Jenny Bruso, founder of an online community of self-proclaimed unlikely hikers, shares what she’s learned from hiking with others and offers advice for organizing your own group hike. Exploring the outdoors with a group, witnessing their reactions to the same things you’re seeing and engaging in teamwork paints a broader picture of what nature has…
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Record-setting long-distance hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis slows down to help bring families outdoors—including her own. Most parents can recount at least a few dirty diaper fiascos. However, it’s a rare breed that can cop to handling a poop-filled nightmare during the darkest hours of a brisk September night in Alaska’s Denali National Park. Jennifer Pharr…
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In a time when more and more people are embracing outdoor recreation, here’s how to combat the destruction of the wild places we love. Last year, for the centennial of the National Park Service, park visits were up by over 25 million across the nation. Yosemite traffic increased by 21 percent year over year—up almost…
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Spending time outdoors has created a unique bond between Melody Buck Forsyth and Ruby, who was born with Down syndrome. Through their goal to visit all 59 national parks, the family hopes to inspire others. Many people contemplating parenthood may think having a child will significantly scale back their adventuring. For Salt Lake City mom…
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Nikki Frumkin is easy to recognize in the mountains. She’s the lanky blonde with a giant piece of watercolor paper strapped to her backpack. When she reaches the summit, she takes out a handful of brushes and breath-mint tin full of paint, finds a comfortable rock to sit on, and starts painting furiously. In homage…
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Although the Chicago metro area is a bit limited by geography, a short drive to the outskirts of the city to visit a state park or conservation area or a longer drive across the state line to visit the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore provides hikers with options. The scenic midwestern landscape and easy-going terrain is…
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National parks are wildly popular: In 2017, people traveled outside with nearly 331 million visits to national parks, monuments, and historic and cultural sites maintained by the National Park Service. This isn’t a revelation to any hiker who’s spent enough time outdoors to get a sunburn in recent years. Head to the nation’s most popular national…
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Day hikes are awash with pretty scenery, but night hikes have a special charm all their own. If you find
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When a baby enters the picture, new parents often have a lot of fears and questions about hiking. What kind of gear do you need? How long a trip should you plan? What if you drive to the trailhead and the baby starts wailing uncontrollably when you put him or her in the carrier? But…
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