Camping and Hiking, Where to Go
Flying High in the Bugaboos
Jasper's Jewel: The Tonquin Valley
Waterton: The Quiet Jewel of Canada's Rockies
Tucked between Banff National Park to the north, and Glacier National Park to the south, sparsely visited Waterton Lakes National Park sits astride a narrow waist of the Rocky Mountains, where the high peaks don't bother with foothills, where the bear mojo is more intense than even Denali, and there’s more species of wildflowers than in Jasper and Banff combined.
The High-Adventure High Life at Lake Chelan
From hiking to kayaking to mountain biking, the unique combination of mountains and water at Washington state's Lake Chelan creates unrivalled access to outdoor activities--months before the surrounding Cascades melt out. Outdoor fun combined with the civilized pleasures and fine dining of the world-class wineries make Washington state's Lake Chelan the perfect venue for early season adventures.
A Trek to Grey Owl's Cabin
There’s no better way to experience the great boreal forest of northern Saskatchewan than to make the 40 kilometer round trip hike through the wilderness of Prince Albert National Park to pay homage to one of Canada’s earliest conservationists: the man who called himself Grey Owl. The two or three day tek out to his cabin on remote Ajawaan Lake, in the Grey Owl Wilderness is a great way to combine living history with backcountry adventure
Hiking Utah's Cedar Mesa Country
This unique plateau in southeastern Utah soars to 7,000 feet but harbors dozens of canyons slicing through the layer cake of the Colorado Plateau. With the greatest concentration of ancient Anasazi ruins on earth, Cedar Mesa’s landscape and artifacts make it a great place to kick off the hiking season.
Mid Winter Getaway: Hike the Grand Canyon
Want to take a break from all those winter adventures, from ice climbing to skiing? Then head for the Grand Canyon, where March can be the best time of year for a backcountry trip down into one of the greatest features on planet Earth. Even if it's snowy and cold up at the rim, conditions can be pleasant in the canyon bottom. And the mild temperatures make the hike back up the rim pleasure.
Yosemite Grand Traverse
Come along as GreatOutdoors.com joins forces with Columbia and Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides for an epic seven-day trek through the Sierra to try out the latest and greatest gear for 2010. Sixty miles on the Yosemite Grand Traverse proves a great experience and the ultimate gear test.
A Journey to Skoki Lodge
Behind the Lake Louise Ski Area lies the awesome Slate Range, but one of the best kept secrets in this corner of Banff National Park is man made: venerable Skoki Lodge, a comfortable base camp for backcountry exploration. But the only way in is a seven mile hike, or ski.
Hiking the Teton Crest Trail
One of America's most iconic backcountry routes, the Teton Crest Trail takes backpackers into the heart of the spectacular Grand Tetons, and comes with enough route options to make for a weekend or a week-long adventure that will prove unforgettable.
Jordan's Jewel: A Trek to Petra
Everybody who goes to Jordan goes to Petra, but few people get there via a 50 miles trek that in six days travels from Dana Biosphere Reserve to Wadi Araba and into the Sharah Mountains before arriving at the storied city of Petra through the back door. Come along as GreatOutdoors.com shows you the way.
The Adventure Side to Israel
Join GreatOutdoors.com editor Peter Potterfield as he ventures on a journey of discovery through the backcountry of Israel in search of adventure. Who would expect world class canyons to rival those of southern Utah, or a feature so grand it is called the Grand Canyon of the Middle East. Along the way, he discovers the civilized city of Tel Aviv, and the historical epicenter of Jerusalem’s Old City.
Sawtooth Traverse
A trek across the mountains of Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness reveals a rugged landscape of uncommon beauty and glorious solitude, a unique place that creates a backcountry journey like no other.
Across Montana's Beartooths
A hike through Montana's Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness to the northern edge of Yellowstone National Park is one of America's iconic wilderness journeys
From Chaco Canyon to Sky City
Come along on a hiking expedition through the magical landscapes of New Mexico, from the sprawling complex of great houses and kivas in Chaco Canyon, to the mysteries of the Acoma people’s mesa-top pueblo and their ancient trade routes across the lava flows
Mad Dogs and an Englishwoman
Travel writer Polly Evans’s latest book, Mad Dogs and an Englishwoman, tells of her journey to Canada’s Yukon Territory to learn to drive sled dogs.
Into the Yukon’s Kluane National Park
The spectacular 90-mile Donjek Route is one of the most challenging in the Yukon Territory, traversing a backcountry where three adjoining parks—Kluane, Tatshenshini-Alsek and Wrangell- St. Elias create 38,000 square miles of pure wilderness
Hiking Newfoundland’s Long Range Traverse
The 35 kilometer Long Range Traverse through Newfoundland’s Gros Morne National Park pays off with genuine wilderness on a grand scale, but this trail-less backcountry route will challenge your navigational skills. Then you can go kayaking among icebergs and whales when you’ve completed the hike.
The Planet Ice Project: Into the Cordillera Blanca of Peru
James Martin, writing exclusively for GreatOutdoors.com as he photographs and researches his new book, Planet Ice, reports from Huascaran National Park in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru
© 2011 GreatOutdoors.com
