Backpacking Trips

Trail guides for trips that need a tent. Each one lays out permits, water, camps and the miles between them, checked against the land manager's own pages.

Newest Top picks Under $200

Trail Guides

Appalachian Trail: A Backpacker's Full-Trail Planning Guide

Full-trail planning guide for the Appalachian Trail's 2,190+ miles from Georgia to Maine. Permits, ten contiguous sections, resupply, transport, gear, budget, and Helene recovery.

Brooke Wilder 22 min read

Trail Guides

Great Smoky Mountains Backpacking Guide

A reservation-first plan for a 22-mile Smokies backpacking route from Newfound Gap to Icewater Spring and Pecks Corner shelters.

Brooke Wilder 11 min read

Trail Guides

Hoh River Trail to the Lateral Moraine Viewpoint: Trip Planning Guide

A 37-mile out-and-back from Olympic's Hoh rainforest to the non-glacier Lateral Moraine viewpoint above Blue Glacier, with permits, camps, hazards, and itineraries.

Brooke Wilder 13 min read

Trail Guides

John Muir Trail: A Safety-First Planning Guide

Plan the John Muir Trail with verified permit, resupply, weather, altitude, and safety guidance for a Sierra thru-hike.

Brooke Wilder 29 min read

Trail Guides

Lost Coast Trail Backpacking Guide

A tide-first guide to the Lost Coast Trail from Mattole Beach to Black Sands Beach, with permits, hazards, and route-planning basics.

Brooke Wilder 28 min read

Trail Guides

Vermont Long Trail: The Complete Thru-Hiker's Guide

The Vermont Long Trail runs the length of Vermont along the main ridge of the Green Mountains, from the Massachusetts border to the Canadian border. It is the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States and the Green Mountain Club is still the route's central steward. The Appalachian Trai

Brooke Wilder 34 min read

Trail Guides

Kings Canyon and Sequoia Backpacking Guide

A practical backpacker's guide to Kings Canyon and Sequoia, including permits, zones, Rae Lakes, Mineral King, season timing, bear canisters, and current conditions.

Brooke Wilder 10 min read

Trail Guides

Appalachian Trail Virginia: Damascus to Harpers Ferry Planning Guide

Virginia holds a quarter of the Appalachian Trail: 556 miles from Damascus to Harpers Ferry. Permits, the 2026 detours, water, mileage by section, resupply, gear and the Virginia Blues, checked October 17, 2026.

Brooke Wilder 63 min read

Trail Guides

PCT Washington: White Pass to Stevens Pass (Sections I and J)

About 169 miles of Washington PCT, split at Snoqualmie Pass. Free permits, one resupply, and three things that decide the trip: fire closures, spring fords and two dry stretches.

Brooke Wilder 51 min read

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