that bowl to make camp on a rock ledge jutting into one corner of the lake, at around 9,400 feet. The Ruby Crest Trail cuts a snaking route along the spine of Nevada\u2019s Ruby Mountains, a north-south range of granite-rimmed lake basins and arid valleys carved by ancient glaciers. Overlooking this hike would be your loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my story \u201cBackpacking the Ruby Crest Trail\u2014A Diamond in the Rough<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I mentioned above, few mountain ranges in America are as blessed with gorgeous backcountry lakes as Wyoming\u2019s Winds. That makes it hard to pick out just one or two as favorites, but Island Lake deserves a shout out as much as any and more than most. Two friends and I hiked past it on a three-day, 41-mile loop from the Elkhart Park Trailhead to Titcomb Basin and over Knapsack Col in the Winds\u2014and if we didn\u2019t already have our hearts set on spending that night in Titcomb, we could have easily pitched our tents by Island for the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read my feature story about that 41-mile hike, “Best of the Wind River Range: Backpacking to Titcomb Basin<\/a>,” and check out all of my stories about the Winds<\/a> at The Big Outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The seven-day thru-hike of the John Muir Trail that I made with some friends featured many unforgettable moments and a lifetime\u2019s worth of stunning scenery\u2014and aching feet\u2014but few moments as quietly lovely as the early morning that we hiked along the shore of Wanda Lake. We were climbing toward 11,955-foot Muir Pass when we reached this uppermost lake in the Evolution Basin, a high valley scoured from granite by long-ago glaciers and studded with lakes. As my friend Todd walked along the lakeshore, I captured perhaps my best image from that entire trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my story \u201cThru-Hiking the John Muir Trail in Seven Days: Amazing Experience, or Certifiably Insane?<\/a>\u201d See also all of my stories about backpacking the John Muir Trail<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n A friend and I reached May Lake on the last afternoon of one of my top 10 best-ever backpacking trips<\/a>, a weeklong, 151-mile tour of the most remote areas of Yosemite. We arrived as the sun dipped toward the western horizon, casting beautiful, low-angle light across the lake, which sits at the base of craggy, 10,845-foot Mount Hoffman. But you can visit May on an easy dayhike of 2.5 miles round-trip. Bonus: There\u2019s a High Sierra Camp on May\u2019s shore that\u2019s a good base camp for hiking the area, including the steep jaunt up Hoffman, which has arguably the nicest summit view in Yosemite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more photos, a video, and trip-planning tips in my story about the 87-mile second leg of that 151-tour of Yosemite, \u201cBest of Yosemite, Part 2: Backpacking Remote Northern Yosemite<\/a>,\u201d and my story about the 65-mile first leg of that adventure, \u201cBest of Yosemite, Part 1: Backpacking South of Tuolumne Meadows<\/a>,\u201d and \u201cThe 10 Best Dayhikes in Yosemite<\/a>\u201d (including May Lake and Mount Hoffmann) at The Big Outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n A shallow, tiny tarn high in New Hampshire\u2019s Presidential Range, nestled in the treeless saddle between two of the tallest mountains in the Northeast, 5,366-foot Mount Madison and 5,799-foot Mount Adams, Star Lake hardly merits the descriptor \u201clake.\u201d But its frequently wind-rippled waters, studded with ancient, granite rocks, with the boulder heaps of Madison or Adams rising behind, will quickly make you forget your tired legs and feet. Reaching it during or at the end of a rugged hike will feel more like the culmination of a pilgrimage. Treat yourself to a night at the Appalachian Mountain Club\u2019s Madison Spring Hut<\/a>, a five-minute walk from Star Lake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my story \u201cBig Hearts, Big Day: A 17-Mile Hike With Teens in the Presidential Range<\/a>,\u201d and all of my stories about New Hampshire\u2019s Presidential Range<\/a> and White Mountains<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n A longtime backcountry ranger in Idaho\u2019s Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) got my attention when he told me that Quiet Lake was his favorite in the White Clouds, which are part of both the SNRA and one of America\u2019s newest wilderness areas. He wasn\u2019t overhyping it. When I backpacked to Quiet Lake with my son, following a partly off-trail route that was moderately strenuous and not too difficult to navigate, we hit the summit of a nearly 11,000-foot peak with an amazing panorama of the White Clouds, traversed a barren, rocky basin with four alpine lakes, and pitched our tent by the shore of Quiet, below the soaring north face of 11,815-foot Castle Peak, highest in the White Clouds. And we didn\u2019t see another person the entire time. If you need a bit of peace and quiet\u2014not to mention breathtaking natural beauty\u2014go here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my \u201cPhoto\nGallery: A Father-Son Backpacking Trip in Idaho\u2019s White Cloud Mountains<\/a>,\u201d\nand all of my stories\nabout Idaho\u2019s White Cloud Mountains<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The relentlessly steep trail brought us to stunning Iceberg Lake at almost 9,800 feet and continued, even more strenuously, upward over talus and scree to Cecile Lake, at 10,260 feet at the feet of the 11,000- and 12,000-foot High Sierra spires known as the Minarets, lined up like chipped and broken bowling pins. With the \u201ctrail\u201d terminating there, we found our way across more talus and down a steep gully to Minaret Lake\u2014arguably the prettiest among several lakes we\u2019d already seen that day. We found a spot for our tents amid conifer trees a short walk from the lakeshore and enjoyed a sunset and sunrise that ranked among the best of several great ones on that trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my story about that trip, \u201cHigh Sierra Ramble: 130 Miles On\u2014and Off\u2014the John Muir Trail<\/a>,\u201d and \u201c10 Great John Muir Trail Section Hikes<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n Tucked into the ponderosa pine forest at around 10,000 feet, in the park\u2019s Wild Basin area, Ouzel is reached on a moderate hike of less than five miles and 1,500 vertical from the Wild Basin Trailhead. Although it gets some dayhikers, you can have a protected campsite in the trees there all to yourself, as my family did on a three-day, early-September backpacking trip. My kids, then 10 and seven, played and fished for hours in the shallow waters near our camp and the lake\u2019s outlet creek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my story \u201cThe 5 Rules About Kids I Broke While Backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n Early on the clear and calm, third morning of a 40-mile family backpacking trip in Oregon\u2019s Eagle Cap Wilderness, I left our campsite and walked down to the shore of this lake, anticipating the scene I\u2019d capture in pixels. Mirror Lake, in the popular Lakes Basin, earns its moniker, offering up a flawless reflection of its conifer- and granite-rimmed shore and the cliffs of 9,572-foot Eagle Cap Peak high above it. Our hike made a long loop through some less-visited areas of the wilderness, but you can reach Mirror Lake on weekend-length hikes, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my story \u201cLearning the Hard Way: Backpacking Oregon\u2019s Eagle Cap Wilderness<\/a>,\u201d and all of my stories about backpacking in Oregon<\/a> at The Big Outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n As I\u2019ve written elsewhere at this blog, take a long walk in the Winds and you can hardly swing an extended tent pole without hitting a lake or tarn. I have now backpacked past Peak Lake on separate 41-mile and 43-mile loop hikes in the Winds (which overlapped by just several miles of trail that did not grow dull on the return visit). Shimmering at the bottom of a tiny bowl, surrounded by peaks resembling giant incisors, Peak Lake can be reached from a few different directions\u2014none of them short walks, which helps keep this jaw-dropping little basin in the Winds relatively quiet. Both times I\u2019ve walked past it, the only company I had was my two companions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my stories \u201cBackpacking Through a Lonely Corner of the Wind River Range<\/a>\u201d and \u201cBest of the Wind River Range: Backpacking to Titcomb Basin<\/a>,\u201d and all stories about backpacking in the Wind River Range<\/a> at The Big Outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thru-hiking southbound on the John Muir Trail, among the first of many moments that signal how this trek seems to keep getting better and better is when you descend toward Thousand Island Lake in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Yosemite\u2014a pretty impressive place in its own right\u2014now lies miles behind you. Banner Peak, scraping the sky at nearly 13,000 feet, has been in sight for some miles and looming ever larger. Then you catch your first glimpse of the lake, speckled with islets, and it takes your breath away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remind yourself that much more of this kind of stuff still awaits you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See my stories \u201cThru-Hiking the John Muir Trail in Seven Days: Amazing Experience, or Certifiably Insane?<\/a>\u201d \u201cHigh Sierra Ramble: 130 Miles On\u2014and Off\u2014the John Muir Trail<\/a>,\u201d and \u201c10 Great John Muir Trail Section Hikes<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And see my Custom Trip Planning page<\/a> to learn how I can help you plan your JMT thru-hike\u2014as I\u2019ve helped numerous other readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n \n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/07002129\/Wind4-016-200x200.jpg?resize=103%2C103&ssl=1\")
<\/strong>Hi, I\u2019m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside. Click here<\/a> to sign up for my FREE email newsletter. Join The Big Outside<\/a> to get full access to all of my blog\u2019s stories. Click here<\/a> for my e-guides to classic backpacking trips. Click here<\/a> to learn how I can help you plan your next trip.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n![\"Elizabeth](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/06231037\/Gla6-018-Elizabeth-Lake-in-Glacier-National-Park.-2-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Elizabeth Lake, Glacier National Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I can help you plan any trip you read about at my blog. Find out more here<\/a>.<\/h4>\n
![\"Sunrise](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/06225435\/JMT2-082-Sunrise-reflection-in-a-tarn-above-Helen-Lake-John-Muir-Trail-Kings-Canyon-N.P.-High-Sierra.-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Helen Lake, John Muir Trail, Kings Canyon National Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Backpackers](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/06224932\/Wind8-39-Chip-Roser-and-Penny-Beach-hiking-past-a-tarn-off-the-Highline-Trail-CDT-Wind-River-Range-WY.-1024x655.jpg?resize=1024%2C655&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Tarn Along the Highline Trail, Wind River Range<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Find your next adventure in your Inbox. Sign up now for my FREE email newsletter<\/a>.<\/em><\/h4>\n
![\"Alice](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/07003837\/Saw16-024-Alice-Lake-Sawtooth-Mountains-ID-copy-1024x680.jpg?resize=1024%2C680&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Alice Lake, Sawtooth Mountains<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
After the Sawtooths, hike the other nine of \u201cAmerica’s Top 10 Best Backpacking Trips<\/a>.\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/06230413\/Sierra3-050-Precipice-Lake-W-of-Kaweah-Gap-Sequoia-N.P.-CA-2-1024x680.jpg?resize=1024%2C680&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Precipice Lake, Sequoia National Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Lake](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/06231508\/Tet19-095-Lake-Solitude-Teton-Crest-Trail-North-Fork-Cascade-Canyon-Grand-Teton-N.P.-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Lake Solitude, Grand Teton National Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dying to backpack in the Tetons? See my e-guides to the Teton Crest Trail<\/a> and
the best short backpacking trip<\/a> there.<\/h4>\n![\"Larch](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/06232050\/Cas10-073-Larch-trees-reflected-in-Rainbow-Lake-Lake-Chelan-NRA.-2-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Rainbow Lake, North Cascades National Park Complex<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Want to read any story linked here?
Join now<\/a> to read ALL stories and get a free e-guide and gear discounts<\/a>!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n![\"Morning](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/06230430\/Ruby1-030-Overland-Lake-on-the-Ruby-Crest-Trail-Ruby-Mountains-Nevada.-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Overland Lake, Ruby Crest Trail<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I can help you plan the best backpacking, hiking, or family adventure of your life.
\nClick here now<\/a> to learn more.<\/h4>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/06232246\/Wind5-015-Hiking-to-Island-Lake-Wind-River-Range-Wyoming-2-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Island Lake, Wind River Range<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ready for a better backpack? See \u201cThe 10 Best Backpacking Packs<\/a>\u201d
and the best ultralight backpacks<\/a>.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/07005450\/MichaelLanza_JohnMuirTrail_JMT1-52-copy-1024x681.jpg?resize=1024%2C681&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Wanda Lake, John Muir Trail, Kings Canyon National Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Got an all-time favorite campsite? I have 25.
See \u201cTent Flap With a View: 25 Favorite Backcountry Campsites<\/a>.\u201d<\/h4>\n![\"May](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/06231119\/Yos12-077-May-Lake-Yosemite-N.P.-CA-copy-1024x680.jpg?resize=1024%2C680&ssl=1\")
May Lake, Yosemite National Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Plan your next great backpacking adventure in Yosemite and other flagship parks using my expert e-guides<\/a>.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Star](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/07002254\/DSC_2487-copy-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Star Lake, Presidential Range<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Planning a backpacking trip? See \u201cHow to Plan a Backpacking Trip\u201412 Expert Tips<\/a>\u201d
and this menu of all stories<\/a> with expert backpacking tips at The Big Outside.<\/h4>\n![\"Quiet](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/07000110\/Cloud3-036-Quiet-Lake-White-Cloud-Mountains-Idaho.-copy-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Quiet Lake, White Cloud Mountains<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Get the right shelter for your trips. See \u201cThe 10 Best Backpacking Tents<\/a>\u201d
and my expert tips in \u201cHow to Choose the Best Ultralight Backpacking Tent for You<\/a>.\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n![\"Dawn](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/06225437\/JMT2-030-Dawn-at-Minaret-Lake-Ansel-Adams-Wilderness-High-Sierra.-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Minaret Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Start out right. See \u201c8 Perfect National Park Backpacking Trips for Beginners<\/a>\u201d
\nand \u201cThe 5 Southwest Backpacking Trips You Should Do First<\/a>.\u201d<\/h4>\n![\"Ouzel](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/06230620\/Rocky1-25-Ouzel-Lake-Wild-Basin-Rocky-Mountain-NP-CO-1024x680.jpg?resize=1024%2C680&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Ouzel Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Don’t let red tape foil your plans.
See my \u201c10 Tips For Getting a Hard-to-Get National Park Backcountry Permit<\/a>.\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n![\"Early](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/06230929\/Eagle2-037-Mirror-Lake-Lakes-Basin-Eagle-Cap-Wilderness-OR-copy-1-1024x680.jpg?resize=1024%2C680&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Mirror Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Gear up smartly for your trips.
See all of my reviews and expert buying tips at my Gear Reviews page<\/a>.<\/h4>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/06232227\/Wind5-059-2-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Peak Lake, Wind River Range<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tbo-media.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/06232152\/JMT1-30-1024x681.jpg?resize=1024%2C681&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Thousand Island Lake, John Muir Trail, Ansel Adams Wilderness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Read all of this story and ALL stories at The Big Outside,
plus get exclusive gear discounts<\/a> and a FREE e-guide! Join now<\/a>!<\/h4>\n