Nature
Archive
Our guru weighs in on the ethics of defacing a man-made blight
The grandeur of the Great Salt Lake stopped Brigham Young in his tracks and inspired John Muir to jump in for a swim. Yet now it’s in danger of disappearing, sucked dry by agriculture, climate change, and suburban lawns. Many Utahns would just as soon pave it, but as Bill Gifford learned during a yearlong exploration, there’s beauty and natural splendor here that deserves to live on.
The acclaimed author’s latest release is the October pick for the Outside Book Club. We spoke with him about the book, climate anxiety, and the father-son relationship
What a witches’ year taught me about our relationship to wild places
Pursue your favorite activities with color-coded trails in Gaia GPS’s U.S. Forest Service roads and trails layer
Patagonia recently updated the Willard Bascom classic ‘Waves and Beaches’
Dreaming of where to tri next? These picturesque races offer a reason to gawk at the surroundings of the world’s most scenic triathlons while you swim, bike, and run.
The actor, woodworker, and dedicated outdoorsman offers up choice lessons for making a deeper connection with the world beyond your door
The state of the steelhead in the Columbia and Snake River watersheds is dire. A Pacific Northwest steelhead angler grapples with how best to honor the people, places, and resources that she loves.
Surfing in Baja. Summit-to-sea skiing in Alaska. Hiking in Death Valley. There’s no shortage of epic adventures to be had in winter. We’ve rounded up our favorite trips to make sure you get your fill of thrills.
Our culture columnist recommends six of the most interesting newsletters out there—from thru-hiking dispatches to Neko Case’s reflections on nature
Honest-to-God advice on how to enjoy nature, from an actor-comedian-author-canoe-builder who grew up on a farm and takes rock stars rafting
For Indie singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop and British rapper Testament, the natural world is an endless source of creative inspiration
On an expedition to track lemurs in Madagascar, wildlife ecologist Rae Wynn-Grant found her confidence and her voice
Through the moving story of a widowed astrobiologist and his unusual son, ‘Bewilderment’ addresses our apathy in the face of environmental disaster
For philosopher John Kaag, a trek in the Alps during his youth was the beginning of a long and winding journey
Intrepid author Mary Roach shares tales of thieving bears, murderous possums, and mugging monkeys from her new book, ‘Fuzz’
Oregon voters have opened the door to treating mental illness with substances like ketamine and psilocybin. In a peek at the future, our seeker attends a backwoods retreat where patients get help from a powerful combination of drugs and the outdoors.
Stories are about how human connections are made and kept in the outdoors, and how they’re evolving now—when community has never been more important or more at risk
A new app called NatureQuant harnesses the latest research to track and rate your time outside. Next up: determining how much you need.
Picking daisies with the Craighead bros
After a terrible diagnosis forced me to slow down, I learned how to relate differently to the wild—and myself.
Many Canadians think old-growth forests are protected from logging. Turns out, Indigenous people and a scrappy band of activists called the Rainforest Flying Squad are all that stands between Vancouver Island’s last old growth and logging companies.
After an American Army captain came home traumatized from the war, he lost his ability to love. It took the wilderness to reopen his heart.
“I would contend that stupid behavior is sometimes the proper response to stupid laws”
The singer-songwriter’s latest album shows that getting away from it all isn’t easy—especially when you’re a pop superstar
The pandemic forced schools to teach outside. Many teachers, parents, and kids want to keep it that way.
As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report made clear this week, we’re going to need to give up some of the things we love if we don’t want much more taken away
Leaf peeping in New England. Surfing California’s coast. Cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage (yes, Alaska, in fall). We scoured the world to find the absolute best destinations to satisfy your autumn wanderlust—especially this year, when we all have a little cabin fever.
Leaf peeping in Colorado. Surfing the Azores. Cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage—yes, Alaska, in fall. We scoured the world to find epic adventures and stunning destinations to satisfy your autumn wanderlust, especially this year, when we all have a little cabin fever.
Kyle Dickman had spent his life chasing adventure. But after nearly dying from a snake bite, he saw menacing risks everywhere he went.
It takes patience and some trial and error to make new trail buddies
Grizzly and black bears have killed five people in North America over the last five months. Is this cause for concern?
Because sometimes, you just want to get away from it all
No two waterfalls are exactly alike, but these will always capture our imagination
Whether you’re stuck in the city or counting down the days to a summer road trip, we have a few expert-approved tips for exploring nearby nature
Public lands have become more trodden and restrictive, but the pandemic-era craziness might not last
After her prestigious corporate job nearly destroyed her, Melinda Spooner found her path forward by getting way, way out there
History tells us why skiing—and the outdoors in general—lacks diversity. Thanks to the work of dedicated groups, this is slowly changing.
Despite warnings, rules, and common sense, tourists in Yellowstone keep approaching bears and bison.
Acadia National Park in Maine boasts 150 miles of trails on its official maps, but that’s only a part of what once existed. Matthew Sherrill tagged along with a couple of local history obsessives to explore some of the dozens of unmarked paths that lead to what were once major attractions—places some want to stay a secret.
Tips for calming your own nerves—and those of people who love you
Journalist Emma Marris’s new book, ‘Wild Souls,’ asks us to reconsider our relationship to the nonhuman world
Here’s what to do when your little one brings up sea-level rise, extinction, wildfires, and other ecological griefs
If you can get past the lack of creature comforts, spending a night outside might be one of the most rewarding things you do
Why reaching outdoor nirvana means journeying far from the beaten path
From a baobab-filled outcropping in the middle of Botswana’s Makgadikgadi salt pans to an adventure hot spot in Iraqi Kurdistan, plan a trip to these bold destinations to earn some major adventure travel cred
Camping solo may not always be easy, but it'll always be worth it
By valuing relatability over action shots, TikTok may be ushering in a new era of outdoor creators and celebrities
If you're just getting started on the trails, don't be overwhelmed. This 101 guide breaks down where to go, what to wear, and everything you need to know to stay safe and have fun out there.
Dispersed camping is getting less dispersed. Our ethics columnist weighs in on whether you need to share.
It's time to stop judging people for how they recreate outside
The newest collection of recipes from James Beard–nominated chef Sarah Glover is geared toward parents looking to improve their outdoor cooking game. We’ve included two of our favorite recipes from the book.
We need more access to public lands. Reclaiming damaged landscapes like old mines and former nuclear sites can be a powerful part of the answer.
Kayla Lockhart was desperate for relief from the panic that plagued her. She found it at the edge of a stream.
One editor’s thoughts on the Asian American illusion of belonging
In an excerpt from his latest book, ‘Freedom,’ the celebrated nonfiction writer describes a journey along Pennsylvania’s train tracks with friends he met while reporting on the war in Afghanistan
Conservation International CEO M. Sanjayan saw our relationship to the planet in a new way after a series of remarkable adventures
Elizabeth Kolbert and Nathaniel Rich, environmental writers par excellence, survey human solutions to the human-caused mess we’re in
Digging deep with journalist Daniel Barbarisi, whose new account reveals the very real danger of the chase
Journalist Ian Urbina is revealing the lawlessness of the open ocean in ways you’d never imagine
This is just the kickoff to a ten-year plan to protect more land, water, and wildlife
In her new memoir, 'The Secret to Superhuman Strength,' the 'Fun Home' cartoonist scrutinizes her quest for spiritual solace through 60 years of athletic obsessions
In March, Emily Ford became the first woman to complete Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail in winter. She’s also become an unintentional ambassador of the outdoor industry’s quest for inclusivity.
Hunting twisters made Jennifer Brindley Ubl feel deeply inspired—until it scared her to death
Our country’s open spaces are a sanity-saving antidote for this writer
After more than a year of pandemic living, let us remember why it’s worth getting out there
How the team behind David Attenborough’s new Netflix series captured a fight sequence between two poison dart frogs
Edgar McGregor started cleaning up Eaton Canyon near Los Angeles in May 2019, and he didn’t stop until it was spotless nearly two years later. We talked to McGregor about how to stay motivated to take care of the earth.
Ambreen Tariq’s new children’s book tells the story of an immigrant family’s first camping trip and expands the canon of outdoor literature for kids
Anticipating even bigger crowds this summer than last, public-lands officials have been grappling with how to manage the masses. For many, that’s meant introducing permit systems. But is limiting access the only solution?
A close encounter in the far north offers powerful lessons about how Native people have chosen to live alongside a dangerous predator
In his new book, ‘The Nation of Plants,’ botanist Stefano Mancuso suggests that human democracies may have something to learn from the world’s trees and flowers
Unpacking an all-time Lee Cohen ski photo during a March storm in Alta, Utah
Investigators, family, and friends are still trying to close the case of Paul Fugate, a naturalist at Arizona’s Chiricahua National Monument who vanished without a trace in 1980. What keeps them motivated to stick with a mystery that may be unsolvable?
Outside correspondent Kate Siber learned to reinhabit her body by being outdoors. But she didn’t expect that healing would also bring a new perspective on nature itself.
Oranges for dental work, milk for English lessons—when COVID-19’s initial lockdown dried up tourism dollars and supply chains, the islands bartered their way through
A new book by the acclaimed science journalist Michelle Nijhuis looks at human attempts to save other species from extinction, from John Muir to the World Wildlife Fund