12 articles
National parks, wild places and adventure travel: where to go, when, and what to know before you leave.
A destination is more than a pretty picture. What makes a good week outdoors often comes down to less photogenic details: a train that stops near the trailhead, a hut you should have booked, a season when the trail is actually open. This section is all about those details, to help you choose where to go and plan the trip without nasty surprises.
You’ll find introductions to national parks and other public lands, with their rules: where you can camp, which permits and reservations you’ll need, and what you can do there with a dog, a drone, or a camp stove. Practical guides explain how huts and cabins work and how to book them. Others help you get to trailheads without a car, travel further on your own or with an outfitter, and keep your impact light wherever you go. Wildlife-watching trips get their own pages too, including what sets a responsible operator apart.
Trips to Europe get special attention, since much of what Europeans take for granted needs explaining. That means how hut reservations work, how to ride trains and buses to a trailhead, how to read trail markings, and what local customs to expect. Choosing a destination also means choosing a season, so we explain when to go, when to book, what transportation and lodging really cost, and what paperwork to handle before you leave the country. Any prices we quote are dated and sourced.
The common mistakes get their own spotlight: the hut that was full because nobody booked, the mountain pass still closed in spring, the trip that lands right in the middle of local school vacations. And then there’s the park where backcountry camping is off-limits exactly where you planned to pitch your tent.
Our method is the same everywhere: information checked against official sources such as park agencies, tourism offices, and transit operators, rules quoted from the official texts with the date we checked them, and numbers explained. A travel story is always told by the person who took the trip. This section is for anyone planning a first big outdoor trip and for seasoned travelers looking for somewhere new.
DestinationsRoute
The Stevenson Trail runs from Le Puy-en-Velay to Alès over 272 km (169 mi). Allow 12 to 14 days of hiking as a rule, then adapt the stages to the lodging available and to transport. The right split is not a daily average: it also depends on the terrain and on which services are open.
Joséphine Garand··13 min
Wild camping is nearly banned in Iceland. Here is what the nature conservation law really allows for tents, campervans, and driving.
Alex Aubert··9 min
After historic flooding on November 1 and 2, Colorado has closed five wildlife areas and part of Navajo State Park, and warned hunters off nine units.
The West Highland Way is 96 miles from Milngavie to Fort William. Official stage distances, camping permits, midges, bag transfers and how to get there.
Nolwenn Bastide··12 min
Hiking the Rota Vicentina in Portugal: 13 stages and 141 miles on the Fishermen’s Trail, 163 miles inland, plus sand, luggage transfers, buses, and season.
Guillaume Hoarau··19 min
Wild camping in Sweden, Norway, and Finland: how long you can stay, when campfires are banned, and the rules for fishing and RVs under the right to roam.
Arnaud Couderc··11 min
Since the August 29, 2026, flash flood, Phantom Ranch, the North Kaibab Trail, and both river bridges are closed, with no reopening date. Here’s what’s open.
Reaching Teide’s summit takes a named reservation on Tenerife ON, day or night: €15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with 90-minute slots from December 6, 2026.
Arnaud Couderc··16 min
Hiking the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites: the 12 stages and their times, when 2027 hut bookings open, half-board prices and how to reach Lago di Braies.
Nolwenn Bastide··10 min
Rocky Mountain kept timed entry in 2026; Yosemite, Arches and Glacier dropped it. Plus the $80 resident pass, fee-free days and what foreign guests pay.
Nolwenn Bastide··9 min
Dogs, bivouacking, campfires, drones, and foraging: the rules in the core of each French national park, park by park, straight from the parks’ websites.
Nolwenn Bastide··10 min
Since 2026, every official trail in Madeira requires a reservation for a 30-minute slot on SIMplifica, at €4.50. How it works, plus seven official hikes.
Nolwenn Bastide··8 min
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