Hiking

On October 4th you can take a guided hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to catch the first glimpses of autumn color, explore old cabins and cemeteries, and even ring the bell of a picturesque mountain chapel.

With the spring hiking season not far off, this news from Shenandoah National Park might not thrill everyone. They're permanently closing the "upper lot" parking area at the Ridge Trailhead for Old Rag Mountain.

In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, every trail has a history. That’s what makes hiking here so fascinating. But no trail is as historic or as controversial as the Lake Shore Trail, which skirts Fontana Lake in North Carolina. The issue surrounding it is currently the longest-running open item on the park's agenda, but there’s hope it will be resolved soon.

Trails across the country will receive funding for infrastructure needs, promotions, interpretation and other needs under the National Park Service's just-announced "Connect Trails to Park" grants for 2010.

With all the information that lies just a click away these days, it's easy to overlook some of the best resources when it comes to exploring the backcountry of our national parks: the backcountry offices of the parks themselves.

I am a social hiker. For me, one of the highlights of hiking is meeting friendly and energetic people on the trail. That’s why I love the camaraderie at LeConte Lodge in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The lodge, which can only be reached by foot, is luxurious considering it’s located on top of Mt. LeConte at 6,593 ft. Groups come here for family reunions and some people train for weeks before attempting the trip because it’s the only hiking they do all year.

An early season blast of winter made the news the other day when it actually snowed out Game 3 of the National League Division Series between the Phillies and the Rockies. With hopes that the storm was a harbinger of a bountiful winter on its way, here's a list of hikes to help you figure out what to do if you make it to Rocky Mountain National Park when the snow is deep and getting deeper.

The newly designated Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail will link three national parks, seven national forests, several major mountain ranges, and two border-to border national scenic trails. One day it will also be a key link in the coast-to-coast pathway that trail developers have been dreaming about.

You can’t walk more than half way into the woods, and sometimes you can’t even get that far. Sometimes you have to swallow your pride and face up to your limitations. Sometimes the experience can be rewarding

The summer solstice arrived early this morning. Now we’ll experience the longest day, the shortest night, and perhaps a spate of naked hiking.

Four people were injured by lightning last Sunday while hiking on the Appalachian Trail near Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Zion National Park has become a magnet for canyoneering enthusiasts. With more than four dozen remote and technical slot canyons feeding into Zion Canyon, the park is just about as good as it gets for practitioners of this rapidly growing extreme sport.