Trails Magazine

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Ridgway, CO
Trails Magazine

A new type of independent, print magazine for backpackers and people who sleep in the dirt.

09/17/2025

"Returning from an overnight stay at the far corner of Haleakala's crater, we found ourselves surrounded by the incredible mineral deposits forming Pele's Paint Pot."

Photo: Alexander Kelsey, Vantage Point in Issue 11

09/12/2025

When thru-hiker Annika Ananias came to the US from her native Germany to hike the Arizona Trail, she didn't expect to be the target of such intense border scrutiny. "They were threatening me," Ananias told reporter . "'You better just tell us you worked here illegally,'" they berated her. She hadn't—she came to go backpacking. Nevertheless, she was banished from the country for five years.

But Ananias' story isn't unique. In his reporting, Grayson Haver Currin talked to numerous other thru-hikers eager to come to the US but weren't allowed or were otherwise deterred by recent border crackdowns. How is this impacting the culture of America's trails? Read the complete story, only in Issue 11, available from the link in our bio.

Photo: Ryan Twigg

09/10/2025

A quick update about back issues!

Issues 3, 5, and 6 aren't totally sold out, even if it says they are on the website. We're working on freeing up a couple of additional boxes of those back issues and expect them to be available again in just a couple of weeks. Stay tuned. For now, Issue 11 is still available to order, but there are less than 100 copies left. Get them while you can.

09/08/2025

What is the "Roadless Rule" and what does its recession mean for our public lands? In a recent Hiker Box newsletter, journalist explored a piece of government rulemaking that kept extraction and pavement from encroaching too far on large swaths of National Forest land, and what those places could look like if the rule goes away, as the Trump Administration plans to do.

Click on "Read the Hiker Box" at the link in our bio to read her story, and subscribe to our free weekly newsletter for more stories like it.

09/05/2025

Nothing like waiting 'till the last minute. But maybe putting off your morning ritual is OK when the last resort is way in the alpine below the summit of Long's Peak. Issue 11's Outhouse Review features one of the highest established privy's in the Rockies.

Read about it only in Issue 11.

09/02/2025

Hope you had a nice long weekend on the trails!

Can you guess where we were backpacking last week?

08/29/2025

Don't forget! Today is your last day to fill out our critical annual readership survey—and to win some great gear for helping us out! Head to the link in our bio to help us figure out where this magazine is headed next.

08/26/2025

Unlike most magazines, ours don't go bad as soon as the next one prints. Start a collection.

08/22/2025

Don't forget! Fill out our 2026 Reader Survey (at the link in our bio) and you'll be entered to win some sweet Trails gear, like this packboard tee. We're picking a new winner every Friday until the survey closes on August 29. Do us a favor, help steer the course of Trails Mag, and have the chance to take home some great merch.

08/20/2025

All parents want their kids to share their passions. Writer took his two kids backpacking for the first time, but couldn't do much more than keep his fingers crossed they would take from the experience what he hoped. Read his essay only in Issue 11.

You'll also see an incredible panoramic illustration courtesy of . Scroll to enjoy the whole thing.

08/15/2025

The classic "pilgrimage" is becoming steadily more popular, even as organized religion consistently declines. What is going on? In Issue 11, journalist Samuel Firman took on his own pilgrimage trek and analyzed how the traditional long walk can still be beneficial, regardless of your motivations.

Read his story only in Issue 11. Available from the link in our bio, while supplies last.

Photo: Samuel Firman

08/12/2025

We need your help! ✍️

It's time for our annual readership survey. This yearly poll is a critical tool for us to better understand who you are and what you're looking for from a backpacking magazine. By filling it out (it'll only take minutes!), you have a say in the direction we take Trails, the stories you'll find in our pages, and the topics we choose to focus on.

On top of that, we're giving away a free piece of Trails swag to one survey participant every week! Fill it out early and you'll have three chance to win a hat or a pair of socks or a t-shirt. Head to the link in our bio before Augusts 29 to make your voice heard!

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http://trailsmag.net/

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