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You don't have to live in a mountain town to pursue a life of adventure. Presenting the life-changing strategies urban dwellers can adopt to play harder.
Thirty years after it was officially decommissioned comes Bicycle Route 66—the first all encompassing cycling map of the iconic byway. So finally, you can ditch the car and explore the most historic road in the U.S. on two wheels.
Most of the time it's as simple as asking, but there are a few other tricks to keep in your bag.
Ready to race? Check out these 20 events, carefully curated to provide intrepid newbie skiers, rock climbers, and trail runners a thrilling and welcoming competitive experience.
As America's favorite ski racers compete at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships, a new book tells how they changed the game forever.
Regional airports put you closer to the action and feature great perks. Their biggest downside? Cost. So stop booking with money. And start saving.
In a new effort to protect national parks and wilderness areas from commercial photography, the feds have started going after amateur filmmakers with big social media followings.
This month, a bill was introduced that would limit presidential authority to protect the natural wonders of the U.S.—and it is far more likely to pass than its predecessors. Here's why that's a very bad idea.
The newest urban bike parks are bigger, better, and more beginner-friendly than ever
These backcountry lodges welcome dedicated skiers with warm bedding, home-cooked food, and sometimes even a sauna.
The Director of Programs at the Natural Resources Defense Council on the fights she faces in 2015, and how to get involved.
The Portland bike shop owner starts from the saddle up.
Restaurants make us impulsive, which means it can be hard to turn down the cheesecake no matter how big a label it comes with.
A nonprofit aims to publicize never-before-seen footage of marine life in its natural, undisturbed habitat. The goal? Develop the ultimate marine observation tool.
Should I ditch AAA and rely on new roadside assistance apps instead?
Plus three more sheep-wool alternatives to keep you warm this winter.
It’s all part of the iconic outdoor brand’s largest advertising campaign ever.
Every winter, the ski and snowboard world lets its hair down at a few marquee events. Here are the ones we're stoked for this season.
Five mountain towns where the skiing and riding are matched by equally entertaining off-the-slopes escapades.
Looking for the funnest terrain in North America? Go here.
When a craft-beer brewery starts making hand-made mountain bikes and putting them on a kickass North Carolina ranch, happiness is only a singletrack ride away.
An eight-step plan for rebooting your career and finding a job that you love.
In October, 12 women will compete in one of the world's oldest male-dominated sports. The race? A 38,000-mile monster through pirate-infested waters and rough seas.
Plus a few other excellent things I learned at FUZE SW, a food conference you do not want to miss.
No, but it is getting increasing dangerous out there. As hordes of skiers hit the backcountry, they're triggering more avalanches than ever before, and there's still a dangerous gap between our collective enthusiasm and the depth of our knowledge. But while the learning curve is daunting and the risks are high, the adventure rewards are immense—if you do it rig
Explorer Daniel Fox has paddled some of the world's wildest places in search of images that can reconnect us with nature—but not humanize it. His startling Wild Image Project brings wildlife up close and personal, asking viewers to reconsider their relationship with the environment. "Nature is raw, rough, cruel, pretty, beautiful, inspiring, but above all, a humble experience," Fox says. And that's a great thing.
Too much competition too soon is bad for your kids and your family
Ben Hewitt’s essay on “unschooling” in our September issue has sparked some heated debate. Few parents are willing to do as the Hewitts do, and turn their kids loose entirely. But how can we give our children more freedom?
I'd love to haul my kids up the railings to Half Dome, but don't want to risk accidents—or turning them off of hiking forever. How can we have fun while staying safe in the national park?
Anxiety, depression, obesity—kids are increasingly becoming unhappy and unhealthy. But there is a pill-free solution: outdoor play.
Some people might be built for speed and others for distance, but everyone benefits from running faster. This is how you do it.
One man and his canine pal cover 13,000 miles in 32 states to discover just how strong our relationship is with man's best friend.
The 5 best ways to paddle, eat, and sail your way through "Vacationland" this summer
The days of the Homestead Act are over. But if you’re willing to be flexible, there are still ways to get cheap—even free—land.
The science is out on whether ultrarunning is good or bad for our hearts—but I'm sure the Hardrock 100 is good for mine
Physical challenges help kids rise to life's challenges, as unpredictable and varied as they might be
Track down some made-here-at-home gear to celebrate the USA in style.
Take the biggest all-terrain road race in the country, ride the category-defining bike, throw in some kindly Midwestern spirit, and you’ve got a compelling case for gravel racing.
It’s such a culinary contradiction: the great gourmet food of New England is usually served on paper plates and eaten at picnic tables by grownups wearing plastic bibs. Yet there’s no denying that the tastiest lobster served in Maine invariably comes from laid back hole-in-the-wall food shacks that line the…
The best lodging for skiers are close to the action but feel far away from it all. These are the perfect abodes to return to after carving up the slopes.
With a little help from Make-A-Wish, Yosemite’s first honorary park ranger earns his keep and proves his strength
These ground-tested strategies will help you conquer every last weekend.
There's nothing more American than hitting the open road with the windows down, the music up, and a cooler full of beer in the backseat (you know, for later). Sure, the game has changed a little—smartphones have all but rendered guidebooks and crumpled maps obsolete—but one essential question remains: where to go? Look no further. We hand-picked the ten best, most adventure-packed road trips in the country.
Cuba. Where travelers lounge on picturesque beaches, swirl mojitos, dance til sunrise, and cruise back to their hotels in ’57 T-birds. Travelers, yes. But Americans, no. Until 2011, these indulgences were long off limits to U.S. citizens due to a Bay of Pigs–era trade embargo. But despite the Obama Administration…
After joining one of the largest moving protests in history with her daughter, Katie Arnold learns that orchestrating an effective march requires more than walking.
Newly prescribed pollution limits are sure to push coal further out of the U.S. energy mix—but overseas demand might help keep coal cranking stateside.
Rail trails are the ultimate in reusing and recycling. Converted from former railroad corridors, these multi-use paths carve gentle grades through cities and the countryside, making them family-friendly routes for hiking and biking. To date, there are more than 1,800 rail trails open nationwide, covering more than 21,000 miles. “They…
Europe banned chemical-covered produce; should we follow suit?
It’s a new golden era for outdoor baseball—one in which Major League ballparks go out of their way to evoke a sense of place. Some do this by bringing the outside in. Safeco Field, home to the Seattle Mariners, features exposed steelwork—a nod to the freight trains that rumble nearby.
Reduced-oxygen training room Air Fit opens in Bay Area
Hiking even a short section of the Appalachian Trail can seem a daunting prospect. After all, the AT is a 2,184-mile footpath is comprised of flat sections, scrambles, steep inclines, challenging descents and more. You might wonder whether you have the strength or stamina to even venture a hike. “Having…
The United States has 12,383 miles of coastline. For you runners out there, that translates to roughly 472 domestic marathons. And while charting your own route can be fun, there’s something to be said for an organized event: the aid stations, the swag, the camaraderie that develops when…
Take a break from winter in a mineral bath that will soothe your soul.
I want to hike up a live— or at least dormant—volcano. Where can I go without getting scorched?
Want to get your children hooked on the active life? In these five family-friendly towns, adventure is right outside the front door.
Your perfect summer vacation may be just around the corner.
And we mean "trips" in the literal sense. Our contributors share their most-loved, go-to spots across the U.S.
Carl Zimmer walks into the woods to find out why these tiny beasts are skyrocketing in number—and outsmarting scientists with every bite
Desertification is out of control, but there may be a way to stop it
Go see the New York Historical Society's exhibition of John James Audubon's "Audubon's Aviary" or go buy the book. Do it now.
I'm going to be visiting some old college friends in the great state of Colorado in the coming weeks and am looking for something I know everyone will enjoy doing. Help?
Now that the weather’s starting to warm up, I’m planning to start training for a marathon this year. My goal is to qualify for Boston. Which races would give me the best chance for doing it?
My college roommates and I are planning a last-minute spring break ski trip, but we don’t know where to go yet. Which resort has the après ski scene for the college or post-college crowd? It has to be somewhere in North America, preferably out West.
As part of her New Year's resolution to camp every month this year, Katie Arnold took her family to Spruce Hole, a 20-foot diameter canvas-walled yurt in the San Juan's Rio Grande National Forest
Elizabeth Eilers Sullivan catches up with 16-year-old Noah Pereira, the recent winner of a 150-mile dogsled race in Alaska that's seen as the precursor to the famous Iditarod