Public land advocates say the shutdown threatens resources but offer advice on how to help.
Travel
Posted inArticles
The national parks are not OK
A former national park supervisor explains how toilets may be clean this summer, but the parks themselves are actually ‘hollowed out.’
Posted inArticles
Hunting for dark nights and wishing on stars
A bike ride into the desert and an author in search of darkness.
Posted inMay 1, 2021: Beauty and Biodiversity in the Borderlands
Montana counties band together to reinvigorate passenger rail
The newly formed Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority aims to connect a rural and divided state.
Posted inArticles
Essential transportation in rural Alaska is up in the air
Since Alaska’s largest regional airline went bankrupt in April, roadless communities have been searching for ways to restore service.
Posted inArticles
From sniffles to coronavirus: A Colorado woman’s experience
After returning from vacation, a nurse practitioner was sick for weeks before finding out her true diagnosis.
Posted inArticles
The two castles of Austin, Nevada
Tycoons, turrets and the hidden history of a tiny desert town.
Posted inJuly 21, 2019: A Radical Return
What the outdoor rec industry doesn’t get about the LGBTQ community
Companies can help shift outdoors culture from homophobia toward inclusion while helping their bottom line.
Posted inJune 24, 2019: Losing Lake Coeur d'Alene
The history of hiking The Continental Divide Trail
Meandering across 3,100 miles, the trail connects Mexico to Canada.
Posted inMay 13, 2019: Atomic Tourists
A road trip through New Mexico’s atomic past
As nuclear tourism booms in the Land of Enchantment, histories of violence are packaged, sold and consumed.
Posted inArticles
Exploring the West? Don’t start a wildfire.
Here are some tips on how to stay safe.
Posted inMay 14, 2018: Death in the Alpine
The nowhereness of airports
The way air travel has devolved says something awful about humans.
Posted inArticles
Don’t give up on riding the rails
A writer muses on a recent loss of confidence in the West’s rail system.
Posted inFebruary 5, 2018: Caught Between Crises
On love in Death Valley, and what’s been lost
An ode to a time of both sorrow and new found laughter.
Posted inArticles
Why has fashion trumped utility on the trail?
Outdoor pursuits now come with a price tag that’s unattainable for many.
Posted inArticles
RV industry lobbies to privatize services on public lands
And they have found an ally in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
Posted inArticles
The view of the eclipse from the lenses of our readers
A collection of photos submitted by the High Country News community.
Posted inArticles
How the West experienced the solar eclipse
HCN readers watched from all over the country. Find out where.
Posted inAugust 7, 2017: Los Promotores
The West braces for a “cosmic traffic jam”
Hordes of travelers have filled up campsites and hotels in preparation.
Posted inArticles
Meet me tonight in (the West’s) Atlantic City
The rugged Old West meets New West in a tiny Wyoming town.