EXPEDITION

TRAILHEAD

TRAILHEAD — A determined trail runner ascending a rugged mountain trail
A hiker climbing iron rungs bolted into granite cliff on the Precipice Trail, Acadia National Park, Maine
Acadia Cadillac Mountain Coastal Hiking Maine National Park Precipice Trail Trail Running TRAILHEAD

Acadia: The First Light

From October to March, the first sunlight in the United States lands on Cadillac Mountain. Running Acadia at first light, from granite summit to iron...

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A hiker crosses a suspension bridge on the Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Hiking Mount Rainier National Park Trail Running TRAILHEAD Volcano Washington Wonderland Trail

Mount Rainier: Ninety-Three Miles Around a Volcano

The Wonderland Trail exists to circle one fact: Mount Rainier is a volcano. Ninety-three miles around 26 named glaciers and the highest peak in the...

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A climber on the Chasm View section of Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
14er Alpine Colorado Hiking Longs Peak National Park Rocky Mountain Trail Running TRAILHEAD

Rocky Mountain: The Air Above Twelve

The alarm goes off at 2:30 a.m. in Estes Park. Nine miles and 5,100 feet to the summit of Longs Peak, and the lightning does...

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Two backpackers on trail with Grand Teton rising behind them, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Cascade Canyon Grand Teton Hiking National Park Trail Running TRAILHEAD Wilderness Wyoming

Grand Teton: No Foothills, No Warning

Most mountain ranges give you foothills first. The Tetons do not. Running Cascade Canyon beneath a wall of granite that rises 7,000 feet in six...

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A person exploring an ice cave in Glacier National Park, Montana
Glacier Highline Trail Hiking Montana National Park Trail Running TRAILHEAD Wilderness

Glacier: Running with Bears

You carry bear spray from the moment you step out at Logan Pass. Running Glacier's Highline Trail along the Garden Wall, through the heart of...

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Rainbow and waterfall over Yosemite Valley with granite cliffs rising above the meadow floor. NPS photo
California Half Dome Hiking National Park Trail Running TRAILHEAD Yosemite

Yosemite: Above the Valley Floor

The trail up Half Dome begins in shadow at Happy Isles. A vertical mile, the cables, and the view from above Yosemite Valley.

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A hiker with a backpack climbs a backcountry trail deep in the Grand Canyon, Arizona. NPS photo
arizona camping grand canyon national parks rim-to-rim southwest trail running

Grand Canyon: Rim to River to Rim

The South Kaibab drops 4,780 feet to the Colorado River in under seven miles. In the Grand Canyon, the descent is the easy part. Here...

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Rugged coastline of the King Range National Conservation Area near Mattole on California's Lost Coast. Photo: Jesse Pluim, BLM (public domain)
California Coastal Humboldt TRAILHEAD Wilderness

The Lost Coast: California's Most Remote Run

The highway couldn't follow this stretch of California coast. The terrain was too steep, the cliffs too unstable. So they built the road inland and...

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Two people moving along a vegetation-lined alpine trail on a sunny day, Rocky Mountain National Park. NPS photo
Craft Skill Trail Running TRAILHEAD Training

How to Read a Trail

Road runners look at where their feet are. Trail runners look at where their feet are going to be. The skill that separates them is...

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Red sandstone formations in Sedona, Arizona, at sunrise
Arizona Desert Red Rock Sedona TRAILHEAD

Sedona After Sunrise: Red Rock Before the Heat

The red rocks of Sedona hold heat from the day before. Run them at first light, when the temperature is still in the fifties and...

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Rock formations and chaparral in Malibu Creek State Park, Santa Monica Mountains
California Los Angeles Malibu Santa Monica Mountains TRAILHEAD

Malibu Creek: The Santa Monicas' Best Kept Secret

Twenty-six miles from the Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu Creek State Park holds 4,000 acres of California chaparral, volcanic rock, creek crossings, and a trail system...

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Columbia River Gorge basalt cliffs above the river, Oregon and Washington
Columbia River Oregon Pacific Northwest TRAILHEAD Washington Waterfalls

Columbia River Gorge: Wind, Basalt, and Wildflowers

The Columbia River Gorge holds more waterfalls per square mile than anywhere in North America. In spring, the basalt walls run with snowmelt and the...

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