Hiking Guides
Detailed trip write-ups, stunning photography, thoughtful itineraries, and how-to guides for some of my best hiking and backpacking adventures.
Helpful Hiking Resources
Best Hiking & Backpacking Gear of 2025
Day Hiking Checklist
Ultralight Backpacking Gear List
How to Meal Plan for Backpacking
Complete Hiking & Backpacking Resources Guide
Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State Park (Hiking Guide)
Last Updated: August 18, 2025 Thinking of hiking the Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State Park, Oregon? Read on for our top-to-bottom guide with photos, maps, tips, highlights, and more. It’s ridiculous that I waited over a year after moving to Oregon to hike the Trail of Ten Falls, but I finally made … Read more
20 Hiking Trails & Backpacking Trips in & Near Los Angeles
Last Updated: August 18, 2025 Featuring sunset views, dense forests, and ocean breezes, the best hiking in and near Los Angeles will challenge everything you think you know about the city. Let’s face it — the Walk of Fame is far from the best walk L.A. has to offer. When I moved to the Los … Read more
Hiking Mount Bierstadt (One of Colorado’s Finest 14ers)
Last Updated: August 18, 2025 I started hiking more seriously this year and decided to climb my first 14er. But I had two requirements: It had to have easy to access and I didn’t want the mountain to destroy me. I decided on Mount Bierstadt. The problem was the weather didn’t cooperate. July and August … Read more
14 Best Hiking Trails & Backpacking Trips Near San Diego
Last Updated: August 18, 2025 San Diego is one of the most popular U.S. travel destinations for several reasons. For some, it’s a good base for visits to that world-famous zoo. For others, it’s the perfect beach escape. And, if you’re into outdoor adventure, the best hikes near San Diego won’t disappoint. San Diego’s hiking … Read more
How to Hike Peru’s Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in 2025
Last Updated: August 18, 2025 “Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!” That’s Rudyard Kipling talking about exploration in general, but for me, it’s a specific command to explore Peru’s Sacred Valley and its crown jewel, the lost city of Machu Picchu. I’ve hiked Peru’s Inca Trail region seven times and … Read more
14 Best Hikes Near Portland, OR (+ 3 Backpacking Trips)
Last Updated: August 18, 2025 Flanked by volcanic peaks, deep gorges, and old-growth forests, Portland, Oregon is home to many of the best hikes near any major American city. Whether visiting the Pacific Northwest for the first time or exploring as a long-time resident, the following trails need to be on your list whenever pass … Read more
How to Hike the Columbine Lake Trail Near Silverton, Colorado
Last Updated: August 18, 2025 I arrived at Silverton’s Columbine Lake Trailhead on an ominously overcast afternoon with dull thunder rumbling overhead and cold rain sprinkling down. I started the high-elevation hike against my better judgment, unsure of what the weather would bring. But the dark clouds above never cracked as I traversed through some … Read more
Herman Gulch Trail Hike (CDT Day Hiking Near Denver)
Last Updated: August 18, 2025 The Herman Gulch Trail is undoubtedly one of the best day hikes near Denver. With its trailhead situated just an hour’s drive from the heart of Colorado’s bustling capital, this Arapaho National Forest hiking gem is as beautiful as it is easy to reach. Over its 6.4 idyllic miles, this … Read more
Hiking Booth Falls Trail to Booth Lake: A Primo Vail Day Hike
Last Updated: August 18, 2025 I’d been eyeing Vail’s Booth Falls Trail to Booth Lake day hike for a couple of years, and on a perfect Colorado July day, I finally pulled the trigger. The ensuing adventure was a breathtaking and ass-kicking journey through the Gore Mountain Range’s more rugged and raw terrain. It was … Read more
Hiking the Chicago Lakes Trail in Mt. Blue Sky Wilderness
Last Updated: August 18, 2025 Heads up: The Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area (formerly Mount Evans Wilderness) is closed until 2026 due to road construction in the area. Hikers cannot access the Chicago Lakes Trailhead until the 2026 season. The Chicago Lakes Trail exemplifies everything I love in a Colorado day hike, even if its … Read more
4th of July Trail: Hiking Nederland’s Unreal Scenery
Last Updated: August 21, 2025 The 4th of July Trail is just a short drive from my hometown, yet I’d never experienced its staggering beauty until my recent hike exploring its wide-open spaces. Hiking the trail’s breathtaking Arapaho Pass to the pristine Lake Dorothy blew my mind at every turn. Nestled in the heart of … Read more
Hiking Bukhansan National Park: Dobongsan’s Jaunbong Peak
Last Updated: August 20, 2024 I was bored and stir-crazy, itching for something new. The cramped and hectic streets of Seoul were starting to get under my skin. I needed a break from South Korea’s booming capital of 10 million people. It was time for a nature fix. A scenic hike up Seoul’s Dobongsan Mountain … Read more
Backpacking Food Ideas & Meal Planning Tips for Your Next Trip
Last Updated: August 19, 2025 Past attempts at organizing my backpacking food and creating meal plans were always a bit reckless for me. My old approach usually involved jamming a hodgepodge assemblage of hiking food into my over-stuffed bag and hoping for the best. Ensuing days on the trail were spent hiking around dull and … Read more
O Circuit in Torres del Paine, Patagonia (2025-26 Guide)
Last Updated: August 18, 2025 I’d heard rave reviews about Patagonia’s O Circuit in Torres del Paine National Park, but I wasn’t prepared for it to take me to a transcendent new world. Towering granite spires, sprawling glaciers, breathtaking mountain passes, intense and ever-changing weather — I experienced it all on every step of my … Read more
Backpacking the Atacama to the Ghost Town of San Bartolo
Last Updated: August 20, 2024 Sunblock and sweat run into my eyes as I trudge through a harsh, unearthly landscape. Ahead, the trail is fading away and a blast furnace sun beats down. A whisper of self-doubt reminds me that I’m completely alone in the middle of the driest desert in the world. I take … Read more
How to Hike the Huemul Circuit Trek (Without a Guide)
Last Updated: August 30, 2025 Profound Patagonian winds tear into my tent as I begin to realize that sleep is a fleeting possibility. Rest, however, is of little concern. Because I will soon be watching the sunrise over a pastel-blue bay of untainted water. The mountains at my back will burn orange as calving glaciers … Read more