Jim Morrison Cave Closed Indefinitely Due to Vandals

File under: Why we can't have nice things. Just one day after we had to inform a group of Stanford Alumni that taking spray paint and sharpies into the Santa Monica Mountains to “leave their mark” was probably not the best of ideas, we have just received word from California State Parks' Angeles District Superintendent…

Best Outdoor Jackets for Off-Trail Days

If you're like me, you probably spend a significantly larger amount of time researching your next piece of outdoor clothing than you do your next pair of jeans or whatever you end up wearing to the office. Maybe you just start wearing your outdoor clothes to work anyway … which is how you end up like me…

How to Survive a Mountain Lion Encounter

Spotting large predators in the wild is a thrill for any hiker or outdoorsmen, but coming face-to-face with a 220-pound cat can turn a walk in the woods into a fight for your life. Also known as cougars in some parts of the country, mountain lions tend to attack when cornered, or when they believe you might be a reasonable piece of prey. The key to avoiding a deadly encounter on the trail starts with a calm reaction.

Illustrated by Ted Slampyak

Hike the Wahkeena / Multnomah Falls Loop

This is it folks, THE trail to do in the Columbia River Gorge (okay, well, I think so anyways). Have a day in Portland? Or, do you live in Portland and have somehow missed this one? Do this hike. I will admit: I have now lived in Portland for five months, and have consciously avoided this trail.…

Hike Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

When most people envision the desert, the first word that springs to mind is probably “dry.” Not so at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, a lush pocket of the brand new Sand To Snow National Monument tucked between the western edge of Joshua Tree National Park and the towns of Yucca Valley, Morongo Valley, and Desert…