8 Pro Tips for Spending a Year Living Out of Your Backpack

The national parks of the United States account for some of the world’s most glorious landscapes: ice-whittled peaks, abyssal gorges, primeval seashores, towering forests, kaleidoscopic deserts—well, you probably don’t need us to repeat the litany of superlatives, now do you? Tens of millions from all over the globe partake of the National Park System’s majesties every year—from the Everglades to Denali, from Death Valley to Congaree. Amid this thoroughly well-deserved adoration for these sacred places, it’s also worth exploring the national forests that often border the parks—especially if you’re looking to duck at least some of the crowds. Taking a gander at adjoining Forest Service lands lets you see the topographic and ecological whole of which a given national park is just a component of. After all, it’s easy to mistake Arches or Shenandoah as standalone chunks of natural majesty, forgetting that mountain ranges and rivers and animals and weather don’t abide by sharp jurisdictional boundaries. And on the other side of the coin, crisscrossing the national park/national forest borders helps you better appreciate how different management strategies cooked up on paper actually make their physical mark on the landscape. (The National Park Service and the USDA Forest Service, after all, have distinct, if overlapping, guiding principles, and it’s illuminating for any outdoors-person to consider the on-the-ground differences.) Here’s a broad-stroked roundup of the national forests shouldering 10 of the most-visited national parks in 2015. (Two popular parks, Maine’s Acadia and Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley, which both saw more than two million visitors in 2015, aren’t part of this list, as they don’t have adjacent federal lands.) The forestlands profiled here serve as promising options for finding some elbow room near some of America’s best-loved outdoor playgrounds, and they’re home to some truly world-class scenery and recreation all their own. 1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Cherokee, Pisgah, & Nantahala National Forests Mountain biking in the Cherokee National Forest's Chilhowee Recreation Area. Jeff Bartlett Home to some of the world’s richest temperate forests and some of the East’s highest peaks and most extensive backcountry, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a marvel—one appreciated firsthand by more than 11 million people in 2015. More Southern Appalachian magic awaits, though, in the national forestland bordering the park to its west, south, and east. Bliss out among giant tulip trees and other barrel-trunked ancients in the old-growth cove-hemlock forest of the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness. Run the whitewater of the Nantahala, mountain bike the Tsali Recreation Area along Fontana Lake, or goggle at Bald River Falls in the Bald River Gorge. Wherever you go, keep an eye peeled for the fat and sassy black bears and feral hogs that both prosper in these rugged, fertile highlands. 2. Grand Canyon National Park | Kaibab National Forest The view from Crazy Jug Point on the North Kaibab Ranger District. Kaibab National Forest Set the head-spinning gash of the Grand Canyon in its full context by rambling around the Kaibab N.F. bracketing both the north and south sides of Grand Canyon National Park (which welcomed more than 5.5 million last year). From pinyon-juniper scrub to ponderosa parklands to subalpine spruce-fir timber, the Kaibab, split among three districts, encompasses some awesome Colorado Plateau ecology—and downright limitless recreational possibilities for experiencing it firsthand. In the Kanab Creek Wilderness, trek into the redrock depths of the Kanab Creek Canyon gouging the Kaibab and Kanab plateaus as it drains to the Grand Canyon. On the Kaibab Plateau north of the Canyon, scout for the resident (and controversial) bison herd and dark, high-soaring California condors. Beyond the South Rim, journey across the Coconino Plateau to the Kaibab’s southernmost sector, where you can survey 10,418-foot Kendrick Peak’s dizzying summit panorama. Or mountain bike one of the most scenic rides in the country along the Rainbow Rim Trail, the only place to mountain bike along the Grand Canyon. 3. Rocky Mountain National Park | Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Camping in the Indian Peaks Wilderness near Pawnee Lake. Jake Wheeler More than four million people visited Rocky Mountain National Park in 2015, and it’s no surprise why—with more than 70 Front Range summits above 12,00 feet, oceanic tundra, glassy tarns, and huge wapiti herds on tap. But don’t overlook the flanking Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests. Four National Forest wilderness areas directly border the park, and they’re just as stirring: from the litter of 13,000-plus-foot horns in the Indian Peaks Wilderness (which includes part of Colorado’s biggest glacier, the Arapaho) to the granite benches in the pint-sized Neota Wilderness. You can also drive America’s highest paved road up to 14,264-foot Mount Evans, an iconic Front Range 14er, which harbors some of Colorado’s northernmost groves of tough-as-nails, crazy-long-lived Rocky Mountain bristlecone pines. Meanwhile, Boulder Canyon calls to rock climbers as irresistibly as the Cache la Poudre Wild and Scenic River does to whitewater kayakers and rafters. 4. Yosemite National Park | Sierra, Inyo, Humboldt-Toiyabe, & Stanislaus National Forests The otherworldly landscapes on Mono Basin, in Inyo National Forest, bordering Yosemite National Park. Jake Wheeler In 2015, more than four million people clapped eyes on the near-mythic landscapes of Yosemite National Park, epitomized by the granite-walled glen of Yosemite Valley. If this world-famous park’s throngs (and car-burglarizing black bears) have you down, consider embellishing your Yosemite visit with some High Sierra adventuring in the adjacent national forests. The scenery’s certainly Yosemite-caliber, whether you’re talking Thousand Island Lake beneath Banner Peak in the Ritter Range or the prospect of the otherworldly Mono Basin from the scoured heights of the Dana Plateau. And you can wander a colony of godly giant sequoias, the Nelder Grove, that’s typically much quieter than Yosemite’s three sequoia stands. 5. Yellowstone National Park | Gallatin, Custer, Shoshone, Bridger-Teton, & Caribou-Targhee National Forests Daisy Pass in the Gallatin National Forest near Yellowstone National Park. Forest Service Northern Region With its epic geyser basins and plentiful wildlife, the world's oldest national park—which hosted some 4.1 million in 2015—is, it goes without saying, a must-see. So, too, though, is the vast and wild Forest Service acreage nestling Yellowstone: critical public lands in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem framework. For one thing, it’s in these national forests of its hinterland where Yellowstone’s mountainscapes crescendo to all-out alpine grandeur—from the matterhorn tooth of Pilot Peak in the Absarokas to the high, weather-beaten rockland of the Beartooth Plateau. You’ve got primo day hikes and world-class backcountry that feels just as primal as Yellowstone’s roadless (and grizzlied) depths, not least in the Teton Wilderness, which encompasses the corner of one of the Lower 48’s largest roadless areas. And awesome Greater Yellowstone water awaits: on the Madison River through Bear Trap Canyon and on the Yellowstone through Yankee Jim Canyon in the Gallatin N.F., and on the North Fork Shoshone in the Absarokas of the Shoshone N.F., to name a few standouts. 6. Zion National Park | Dixie National Forest Early autumn in Utah's Dixie National Forest, near Zion National Park. John Buie Okay, so the Dixie—Utah’s biggest national forest, straddling the physiographic frontier of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau—doesn’t directly abut Zion National Park (3.65 million visitors in 2015), but it’s mighty close by, and it claims scenery to stand proudly alongside the national park’s sublime canyonlands. Tramp the Summit Trail through the wilderness-protected high country of the Pine Valley Mountains, with their shadowy spruce woods, sculptured bristlecone pines, and fine prospects of Zion’s colorful geology. Or bushwhack the wild canyons of the Cottonwood Forest Wilderness, where ephemeral streamers and hanging gardens pattern sandstone walls. Solitude ain’t hard to come by in the Dixie. 7. Olympic National Park | Olympic National Forest The Olympic National Forest in all its lush glory. Miguel Vieira Olympic National Park, experienced by some 3.26 million in 2015, is famously diverse: from a raw, stormy seacoast and some of the world’s standout temperate rainforests to high-country glaciers and drier rainshadow conifer woods. Olympic N.F.—home to five wilderness areas—partly buffers the park on all its aspects, offering something of a similar variety pack. Near national forestland on the south shore of Lake Quinault grows some of the world’s mightiest trees, including among the very biggest Douglas-firs and Sitka spruces anywhere. On the other side of the Olympic Peninsula, Seal Rock offers a rare Forest Service developed campground on saltwater: a serene Puget Sound counterpart to the camping available across the mountains along Olympic National Park’s outer coast. And if you’re a hardcore mountain lover, the Olympic National Forest wildernesses on the park’s eastern boundary include some of the signal peaks of the Olympics: the Brothers in the Brother Wilderness, for example, and Mounts Skokomish, Cruiser, and Pershing in the Mount Skokomish Wilderness. 8. Grand Teton National Park | Caribou-Targhee & Bridger-Teton National Forests Backpacking the Teton Crest Trail in Caribou-Targhee National Forest's Jedediah Smith Wilderness. Jake Wheeler More than three million people basked in the glory of Grand Teton National Park in 2015, meditating on those iconic snarled Teton fangs, boating on the Snake River or the big foothill lakes, oohing-and-aahing over moose and black bears and white pelicans and coyotes. Two of the same national forests that buttress Yellowstone rub shoulders with Grand Teton as well: the slender Caribou-Targhee (mostly in Idaho) and the 3.4-million-acre Bridger-Teton (in Wyoming), one of the biggest national forests in the country. The Caribou-Targhee’s Jedediah Smith Wilderness offers sublime backcountry approaches to the Teton high country. Hike up Teton Canyon to the rock garden of Alaska Basin, for example, which is also reachable by the outstanding Teton Crest Trail. And the portion of Bridger-Teton N.F. nearest Grand Teton National Park includes the sweeping limestone heights of the Gros Ventre Range, a critical corridor between the Greater Yellowstone and the Wind River Range and the summer pasture for many of the wapiti that winter in great number in the National Elk Refuge. The Gros Ventre Slide National Geological Area presents the scene of a massive 1925 landslide that dammed the Gros Ventre to form Lower Slide Lake. 9. Glacier National Park | Flathead & Lewis and Clark National Forests Views of the Rockies from Near the Ford Cabin, Flathead National Forest.Views of the Rockies from Near the Ford Cabin, Flathead National Forest. Forest Service Northern Range With its layer cake Canadian Rockies-style peaks, Glacier National Park (2.37 million visitors in 2015) marks one of America’s great mountainscapes, and it anchors a globally significant wildland complex: the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. Some awesome Crown of the Continent vistas—and some raw Rocky Mountain backcountry—await you just outside the park, too. The Flathead N.F. contributes most of the national-forest acreage fringing Glacier, although the Lewis and Clark N.F. borders its southeastern segment along the Rocky Mountain Front. One of the treasures of the Flathead is the 287,00-acre Great Bear Wilderness, headwaters of the Middle Fork Flathead River and major component of the massive Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex—one of the biggest roadless chunks in the Lower 48. The wilderness is aptly named, too: You’ll be sharing the river bottoms, avalanche chutes, and high meadows with lots of grizzlies, which find one of their standout refuges in the Crown of the Continent backlands. Then there’s the Jewel Basin Hiking Area in the Swan Mountains, open only to foot travelers and glinting with more than two dozen high-country lakes. 10. Joshua Tree National Park | San Bernardino National Forest The Dr. Seuss-like desert vegetation of San Bernardino National Forest. Bureau of Land Management With its yucca savannas and bouldery inselbergs, Joshua Tree National Park, sprawled along the messy seam between the Mojave and Colorado deserts, presents as ethereal a landscape as you’ll find in North America. In terms of bordering federal acreage, the most extensive is managed by the Bureau of Land Management—including the vast, newly minted Mojave Trails National Monument that links Joshua Tree with Mojave National Preserve to the north. (No question: The epic BLM holdings within shouting distance of national parks deserve their own treatment.) But you don’t have to travel far from Joshua Tree (roughly two million visitors in 2015) to hit national forest: specifically the San Bernardino N.F. to the west, spread across the easternmost Transverse Ranges of the San Bernardino, San Jacinto, and Santa Rosa mountains. These are major uplifts. The San Bernardinos swell to Southern California’s loftiest peak, 11,503-foot San Gorgonio Mountain (aka Old Greyback). For tracing the gradient between desert lowlands and Tranverse Range crests, you can’t do better than the Sand to Snow National Monument, established (along with Mojave Trails) in February 2016 and jointly managed by the BLM and the San Bernardino N.F.; it includes Old Greyback in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. Next time you visit one of America's national parks, consider making a side trip to one of its equally spectacular (yet far less-crowded) public lands cousins. You'll be glad you did. And as always, be sure to share your adventures with us by tagging #RootsRated. Written by Ethan Shaw for RootsRated.

The planet is crisscrossed with epic trails, from the Alps to the Andes. There are snowy summit trips for fleet-footed peak-baggers, long and leisurely rambles for wildlife lovers, and everything in between. While the options are almost infinite, here are a few epic hikes to add to that ever-expanding life list. 1. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania A post shared by Tommy Steinsland 🇳🇴 (@eventyrturer) on Feb 15, 2018 at 2:57am PST One of the planet’s Seven Summits, 19,341-foot Kilimanjaro is the highest freestanding mountain on Earth—and Africa’s loftiest peak. Despite the distinction, the glaciated summit is accessible courtesy of a number of a non-technical routes, leading climbers through five distinctly different climate zones. On the path to Uhuru Peak, trekkers traverse a lowland rainforest inhabited by colobus and blue monkeys, ascend the scrubby montane moorland of the Shira Plateau, cross hulking glaciers, and catch glimpses of the megafauna-loaded grasslands of Kenya’s Amboseli National Park. At basecamp, vividly colored tents dot an unearthly moonscape, and climbers rest in the shadow of toothy 16,893-foot Mawenzi. 2. Table Mountain, South Africa A post shared by @k4me0 on Feb 15, 2018 at 12:13pm PST While the flat-topped mesa soaring above Cape Town is accessible by cable-car, the climb to the apex of 3,569-foot Table Mountain is one of the planet’s most spectacular treks—and a must-do for a visit to this dynamic city. Routes to the top of the 500 million-year-old massif treat ascending climbers to panoramic vistas of the pointed peaks of the Twelve Apostles, the azure water of Camps Bay, knobby Lion’s Head, and Cape Town’s bustling City Bowl. There are plenty of half-day routes to the mesa’s highest point, Maclear’s Beacon, including the three-hour slog through Skeleton Gorge, allowing hikers to encounter Cape dwarf chameleons, stealthy caracals, and vibrantly colored sunbirds. The climb can also be done as a multi-day trip along the Cape of Good Hope Trail or the Hoerikwaggo Trail, beginning at Cape Point. 3. Te Araroa Trail, New Zealand A post shared by Ali Brookes (@alibrookes10) on Jan 31, 2018 at 8:56pm PST Meaning "the long pathway," in Maori, New Zealand’s 1,864-mile Te Araroa Trail is the Kiwi version of America’s Appalachian Trail. Bookended by the Pacific Ocean, between Cape Regina and Bluff, the route runs through the heart of New Zealand, traversing both North and South islands and leading backpackers through a staggering diversity of landscapes: sun-drenched coastlines, subtropical rainforests, snow-dusted alpine passes, and river-braided glacial valleys. The epic trek also showcases many of New Zealand’s geological gems, including the Southern Alps, famed backdrop for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the still-active Tongariro volcano. 4. Annapurna Circuit, Nepal A post shared by Inge (@inkiepinky_) on Feb 14, 2018 at 3:40am PST Besides Everest, the most idolized Himalayan foray is Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit. The nearly 130-mile route horseshoes the Annapurna range’s sea of glaciated summits, capped by 26,545-foot Annapurna I. The high-altitude tour takes hardy trekkers through highlands terraced with rice paddies, across surging whitewater rivers, through shadowy rhododendron forests, over otherworldly mountain passes, and past Buddhist gompas and Hindu shrines. While backpackers on the circuit must tackle challenges like 17,768-foot Thorung La, the route is dotted with cozy tea houses affording creature comforts like brief but heavenly hot showers and steaming plates of dal bhat, a traditional meal of steamed rice and cooked lentil soup. 5. John Muir Trail, California A post shared by Aimee Michele (@aimventures) on Jan 29, 2018 at 7:43pm PST Named for legendary naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club, the John Muir Trail strings together two of California’s most spectacular natural wonders: the Yosemite Valley and 14,496-foot Mount Whitney, the highest point in the continental United States. Tracing the spine of the High Sierra, the 211-mile route moseys through three national parks and two federally designated wildernesses, leading hikers through a landscape of high peaks and passes, glassy alpine lakes, and sun-drenched mountain meadows. The trail skirts Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, and showcases natural wonders like the Devil’s Postpile National Monument and Evolution Basin in Kings Canyon National Park. Plus, hikers have ample opportunity to encounter black bears, mule deer, and curious marmots along the route. 6. Four Pass Loop, Colorado A post shared by hrishi Chandanpurkar (@hrishimuni) on Nov 15, 2017 at 5:27pm PST The most photographed spot in Colorado, the snow-stripped twin peaks of the Maroon Bells are best celebrated on the epic Four Pass Loop through the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness. The aptly amed 26-mile circuit begins at turquoise-toned Maroon Lake, just west of Aspen, and takes backpackers over four alpine passes each higher than 12,000 feet, across airy meadows dusted with wildflowers, through spruce forests and copses of white-barked aspen, and past backcountry waterfalls and peak-framed lakes. Besides the Maroon Bells, the Elk Mountains sampler also provides trekkers the chance to gape at a handful of celestial fourteeners, including Pyramid Peak and Snowmass Mountain. 7. Beara Way, Ireland A post shared by Sara Kiehl (@saraelise85) on Jun 16, 2017 at 11:29am PDT Ringing Ireland’s wind-pummeled Beara Peninsula, a 48-mile sliver of land bisected by the Caha and Slieve Miskish mountains, the Beara Way provides a quintessential taste of the Emerald Isle and forms part of Ireland’s longest hiking trail, the Beara-Breifne Way. The 122-mile trek cobbles together bucolic country lanes, highland tracks, and ancient roads, offering a glimpse of the peninsula’s colorful past. Following the path taken by Beara’s last chieftain, Donal Cam O’Sullivan Beare, as he fled hotly pursuing Elizabethan troops in 1603, the Beara Way takes trekkers past Neolithic and Bronze Age sites, through charming towns, and over craggy highlands. Fortunately, the lung-taxing climbs and knee-grating descents are greeted with panoramic vistas of the rugged coastline, including the shimmering waters of Bantry Bay, staging point for Theobald Wolfe Tone’s infamous but ill-fated 1786 rebellion. 8. Cotopaxi, Ecuador A post shared by Sofiane Bruneau (@sofiane_br59) on Feb 3, 2018 at 4:29am PST One of the peaks in Ecuador’s Avenue of Volcanoes, 19,347-foot Cotopaxi soars above the high Andean páramo of Cotopaxi National Park. Although the peak is the second highest in Ecuador—and one of the loftiest active volcanoes on the planet—Cotopaxi is scalable without prior mountaineering experience. Ropes, crampons, and ice axes are required to reach the snow-capped pinnacle, but with the help of local guides (and after a quick hands-on introduction to mountaineering), the crater-pocked peak is reachable for most reasonably fit trekkers. Along the way to the summit, hikers have the chance to spot wild horses, llamas, and spectacled bears (the ursine species credited with inspiring the fictional character Paddington). 9. Inca Trail, Peru A post shared by World Nomads (@worldnomads) on Feb 15, 2018 at 7:36am PST The most celebrated trek in South America, this Andean excursion takes hikers from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu, the stone-hewn urban center crafted by the Incas during the 15th century, a World Heritage site since 1983. Along the way to Machu Picchu, the 24-mile trek follows paths forged by the Incas more than 500 years ago, meandering through cloud forests studded with 300 types of orchids, over three cloud-shrouded mountain passes, and past pre-Columbian ruins. Stashed away at 7,972 feet, the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is also a biodiversity hotspot, serving as an ecological corridor linking the Andes, Sacred Valley, and Amazon, and affording trekkers the opportunity to spot 370 different types of bird, including mammoth Andean condors. 10. Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia A post shared by Candice (@candice_explores) on Feb 15, 2018 at 6:58am PST Soaring above other peaks in Malaysian Borneo’s Crocker Range, 13,435-foot Mount Kinabalu is the loftiest summit in Southeast Asia. Gunung Kinabalu, as the peak is known in Malay, is also the country’s first World Heritage site, a global hotspot for flora and fauna. The mountain’s ecosystems harbor more than 5,000 types of plants, over 300 species of birds, and 100 different mammals. Along the path to the granite-tipped summit, which typically takes two to three days round-trip, lush lowland rainforests give way to cloud-bathed montane and coniferous forests, providing the chance to spot orangutans, Bornean gibbons, and long-tailed Bornean Treepies. The mountain’s six different vegetation zones also support a thousand different orchids and five endemic species of carnivorous pitcher plants, including the largest on earth, Nepenthes rajah. 11. Tour du Mont Blanc, Western Europe A post shared by Pascal Heimberg (@kimbleontherun) on Jan 31, 2018 at 9:11am PST While scaling 15,781-foot Mont Blanc requires extensive mountaineering knowhow, more casual hikers can still get an eyeful of Western Europe’s loftiest summit from three different countries—France, Italy, and Switzerland—on the Tour du Mont Blanc. The 105-mile route rings the entire snow-frosted massif, traipsing over seven alpine passes, past storybook alpine hamlets, along colossal glaciers, and through wildflower-freckled meadows. Besides the spellbinding scenery, the Tour du Mont Blanc also provides a snapshot of regional culture, taking hikers through historic locales like medieval Courmayeur. Best of all, while physically taxing, the route is scattered with cozy alpine huts, affording plenty of opportunity to swap freeze-dried fare for fondue. 12. Torres del Paine Circuit, Patagonia, Chile A post shared by Patagonia Adventure Cycling (@patagoniaadventurecycling) on Feb 7, 2015 at 1:26pm PST Towering above the guanaco-grazed steppes of Chilean Patagonia, the trio of granite pillars dubbed Torres del Paine comprise one of the most iconic massifs on earth. The blue-hued granite cathedral tops out at 10,656 feet and crowns Torres del Paine National Park, a former sheep estancia declared a World Heritage site in 1978. Backpackers can gape at the granite monoliths from every angle imaginable along on a circuit trek on the national park’s non-technical trails. The more heavily trafficked ‘W’ configuration can be done in less than four days, while the more extensive ‘O’ circuit, takes about a week. Despite the rugged landscape of glaciated granite peaks, raging rivers, and iceberg-strewn alpine lakes, the Torres del Paine circuit can be done without forgoing creature comforts by cobbling together a route linking the park’s cozy refugios. 13. Kalalau Trail, Hawaii A post shared by Maxwell (@maxwellreyer) on Feb 15, 2018 at 8:14am PST Showcasing Kauai’s rugged Nā Pali Coast, where fluted mountains meld into the glistening Pacific Ocean, the Kalalau Trail is among the most spectacular coastal treks on earth. But, the 11-mile trek is no walk on the beach. Between Ke’e Beach and Kalalau Beach, the trail winds through five different valleys, across more than a half-dozen streams, and along precipitous cliff sides, including a vertiginous stretch aptly dubbed Crawler’s Ledge, for the hikers duly daunted by the 500-foot drop. Grit and determination are mandatory, but trekkers are rewarded with jaw-dropping views of the Pacific and gems like the 300-foot Hanakapi’ai Waterfall. While the 22-mile out-and-back trip can be done in a day, the route is scattered with stunning camping spots, like the area near 1,400-foot Hanakoa Falls, about halfway through the trek. 14. Mount Fuji, Japan A post shared by Wouter Klijnsoon (@wouterklijnsoon) on Feb 15, 2018 at 1:42pm PST Located southwest of Tokyo, the solitary summit of 12,388-foot Mount Fuji is one of the planet’s most recognizable peaks. Dormant for just over 300 years, the snow-dusted stratovolcano has served as an artistic muse for centuries, revered as one of Japan’s Three Holy Mountains. Religious pilgrims have been scaling the sacred mountain since ancient times, and the climb remains exceedingly popular. Climbing season for Mount Fuji only runs from the beginning of July to the end of August, but more than 300,000 trekkers make the approximately six-hour trip every year. While there are celestial views on the way to the summit, the trek has the distinction of being one of the few climbs on the planet that is more cultural experience than wilderness excursion. Each of the four routes to the top offers mountain huts peddling food and drinks, and there is even a post office at the summit where you can drop a postcard to a lucky recipient. 15. Sunshine Coast Trail, British Columbia A post shared by Casey Dubie Dubois (@cdubiejr) on Feb 9, 2018 at 6:06pm PST Rambling along the wild Sunshine Coast in southwest British Columbia, the Sunshine Coast Trail is a less-frequented alternative to the West Coast Trail. Built entirely by volunteers and maintained by the non-profit Powell River Parks and Wilderness Society, the 112-mile trail ambles from Desolation Sound to Saltery Bay, taking trekkers through old growth rainforests roamed by black bears, grey wolves, and cougars. Wildlife watchers also have the chance to spot the blubbery bodies of Stellar sea lions and harbor seals along coastal stretches of the trail, and the route’s highest point—4,821-foot Mount Troutbridge—is a hotspot for seafaring marbled murrelets. Best of all, the Sunshine Coast Trail is Canada’s only free hut-to-hut track, with no reservations or permits required. Written by Malee Baker Oot for RootsRated.

Hardest hike in America? That's a bold claim, but one that hikers of the Cactus to Clouds trail can certainly make with a straight face. Starting in Palm Springs, Calif., the trail offers an extreme physical challenge while also providing a unique outdoor setting with amazing views. It's a day hike that puts your skills to the test, and it should certainly be on the bucket list of any serious hiker. Let's break it down: The hike is actually a combination of two trails, the Skyline Trail, and the trail to the San Jacinto Peak. The Skyline Trail is approximately 10 miles long and features 8,000 feet of elevation gain from the desert floor of Palm Springs up to the Long Valley Ranger Station. You are home free once you get to this point—or are you? The hike up to the San Jacinto Peak is much easier (but by no means easy). You want a challenge, yes? The trail up to the peak is an additional 5.5 miles long with 2,600 feet of elevation gain from the ranger station. Remember, at this point you have just finished hours of one legged squats with each step up the Skyline Trail. Intrigued? A Palm Springs Sunrise on the Skyline Trail. Craig Pulsipher Such an attempt requires dedicated preparation. Most reviewers say this hike is not for the faint of heart. I'd take it one step further and say that it is custom-designed for those looking for an extreme challenge. Most veterans recommend starting the hike at 3 a.m.; I began this trip up at 4:15 a.m. The important thing is that this hike is started several hours before daybreak in order to get through as much of the steep grade climbing as possible before the sun starts beating down. Increases in altitude will provide a nice cool breeze. The landscape of the Skyline Trail is very representative of the desert from which you will start, and the trail offers many amazing components that make for a fun adventure. The rock formations to climb up, over, and around provide an interesting and stimulating course. Overlooking the entire Coachella Valley, you will see the lights, wind farms, and highways as the sun rises to peak over the eastern mountains. After trekking further up the trail, the terrain changes from a dry desert landscape to a wooded forest of pine trees. The air will begin to taste crisp and cool. The shady canopy is just in time for the steepest grade of the day finishing off the Skyline trail up to the Long Valley Ranger Station. Mission accomplished. This is the place to take a much deserved recovery break, eat some food, refill water bottles, and prepare mentally to get back to it. The rest of the way is mostly forested with plenty of tree coverage, and the climate feels magnificent. This point of the trail has plenty of foot traffic from fellow adventurers in quest of the spectacular view from the peak. There are several things to take into consideration before starting this hike up the Skyline Trail. First, think about the season. The summer months will increase the risk of heat exhaustion and dehydration. Winter months will result in extreme lows, especially when you get farther up the mountain. If there is any snow coverage, there will be parts of the trail that will be very difficult to follow. The Aerial Tramway will give hikers a ride back to down the mountain. Craig Pulsipher Other seasons will provide temperature extremes of both hot and cold. Next thing to consider is the fact that the first bail out point is not until you get to Long Valley, which is 10 miles from the trailhead. If you get half way up Skyline and decide it is too much, it is safer to continue up to the ranger's station for a ride back down on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Another thing to consider is the chance of injury. I was personally scolded by the ranger because I did this hike alone. A twisted ankle, a pulled muscle, snake bite, or inadequate water supply could have been disastrous. Use the buddy system. My journey was in the end of summer, and I went through six liters of water heading up the Skyline Trail. Some advice: Plan for weather fluctuations, pack a first-aid kit, and carry plenty of food and water. Preparation is key to making this adventure a positive experience. Cactus to Clouds is an accomplishment. Completing it will be a defining moment in life. Consider the reward. Think of the peace that follows such physical and mental exertion, the challenge itself, stunning views, being one with nature, bragging rights, and the satisfaction of conquering one of the most difficult hikes in America. So, is Cactus to Clouds the hardest hike in America? Hmmm. A total of 20 miles, 10,600 feet of elevation gain, temperature extremes on both ends, and 10-14 hours on the move. Putting this hike to the test is the only way for you to know for sure. Written by Craig Pulsipher for RootsRated in partnership with Greater Palm Springs CVB.

Intro Hidden in the middle of the warehouses and port terminals of the North Portland peninsula, the Smith and Bybee Wetlands are home to several wildlife species, including some you might not expect. Bald eagles, beavers, and one of the last remaining large populations of Western painted turtles in Oregon all take up residence in the wetlands. A long list of the usual suspects also call the natural area home, including the black-tailed deer and an ever-changing list of seasonal birds. Written by Abby Joffe for RootsRated. What Makes It Great With over 2000 acres of interconnected lakes and channels that don’t allow motorboats and that almost nobody knows about, you’re pretty much guaranteed a peaceful paddle. From the put-in, the area is your oyster, but navigation can be a bit tricky, so take note of your surroundings once in the water. The peace and quiet and bird life make this a great escape from the city, while not actually leaving. I’m not claiming that you’re out in the middle of a pristine wilderness, void of humanity or anything. You’re going to see the occasional plane from PDX and you might hear cars racing over at PIR, or a truck heading down Marine Drive. But in terms of an urban paddle, this is about as peaceful as you’re going to get. Nobody knows it’s there, it’s vast, and no motorized engines!  Water levels vary greatly by season, from flood-level stage in late winter to muddy bog in late summer. As a matter of fact, the paddling is possible, but potentially very difficult by the end of summer. Your best bet is to head out anytime in spring or winter, which happen to offer the most excellent wildlife viewing anyway. Written by Abby Joffe for RootsRated. Who is Going to Love It Anybody that is a fan of a good paddle will appreciate this outing. Beyond that, folks that don’t have a lot of time, but would still like a quality paddle will enjoy this quick trip that is so close to the city. If you’re in a time crunch, North Portland isn’t THAT far away, no matter what your friends living in inner southeast say. And if you’re into wildlife viewing, particularly bird watching, this spot is one of Portland’s birding Meccas. Written by Abby Joffe for RootsRated. Directions, Parking, & Regulations There are a few places around the lakes where you can put-in, but the official put in has restrooms, and those are good to have.  The put in is open from legal sunrise to legal sunset.  As mentioned, water levels are very erratic. It can be easy to get stuck in the mud during low water, so be forewarned. Written by Abby Joffe for RootsRated.