Pacific Coast Hiking and Backpacking Vacations

Pacific Coast Hiking and Backpacking Destinations

Paths to the Past
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Don't just hike—follow in the footsteps of famous explorers and naturalists
California's Secret Stash
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The Big River's been saved—and just in time. Here's how to enjoy the northern coast's newest playground and its spectacular environs.
Soaked
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It sounded like a good idea at the time: Journey to the sopping epicenter of the wettest place on earth, bag the peak, and get back in time for supper. But that was before the clouds clamped down on Mount Waialeale. Before the jungle closed in and the map became irrelevant. Before the machete-wielding, pig-hunting swamp guide said, "Would be so easy to get lost back there, brah."
Infinite Range
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Get lost in Alaska's Wrangell--St. Elias: It's six Yellowstones' worth of icy lakes,anonymous meadows, and peaks you won't find on any map.
Alaska
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Trekking with Yaks

More Pacific Coast Hiking and Backpacking Feature Articles (546)

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Five Great Family Escapes
Olympic National Park, Washington
Backyard Playgrounds
Whether it’s for a few hours or a few days, we’ve all got to get away sometime. Since we can’t always explore the Amazon after work or trek Tibet in a weekend, we bring you an inspired list of the country’s best city-centric, all-natural playgrounds—ones within city limits, and ones just beyond the suburban sprawl—tailor-made for bite-sized bursts of urban adventuring.
Best Hiking: Olympic Coastal Strip (Washington)
America's Best Beaches
Autumn in Oregon: Willamette National Forest, Oregon
GORP's Top 10 Autumn Escapes: Fall's Best Forests
Multisport Mayhem in Wrangell-St. Elias Nat'l Park and Prince William Sound

A Trekking Primer
GORP - Getting on Course - Learning Compass and Map Basics
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Backpacking: A Packing List
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Day Hiking: A Packing List
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Adventure Travel 101
GORPTravel’s Kate Tucker and Linda Long answer our burning questions about the tao of adventure travel

Mount Tamalpais to the Wine Country Trek
Wine Country Trekking
from $1500, 6 days
Enjoy this six day trek vacation which traverses beautiful Mount Tamalpais and finishes in the Wine Country. You will visit Sausalito and Muir...
Women's Beginner Backpack, Ansel Adams Wilderness, California
Sierra Club Outings
from $495, 7 days
If you want a nice, smooth entry into the world of backpacking, this trip is for you! Just south of Yosemite, where lakes and streams are abundant...
Hiking in Alaska - Sunset Pass Basecamp
Arctic Wild
from $3600, 7 days
Rising from the coastal plain like islands from the ocean are the Sadlerochit Mountains. We will camp and explore the Sadlerochits from a base camp...
Ansel Adams High Sierra Camp - Hiking with Pack Mules
Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides
from $965, 5 days
The Ansel Adams Wilderness is filled with high peaks, crystal clear alpine lakes, dense forests, glorious meadows, and amazing panoramas. We begin in...
Alaska Day Hiker Adventure
Adventure Alaska Tours
from $2195, 9 days
Discover Alaska on foot on this 9-day adventure with day hikes in a wide variety of terrain - ranging from trail-less tundra and alpine lakes to...

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Complete Gear Archives: Day-Hiking, Backpacking, and Trekking
From in-depth gear review articles and Gear Guy Q&A highlights to the latest—and past—entries in Outside magazine’s award-giving Summer and Winter Buyer’s Guides, a detailed overview of all things hiking.
Women’s Running Gear Essentials
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Waterproofing Innovations
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A new way to waterproof
The Goods: Hiking
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Mountain Sense
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Some helpful backcountry tips from mountaineering guru Conrad Anker