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The Best Hikes in Yellowstone
By Michael Lanza Yellowstone National Park is a place where the earth comes alive, with more than 10,000 hydrothermal features and 500 active geysers—that’s more than half the world’s geysers—as well as 290 waterfalls, not to mention having some of the greatest diversity of wildlife remaining... -
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Mountain Lakes of Idaho’s Sawtooths—A Photo Gallery
By Michael Lanza I may be risking an impassioned debate here, but I think there are very few mountain ranges in America with as many drop-dead, gorgeous high mountain lakes as Idaho’s Sawtooths. Yes, a few mountain ranges clearly outnumber the Sawtooths in that department, like the High Sierra... -
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How to Pitch a Tent in Rain and Keep It Dry
By Michael Lanza It’s a situation all backpackers eventually encounter, no matter how hard you try to avoid it: You reach a backcountry campsite in a steady rain and must try to pitch your tent without soaking the interior. How successfully you accomplish that will greatly affect how warm and... -
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15 Awesome Fall Backpacking Trips
By Michael Lanza The imminent end of summer always feels a little melancholy. After all, it marks the close of the prime season for getting into the mountains. But it also signals the beginning of a time of year when many mountain ranges become less crowded just as they’re hitting a sweet zone... -
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‘Let’s Talk Water:’ Backpacking the Grand Canyon’s Gems
By Michael Lanza The April sun seems to dangle just over our heads like a giant grow light—or perhaps a very, very big and hot interrogation lamp—as we hike down the Grand Canyon’s South Bass Trail, a steep path littered with enough ankle-rolling stones to keep pulling our eyes from the... -
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10 Pro Tips For Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag
By Michael Lanza Head into the mountains in summer, or almost anywhere in fall or spring, and you can encounter nighttime and morning temperatures anywhere from the 40s Fahrenheit to well below freezing. That’s more than cold enough to pose a real risk of hypothermia or, at the least, result in... -
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Mountain Lakes of the High Sierra—A Photo Gallery
By Michael Lanza It seems a fool’s wager to guess how many mountain lakes exist in the High Sierra, the range that reaches heights over 14,000 feet and spans some 200 miles through eastern California from Lake Tahoe to south of Sequoia National Park, including Yosemite and Kings Canyon national... -
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10 Awe-Inspiring Wild Places in America’s West
By Michael Lanza Over more than three decades of backpacking adventures throughout America’s West, I’ve been fortunate to explore deeply into our most cherished national parks, wilderness areas, and protected backcountry. All of them are special. But some places rise above the rest, inspiring a... -
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Review: Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo 1p Ultralight Tent
Ultralight Solo Backpacking Tent Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo 1p $550, 1 lb. 7 oz./657g backcountry.com From the Grand Canyon’s Gems Route to Montana’s Beartooth Mountains, Nemo’s top-of-the-line Hornet Elite Osmo 1p solo ultralight tent withstood winds gusting to around 30 mph/48 kph and shrugged... -
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How to Prevent Hypothermia While Hiking and Backpacking
By Michael Lanza Rain and wind battered two friends and I as we hiked across exposed meadows high in the Olympic Mountains—our second straight day of heavy rain. Dripping, knee-high vegetation ladled cups of water onto our pants and boots. My rain jacket kept my upper body dry, but my... -
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7 Pro Tips For Keeping Your Backpacking Gear Dry
By Michael Lanza From the rainforests of the North Cascades and Olympic National Park to powerful thunderstorms in the High Sierra and Wind River Range and steady New England rain, from the Tour du Mont Blanc to Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail to New Zealand (lead photo, above) and many more places... -
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12 Expert Tips for Staying Warm and Dry Hiking in Rain
By Michael Lanza There are only three guarantees in life: death, taxes, and at some point, getting rained on when dayhiking or backpacking. As we all know, wet clothing conducts heat away from your body, making you colder. Staying as dry as possible while on the trail or in camp is key to... -
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The Two Best Hikes in Bryce Canyon National park
By Michael Lanza Bryce Canyon’s relatively easy, nearly three-mile Navajo Loop/Queens Garden Loop regularly draws a steady stream of hikers for good reason, with constant views of hoodoos—the multi-colored, limestone, sandstone, and mudstone spires that look like giant, melting candles... -
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The Best Hikes in Capitol Reef National Park
By Michael Lanza Chances are, when you think about hiking in southern Utah, Capitol Reef National Park does not come to mind first. Or maybe even second or third. Ask many hikers and national parks fans to list Utah’s Big 5 parks—the others being Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, and Canyonlands—and... -
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The 12 Best Dayhikes Along North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway
By Michael Lanza I’m a hiking snob—I admit it. I want all of the hiking trips I take to feature five-star scenery. And for years, I’ve done most of my dayhiking and backpacking in the American West, with its vast wildernesses and infinite vistas, so I’m a little spoiled. But a weeklong trip to... -
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Review: Rab Downpour Light Waterproof Jacket
Ultralight Rain Jacket Rab Downpour Light Waterproof Jacket $165, 7.7 oz./219g (men’s medium) Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s XS-XL (8-16) backcountry.com Two startingly loud, sharp, and sustained crackles of thunder and a flash of lightning gave us about a two-minute warning before the skies... -
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Review: Black Diamond First Light Stretch Hoody
Hooded, Breathable Insulated Jacket Black Diamond First Light Stretch Hoody $299, 14 oz./397g (men’s medium) Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-XL blackdiamondequipment.com Campsite temperatures below freezing in Utah’s High Uintas Wilderness in October and around 40° F in Montana’s Beartooth... -
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Backpacking Glacier National Park—a Photo Gallery
By Michael Lanza If you have ever backpacked in Glacier National Park, you know you want to return. If you haven’t yet, then isn’t it time? One of America’s flagship national parks, it’s a must-see destination for backpackers because of the eye-popping scenery, remoteness, and an extremely rare... -
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The Best Rain Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking of 2025
By Michael Lanza Shop for a rain jacket for dayhiking, backpacking, trail running, or climbing in the backcountry and you’ll see shells for adults ranging in price from under $100 to over $500 and in weight from less than half a pound/227 grams to over a pound/454 grams—with just as huge and... -
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Review: Sea to Summit Spark Pro -9C/15F Sleeping Bag
Ultralight Sleeping Bag Sea to Summit Spark Pro -9C/15F Bag $649, 1 lb. 11 oz./765.4g (regular) Sizes: unisex regular and long ($689) seatosummit.com We woke up from our first night in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains in mid-September, at well over 10,000 feet beside a creek that sang soft...