Outdoor Travel

With its clear, dark skies, Colorado's Browns Canyon National Monument is an ideal spot to admire planets, constellations and the Milky Way.

A New Dark Sky Park in Colorado Offers a Front-Row Seat to the Cosmos

This week, Browns Canyon National Monument, a 21,586-acre protected natural area in central Colorado, achieved International Dark Sky Park certification

Robert Smithson created Spiral Jetty on Utah's Great Salt Lake in 1970.

Utah's Spellbinding 'Spiral Jetty' Has Been Added to the National Register of Historic Places

Robert Smithson constructed the famous 1,500-foot-long land artwork on the shore of the Great Salt Lake in 1970

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The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2024

These top titles of the year whisk readers away on adventures and remind us of the many wonders in this world

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These Stunning Photographs Highlight Five of Arizona’s Most Unique Species

See a sampling of the spectacular fish, wildlife and vegetation that bring the American Southwest to life.

The letter inside the glass bottle was dated September 4, 1892.

Read the 132-Year-Old Message in a Bottle Found Hidden Inside the Walls of a Scottish Lighthouse

Engineers discovered the mysterious missive while working on repairs at Corsewall Lighthouse last month. Now, they plan to write their own note for future generations to find

Reykjavik Domestic Airport is located just a mile from the city center, so when planes fly in and out, passengers get a close view of buildings below. 

Take Flight With These 15 Awe-Inspiring Aviation Images

See airplanes of all sizes, shapes and colors from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

At dawn, a woman and her dog walk along a serene shore in the Corona Del Mar area of Newport Beach as gentle waves greet them.

See 15 Stunning Photos of California That Showcase the Golden State's Majestic Beauty

California offers lovely beaches, forests, deserts, mountains and more!

Around Halloween, hundreds of revelers dress up as witches and warlocks and hit the water.

Why Are Witches and Warlocks Going Stand-Up Paddleboarding to Celebrate Halloween?

Across the country, revelers are dressing in costumes and gliding across bodies of water on stand-up paddleboards to ring in the spooky season

The northern lights, seen from Alaska on October 7, 2024

You Could See Dazzling Auroras Tonight as 'Strong' Solar Storm Hits. Here's What to Know

Predicted to bring the northern lights as far south as parts of California and Alabama, a large coronal mass ejection from the sun collided with our planet Thursday morning

Between 2019 and 2023, the number of walkers just on Spain and Portugal’s Camino de Santiago, a Christian pilgrimage leading to the purported tomb of St. James the Apostle, increased by nearly 100,000.

Six Lodge-to-Lodge Hikes That Will Have You Falling in Love With Slow Travel

From Scotland to Japan, these multiday treks offer adventure and a truly immersive experience

More than 650,000 people visit Kuwohi at Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year. The summit is topped by an observation tower accessible via a paved path.

The Highest Peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Will Now Be Called by Its Cherokee Name

In 1858, the mountain was named for a Confederate general. Now, it will once again be known as "Kuwohi"

The viewfinders were installed at all 43 Virginia state parks.

Virginia State Parks Install Viewfinders for People With Colorblindness, Just in Time for Leaf-Peeping Season

The viewfinders are outfitted with special lenses that help people with red-green colorblindness distinguish between hues

The color-coded map shows predictions for each week between September 2 and November 18.

This Map Lets You See When Magnificent Fall Foliage Will Peak in Your Area

Use the interactive tool's week-by-week, county-by-county predictions to start planning your leaf-peeping trips across the United States

The buoys and mooring lines help divers easily identify the wrecks while also giving boaters somewhere to tie up.

Divers Can Now Explore Historic Shipwrecks in Lake Michigan More Easily

Crews installed buoys and mooring lines to mark the locations of 19 wreck sites in the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary

The Mount Everest Base Camp, at 17,598 feet high, hosts climbers acclimating to the elevation before they make their ascent.

More Than 200 Dead Bodies Have Been Left Behind on Mount Everest, and Many Mark the Path to the Summit

Mountaineers who perished on the world's highest peak have become landmarks for the living, though recovery crews have made risky expeditions to remove some of the corpses

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In Nevada, You Can Kayak in the Desert: Ten Unexpected Adventures on a Trip to the Silver State

Kayak in the desert, marvel at Earth’s oldest trees, discover Ice Age fossils and more.

Six of the 12 islands, including Hiva Oa, are permanently inhabited.

These Remote Volcanic Islands in the South Pacific Just Became a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Marquesas, located some 3,000 miles from their nearest continental neighbor, are some of the most isolated islands on the planet

Athletes like Canada's Sanoa Dempfle-Olin traveled to Tahiti for this year's Olympics.

Why Are the Olympic Surfing Events Being Held in Tahiti?

The tiny village of Teahupo’o, known for its monstrous, barrel-shaped waves, will host 48 athletes from 21 countries during the Summer Games

Travelers can get rewarded for participating in sustainable activities.

Copenhagen Is Rewarding Tourists for Good Behavior

A new initiative incentives activities like riding a bike, taking public transit and cleaning up litter

On July 5, Peruvian authorities recovered the mummified remains of American climber Bill Stampfl from the slopes of Huascarán.

Melting Ice Reveals Body of American Mountaineer Missing for 22 Years in the Peruvian Andes

Bill Stampfl, Matthew Richardson and Steve Erskine went missing in an avalanche on Huascarán on June 24, 2002. Climbers found Stampfl's body just weeks ago

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