Kelly Floro

e’ve often said that the most important ingredient in a successful thru-hike is a large dose of grit and determination, rather than a lot of backcountry experience or a certain fitness level. Yet even so, thru-hiking does actually require you to have some skills. The good news is, even if you have zero backpacking experience, most of these skills can be learned as you go. What things do you need to be able to do to thrive on the trail? ...

R esearchers have confirmed the first human case of Bourbon virus, a rare and potentially fatal tick-borne disease with no cure, in New York State. What's more, they believe the virus may have been circulating undetected in the state for years, since its symptoms closely resemble those of other tick-borne illnesses and there is no widely available commercial test for the condition.

A five-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail on the North Carolina-Tennessee border has finally reopened nearly two years after Hurricane Helene devastated the area in September 2024.

T hru-hikers everywhere are surely rejoicing at the news that a recently released fitnes app now gives users an extra incentive to meet their daily step goals by forcing them to put cold, hard cash on the line.

A typical pair of trail runners costs around $150 these days, and sturdier boots can run you even more. Sure, that's much cheaper than, say, a Zpacks Duplex, but the trouble is that the Duplex or a similar tent can last an entire thru-hike and beyond, whereas hiking shoes will need to be replaced multiple times on a 2,000-mile trek.

N inety-one-year-old Dale “Grey Beard” Sanders was less than 150 miles from completing his goal of becoming the oldest person ever to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail when health concerns, combined with the loss of a close family member, forced him off the trail. Now he says he's been cleared to get back to hiking and will return to the AT to finish what he started.

ike so many, my first thru-hike was the Appalachian Trail. And to be fair, I loved the AT. It was a perfect introduction to thru-hiking, and a perfect match for what I needed at the time: a trail whose environment felt gentle and alive, something that would give me space and solitude to expand, but not so much solitude that my introverted self would go into full-on hermit mode. I’ve done more trails since then, but never anything as long as the AT. ...

B ig Thru-Hiking wants you to think these 10 things are grave moral errors on the scale of surface pooping, when in fact they are perfectly legitimate hiking choices. Don't buy into the Backpacking Establishment's insidious propaganda. I officially grant you permission to break each and every one of these “rules” as often as you please.

O ne person is dead and roughly 15 remain missing or unaccounted for after a deadly flash flood ripped through one of the most heavily visited parts of the Grand Canyon over the weekend.

id you complete the Pacific Crest Trail in 2026? We insist, simply INSIST that you allow us to congratulate you. Finishing a thru-hike means one chapter of your life is ending and a new one is beginning. But before you move on, we invite you to pause a moment to celebrate the monumental thing you just achieved. We are determined to leave no thru-hiker un-congratulated, and we need your help to do it. Submit your finish photos to be featured in the 2026 edition of our annual PCT Finisher series. ...