Backpacking Gear Reviews, Expert Tips, & Trail Guides / Backpacking Trip Guides

Trip Guides

Colorado’s Four Pass Loop Trip Guide
Close up of some yellow cup shaped flowers and pink Indian Paintbrush flowers. There is a large mountain, Pyramid Peak, in the background.

Colorado’s Four Pass Loop Trip Guide

Lots of oo’s and aw’s will be had on the four pass loop in the maroon bells-snowmass wilderness. It’s a stunning mountainscape with colorful flora all spring through fall.
Pinhoti Trail Guide
A person wearing a rain jacket is sitting on a rock on the edge of a ridge looking out at the ridge on the other side of the valley. There is a small terrier standing next to them and the day is overcast.

Pinhoti Trail Guide

Stretching across eastern Alabama and western Georgia, this thru-hike is a favorite starter pack trail for both beginners and seasoned thru-hikers building their endurance, thanks to its extended hiking season, unique trail towns, and relatively gentle terrain.
A Wild Weekend in Montana: The Beaten Path Trip Guide
A woman hikes off trail through alpine scenery

A Wild Weekend in Montana: The Beaten Path Trip Guide

The Beaten Path in Montana is a gorgeous weekend adventure that avoids the crowds of neighboring Yellowstone National Park. It’s a 2-3 day point-to-point hike.
Wild Alaska: Bomber Traverse Trip Guide
A iced over lake with glacial background.

Wild Alaska: Bomber Traverse Trip Guide

This challenging trail can be done in a weekend. If you live in or are visiting Alaska, we recommend training up and getting out to this wild place.
Big Needles Loop, Canyonlands Backpacking Guide
Cloudless blue sky with deep red rock canyons in Canyonlands National Park

Big Needles Loop, Canyonlands Backpacking Guide

The Big Needles Loop encapsulates everything that makes The Needles District in Canyonlands National Park a must-visit destination. The district is famous for the colorful Cedar Mesa Sandstone pinnacles that punctuate the landscape.
A Backpacking Guide to Utah’s Uinta Mountains

A Backpacking Guide to Utah’s Uinta Mountains

Lying approximately 100 miles east of Salt Lake City, the Uinta Mountain Range is home to the highest peaks in Utah and the only major range in the contiguous United States that orients east to west.
Zion Traverse Backpacking Guide

Zion Traverse Backpacking Guide

Also called the Trans-Zion Trek is a gorgeous full plate sampler of the Kolob Canyons, Hop Valley, Wilcat Canyon, Horse Pasture Plateau and the West Rim with Zion Canyon as its centerpiece.
Zion Narrows Top Down Backpacking Guide
A hiker wearing an Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultralight Backpack in a slot canyon in Utah

Zion Narrows Top Down Backpacking Guide

One of the nation’s deepest and longest slot canyons, The Narrows is the consummate epic adventure. Sheer walls of sandstone reach thousands of feet above the North Fork of the Virgin River, framing blue slivers of sky while lush hanging gardens pulsate from the canyon walls.
Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon Backpacking Guide

Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon Backpacking Guide

Located in the Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness of Utah and Arizona, this spectacular and unique hike winds through one of the deepest and longest slot canyons in the world.
Skyline Trail Backpacking Guide, Jasper National Park

Skyline Trail Backpacking Guide, Jasper National Park

The Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park is a spectacular backpacking destination in the Canadian Rockies. Of the 44 kilometers of trail, nearly two thirds is above treeline with sweeping mountain views in all directions, beautiful glacial lakes, and wind-swept ridges.
Three Fingered Jack Loop Backpacking Guide

Three Fingered Jack Loop Backpacking Guide

A roughly 24-mile loop circumnavigates the iconic three fingered jack in the heart of the Cascade Range of Oregon.
Rogue River Trail Backpacking Guide

Rogue River Trail Backpacking Guide

The Rogue River Trail is one of the most scenic early season backpacking trips in Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest in general. The route traverses the north side of the Rogue River for 40 miles as it rolls through the lush and remote Rogue Valley.
Strawberry Mountain Wilderness Loop Backpacking Guide

Strawberry Mountain Wilderness Loop Backpacking Guide

The Strawberry Mountain Wilderness Loop is one of our favorite hikes we’ve ever done in Oregon. Out in this Eastern Oregon paradise, you’ll encounter crystal clear lakes, vibrant fields of wildflowers, ample opportunities to view wildlife, and sweeping views of the Blue Mountain Range.
Wallowa River Loop Backpacking Guide

Wallowa River Loop Backpacking Guide

Often referred to as the “Alps of Oregon”, the immense granite peaks of the Wallowas are best experienced on multi-day backpacking trips.
Oregon Coast Trail Backpacking Guide – Bandon to Port Orford
backpacker overlooking the expansive view of the oregon coast with haystacks and wide sandy beaches.

Oregon Coast Trail Backpacking Guide – Bandon to Port Orford

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of exploring this beautiful section of the Oregon Coast Trail with one of my best friends. The trip was a spectacular reminder of how rewarding and diverse backpacking can be. James and I were both blown away by the pristine seclusion of this 30-mile stretch of Oregon coast. I highly recommend placing this trip on your Oregon backpacking to-do list. You will not be disappointed. 
Steens Mountain Backpacking Guide – Southeastern Oregon

Steens Mountain Backpacking Guide – Southeastern Oregon

As you head toward the southeast corner of Oregon a panorama of raw wilderness stretches across the horizon, beckoning solitude seekers. The Steens Mountain monolith  runs nearly 60 miles from northeast to southwest and 18 miles across, with its summit sitting at nearly 9,733 feet.
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