Camping and Hiking

Mount Rainier: Our Iconic Mountain

The Mountaineers Books is reprinting Mount Rainier: Notes & Images from Our Iconic Mountain, James Martin's stunning work of images and words that describes his extensive experience in Washington's Cascades and on Mount Rainier. GreatOutdoors.com presents this sneak peak at the images that made the book a classic.

Camp Coffee Throwdown

Come along as GreatOutdoors.com's resident coffee expert offers advice on five great ways to make camp coffee: two gear-intensive ways for car camping, two lightweight methods for backpacking, and one new favorite that utilizes an all new product.

Classic Hikes of North America

See this exciting excerpt from GreatOutdoors.com editor Peter Potterfield's new book, Classic Hikes of North America. Read how he approached the project, and discovered some of his favorite routes, including the Teton Crest Trail in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, the Tonquin Valley loop in Alberta's Jasper National Park, and the Long Range Traverse of Newfoundland's Gros Morned National Park.

A Journey Down the River Aare

Come along as GreatOutdoors.com editor Peter Potterfield follows the legendary River Aare as it flows from it’s headwaters in the glaciers of the Swiss Alps to Switzerland's capitol of Bern. We climb, hike, bike and raft alongside the Aare, as it changes its moods from mountain stream, to roiling whitewater to more tranquil stretches. The turquoise Aare defines Switzerland as it flows from the mountains to make its famous oxbow bend that embraces the city of Bern.

First Fatal Grizzly Bear Attack in Denali

This week's deadly mauling of a backpacker in Denali National Park, the first confirmed fatal encounter,  is likely to reset how hikers view the park, which harbors some of the greatest wilderness in North America. Rangers found the camera belonging to the hiker who was killed, which sheds light on what happened before the attack. The big question: did he get too close?

Hiking the Wales Coast Path

Come along with GreatOutdoors.com editor Peter Potterfeld as he hikes the brand new Wales Coast Path, a bold vision combining scenery and history as it traces the wild coastline of Wales for more than 800 miles, passing foggy headlands, rocky beaches, and thousand year old castles. The trail opened in May of 2012, and GreatOutdoors brings you one of the first reports.

Favorite Gear for Spring 2012

GreatOutdoors.com staff members spend as much time in the out of doors as possible, so they take their outdoor equipment seriously. Here are a few favorite pieces of gear that we've tested and know will serve  us well during the upcoming season as the weather finally breaks. We've gone from the Bugaboos to Arches National Park, from the Sierra to Big Bend to preview the latest in backcountry equipment and clothing.

Flying High in the Bugaboos

Images from the Wild Side

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.

GPS Navigation in the Wilds: Getting Started

Experts from Magellan accompany GreatOutdoors.com editor Peter Potterfield on a series of hikes in Utah's Arches National Park to demonstrate the benefits of using handheld GPS devices like the new eXplorist 310 to navigate in the wilds--and to show how easy it is to get started.

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.

Favorite Gear of the Year for 2010

GreatOutdoors & Altrec.com staff members take their outdoor equipment seriously, and this year we’ve teamed up with the professionals at Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides to produce a list of our favorite outdoor gear for 2010. Check out the gear we liked the best on an epic 60 mile hike through the Sierra, as well as equipment that stood up best to year round testing from Yosemite to the Canadian Rockies, from the Tetons to the Middle East.