Two Perfect Summer Day Hikes on the SoCal PCT

Few people aspire to hike the PCT in Southern California in summer. Thru-hikers are long gone, focused on snow-melt in the Sierras and reaching Canada by September. Wildfire season is settling in, causing trails—and the roads leading to them—to close at a moment’s notice. And it’s...

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#ORShow, Outdoor Retailer, Wasatch Mountains, hiking in Utah, Salt Lake City Hikes, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Salt Lake City, Mount Raymond, Gobbler's Knob, City Creek Canyon, Lake Blanche

Top Summits to Bag During Outdoor Retailer

The Wasatch Mountains tower over Salt Lake City, beckoning those of us who attend Outdoor Retailer to come hike and ski for the past two decades. They’re rugged and spectacular and offer a reprieve from the busyness that exists inside Salt Palace. With this being the...

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Palomar Mountain, Afoot & Afield: San Diego County, Scott Turner, Barker Valley, California hiking

Must-Do Backpacking Trips at Palomar Mountain

Without a doubt, the rolling high country of Palomar Mountain in California contains San Diego County’s most picture-perfect mountain scenery. Palomar’s uplands, covered with forests of pine, oak, fir, and cedar, and its gentle valleys, laced with sparkling streams, bring to mind landscapes more commonly...

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Day and Section Hikes Pacific Crest Trail Washington, PCT, Adrienne Schaefer

Three Day Hikes on the PCT in Washington

July is by far the most popular time to hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington. And for good reason! The weather is great, the meadows show off their vibrant array of wildflowers, and many of the alpine lakes are just getting warm enough to...

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Mount Shasta, climbing Mount Shasta

Do You Have What it Takes to Climb Mount Shasta?

For millennia, Mount Shasta has spoken to people as a place of grandeur and inspiration in almost every imaginable way. It stands in solitary dominance as the most striking mountain in Northern California. Its volume—estimated by various geologists to be between 84 and 120 cubic...

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Walking Philadelphia

Finding Love in a Philadelphia Ale House

The City of Brotherly Love, known for its unique architecture and colorful art murals, not to mention its rich history, is about to get even more interesting. Walking Philadelphia, by award-winning journalist Natalie Pompilio, guides you through the coolest blocks in the city. And since sisterly love is...

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Rail-Trails: Iowa and Missouri, Iowa rail-trails, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Navigating the Best Rail-Trails in Iowa

Iowa has a rich railroad history. In 1856, the first trains to ever cross the mighty Mississippi River entered Davenport, Iowa, ushering in a new wave of east-west travel and commerce across the burgeoning nation. Today, Iowa’s residents can remember and celebrate the original railroads with...

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Pacific Crest Trail, Pacific Crest Trail Association, Wilderness Press 50th anniversary

The Time Before the Pacific Crest Trail

The trails in the Sierra and the PCT are so engrained in our 50 years as guidebook publishers that it's hard to imagine a time before the iconic Pacific Crest Trail weaved its way from Mexico to Canada. Yet Wilderness Press was already a year...

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