Visits to public lands and consumer spending grow, as agency budgets atrophy.
Recreation
Posted inMay 14, 2018: Death in the Alpine
Section hikers offer tips on the Pacific Crest Trail
From Canada to Mexico, a series of books shares the insider knowledge of the trail.
Posted inMay 14, 2018: Death in the Alpine
‘Unlikely hikers’ gain traction
Social media is raising the profile of underrepresented outdoor communities.
Posted inMay 14, 2018: Death in the Alpine
Your stoke won’t save us
The idea that outdoor recreation leads to meaningful conservation rests on a big ‘if.’
Posted inMay 14, 2018: Death in the Alpine
How might humans and wilderness co-exist?
I want my daughter to know the wilderness outside our cabin, and the wildness within each of us.
Posted inMay 14, 2018: Death in the Alpine
Through a thru-hiker’s eyes
A photographer captures the community he found on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Posted inArticles
Don’t even think about leaving a trace
An outdoorswoman reflects on the myriad kinds of litter she’s encountered in nature.
Posted inApril 16, 2018: Cashing in on Standing Rock
The Gates of the Arctic, revealed
From charging bears to glacier-carved valleys, photographs capture the real nature of the national park.
Posted inApril 16, 2018: Cashing in on Standing Rock
Frackin’ on heaven’s door
How many people over the centuries have loved the Pawnee Buttes, only to see them ravaged?
Posted inApril 30, 2018: Celebrity Scofflaw
Reckoning with History: The parks have been fixed before
How the government tackled the post-war threats of national park ‘disfigurement’ and ‘destruction.’
Posted inArticles
When boyhood friendships were forged outdoors
After his friend’s passing, a writer reflects on a life spent chasing fish and toads.
Posted inArticles
Let your kids play with fire
Giving a 6-year-old fire-tending responsibilities is good for the whole family.
Posted inArticles
Montana’s only congressman sells public lands short
Recreation-based businesses like canoe guiding rely on continued protection for national monuments.
Posted inArticles
Exchange or exploitation? Ski towns turn to foreign students
The J-1 program is the main source of migrant labor for the ski industry.
Posted inArticles
Republican politicians should support the outdoor industry
Public lands should be conserved — not exploited for short-term gain.
Posted inArticles
What Westerners take for granted
“I never really considered the concept of public lands until I moved to Iowa.”
Posted inMarch 5, 2018: Drilling Chaco
An armchair journey to the desert
A photography book captures the natural splendor of Utah’s five national parks.
Posted inArticles
The Wyoming Public Lands Initiative risks collapse
As conflicting groups search for middle ground, some say the process is being rushed.
Posted inMarch 5, 2018: Drilling Chaco
Latest: Outdoor recreation recognized as economic contributor
The Commerce Department affirms the growing clout of outdoor retailers.
Posted inFebruary 19, 2018: Unfrozen North
National parks, where landscape and culture intersect
A photography book explores the history of travel within our nation’s parks.