I know I’m not alone when I say that I’ve added a trail or two to my bucket list after learning about it in this magazine. In 2024, we published dozens of meticulously researched articles about trails around the world. Our expert staff and team of writers come home from trips ready to write about what to do, what not to do, and how to make it all happen.

From long trail tips to dayhikes you should add to your life list and every adventure in between, here are the best trips articles we published in 2024.

I’ve Hiked 10,000+ Miles Around the U.S. These Are My Favorite Trail Towns.

There are few thru-hikers more prolific than Grayson Haver Currin. Beyond his on-foot travel, he has also spent three years traveling out of his van. So, he knows a thing or two about the value of a decent laundromat, accessible shower, stocked-up library, and obviously, in-town burger quality. Here are the trail towns that do it best. 

7 Epic International Long Trails You Probably Haven’t Heard of Yet

Tired of traveling across the globe just to get to a trail that is full of tourists? On these under-the-radar (and for some of them, new) trails, you’ll be able to explore a new culture and its natural landscapes without the crowds. 

Hike Among the World’s Oldest Trees In These 5 Spectacular Forests

In the U.S., old-growth forests are those that survived the heyday of clearcut logging, which reached its peak in the 1800s and early 1900s. Today, these rare, pristine forests provide a glimpse into what the country might have looked like if the timber industry hadn’t run rampant after European settlement. Here are five ancient forests that are worth the trip.

5 Dayhikes You Need To Add To Your Bucket List

The thru-hikes and long trails have had enough time in the limelight. It’s time to dream small—in mileage, not adventure. You can accomplish each of these trails in a day but get enough out of it to remember it for a lifetime. 

Everything I Wish I Knew Before Hiking the Florida Trail

Our writer Grayson Haver Currin has admitted before that he might have a hiking addiction. He has not only completed each Triple Crown trail—the Pacific Crest, Appalachian, and Continental Divide trails—but also thousands more backpacking miles throughout the country. Which long trail, though, is his favorite? Here’s why the Florida Trail tops his list. 

Is the Lakeshore Trail the 40 Most Beautiful Miles In the Midwest? Hike it and Decide.

The Midwest is a region that hikers often overlook in favor of taller mountains in the West or verdant forests in the East. But, this Michigan trail has colorful sandstone cliffs, beautiful coastal campsites, and plenty of solitude.  

Is This the Best Bang-for-Buck Backpacking Trip in Alaska?

Two born-and-raised Alaskans make their case for Bomber Traverse being one of the best wilderness backpacking trips in the country. There’s glacier travel, boulder scrambles, and even the historic scars of a TB-29 bomber that crashed in bad weather on the then-unnamed glacier in 1957. (Today, twisted propellers, wheels, and large sections of the wings and fuselage remain scattered across the snow and ice.) 

This Remote Island Is a Treasure Trove of Otherworldly Hiking Trails

Getting to Madeira, a Portuguese island 320 miles west of Morocco, isn’t easy, according to our writer Maggie Slepian who made the trip in late 2023. Luckily, she found the effort to be worth it. Here were her favorite trails, plus some tips from her experience abroad.

Sweden’s Fjällräven Classic Is an Epic Arctic Adventure that Any Hiker Can Do 

One of the biggest names in outdoor apparel also hosts international treks perfect for all types of adventurers. But, the original Fjällräven Classic is an anomaly: A wild trek dozens of miles from a trailhead that’s also feasible to tackle as your first-ever backpacking trip. Backpacker Editor in Chief Adam Roy hit the trail to check it out. Here’s how it went.

6 Perfect Trails For Your First Solo Backpacking Trip

Writer Kristin Addis is the founder of Be My Travel Muse, one of the biggest solo female travel organizations in the world. She says solo hiking is the best way to explore wherever you want, whenever you want—and everybody should do it at least once. These six trails are well-traveled enough to feel safe, but wild enough to change your life.