Goat Rocks Traverse: Washington’s Best Backpacking

If you’re only going to have time for one hike next time you’re in the Pacific Northwest, you ought to make a beeline for the magnificent and exhilarating Goat Rocks Traverse. It’s one of the few areas of the North Cascades us non-birds can access with relative ease for bucket list-worthy, drop-dead gorgeous landscapes.

Backroads of New Mexico

A visit to New Mexico conjures up images of relaxation, adventure, art, history and gastrotourism. Usually folks flock to Taos or Santa Fe or Albuquerque for their New Mexican excursion. In 2023, leave the big cities behind and hit the backroads – you’ll see a whole different side of The Land of Enchantment.

Find Idyllic Mountain Beauty and Outdoor Fun in the Lost Sierra

The Lost Sierra’s promise of a less crowded, untamed version of alpine bliss had tantalized me since I’d first heard of it a few years ago. Situated among the rugged 8,500-foot peaks of the Sierra Buttes in Plumas County, it also boasts some 50 pristine, glacier-carved gems.

Big Landscapes at Big Bend

There’s no swinging by Big Bend National Park. The nearest “big city” is Fort Stockton, Texas, population 8,378, more than 100 miles north. No, anyone who ends up at Big Bend is going to Big Bend.

New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands

A trip to New Mexico should certainly include stops at Carlsbad Caverns, which will take you underground into a world of wonder, and White Sands, one of our newest national parks and a marvel in its own right.

Publisher’s Note, No. 5

After printing the magazine for a year at a great personal expense, I vowed to keep going digitally in 2023. However, beyond this “Where in the West” special section, I think it’s going to be a wrap for American West.

Peering Into Yosemite, A “Repository of Sanity”

No one is more associated with Yosemite than John Muir – not even, alas, the Ahwahneechee people, who still live in the area. Yet there is no record of Muir’s reaction to seeing the valley for the first time, in the spring of 1868. Perhaps our great national wilderness prophet was struck speechless at the sight.

Where in the West Should I Go? • 52 Places to Visit in 2022

From cities and towns to national parks and lesser-known landscapes, this inaugural special section has your 2022 travel through the West covered! We’ve curated a list of 52 places to visit this year – four in each of the 13 states we cover. If you travel at a breakneck pace, that’s one a week. Let this guide serve as inspiration and enjoy the West!