besthike.com - the blog

Kalalau Trail is one of the best hikes in the world.
Along the Nā Pali Coast of the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii, it’s paradise.

source - kalalautrail.com
Kalalau Trail - website
But there’s trouble in paradise. Illegal squatters.
You can do the 11mi difficult trail in 4-8hrs.
But some stay in the valley […]

Chris Benway runs Cafe Andino, the hub of hiking activities in Huaraz, Peru. And he’s the man behind La Cima Logistics, the recommended top end guiding company in town.
I always recall Chris telling me that … if he had not settled in Huaraz, he would have chosen Canmore, Alberta.

… published in Explore, March […]

This is the best introduction to Tasmania I’ve seen on-line. Superb photos!
It includes a hike on Freycinet Peninsula, one of the best hikes in the world.

Numerous walks are possible at Freycinet National Park, from one full day to a three to four day circuit, introducing each time more of the marvelous granite of the […]

Recommended - A great audio podcast was posted by BackpackingLight.com.
Scott Williamson is best known for his thru-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail. He has walked the trail nine times in its entirety, including a Yo-Yo from Mexico to Canada and back - twice.
… topics from his 191-day Yo-Yo of the PCT in 2006, including the […]

Do you have any old home movies of National Parks in the USA?
Ken Burns wants to talk to you.

In the fall of 2009 PBS will air The National Parks, a major documentary film series produced and directed by Ken Burns and written and produced by Dayton Duncan.
But now they are asking for […]

The Wonderland Trail is one of the best hikes in the world. Circling Mt. Ranier in Washington State normally takes 7 days, 6 nights for experienced hikers.
But in a day?
The Wonderland Project is the name two friends gave their shared goal: To run the Wonderland Trail, circumnavigating Washington’s Mt. Rainier, in a single 24 hour […]

This is one of the great stories of the outdoors. And I had never heard of it until today via The Piton.
An award winning new book — An Eye at the Top of the World — details a CIA operation to plant a listening device atop Nandi Devi, one of the highest peaks in the […]

BluePeak tipped us to a new adventure in the far North.

Few people think of trekking in the high arctic, but Black Feather now offers a 60km trek through Katannilik Territorial Park on southern Baffin, not far from Iqaluit. There is a surprising abundance of flora, and also lots of wildlife. As a bonus, the […]

Many of our contributors stopped hiking nearly so much … AFTER they had children.
Others find a way to get out into the wild with their kids.
It’s getting easier. Stephen Gilfus let us know of a site catering to little hikers:

Taking your children with you into the backcountry can be an exciting and rewarding […]

Thanks to Modern Hiker for pointing us to a cool blog we’d never seen.
Neatorama posted the 10 most fantastic trees in the world. And a couple of bonus picks.
Needless to say, these kinds of lists are controversial. Read the comments for some great additions to the top 10.
Spoiler alert. The #1 tree is […]