Bozeman is truly an outdoor enthusiasts paradise – no matter your activity of choice you’re bound to find high quality adventures right near town. Mountain biking is no exception of course! There’s so much stellar mountain biking in the SW Montana Region that it would be impossible to cover even a fraction of it here – this article focuses on several of my favorite rides that are within 30 – 45 minutes driving of Bozeman.

Access, Advocacy, & Etiquette

All of the rides in this article are on public land surrounding Bozeman. This land belongs to all of us – be a good steward so bikers can enjoy these trails in the years to come. Clean up trash and dog waste, be courteous to others, and respect the local flora & fauna.

The Southwest Montana Mountain Biking Association (SWMMBA) is a non-profit organization that helps advocate for biking access, builds and maintains trails in SW Montana, hosts community events, and more. If you’re riding in or near Bozeman, consider supporting them with a one time or recurring donation.

Some trails are subject to usage timeshares – be sure to check these before heading out for your ride.

Don’t forget that bikers yield to hikers, and uphill traffic has the right of way. Montana is bear country, so always bring bear spray and ride in groups when possible!

There is a solid mountain biking guidebook for SW Montana – the Southern Montana Singletrack Guidebook can be found in outdoor stores around Bozeman.

Now, let’s get to riding!

Favorite Quick Rides (1-2 hrs)

Leverich Canyon – 5.1 miles, 1,265 ft ascent, 1 hr ride time

If you’re looking for the best quick ride near Bozeman, look no further. Only about 15 minutes outside of town, Leverich’s climb will have you working and the descent will have you coming back time and time again. The road can get a bit rough, a higher clearance vehicle is nice but not required.

South Cottonwood – 8 miles, 870 ft ascent, 1.5 hr ride time

South Cottonwood is a beautiful, moderate trail that follows the South Cottonwood Creek into the Gallatin range. This trail continues for quite a long ways into the mountains and you can definitely follow it for a longer ride, but I really enjoy riding it about 4 miles out. At 4 miles there’s a wonderful clearing on the creek to stop for a snack and maybe some meditation if that’s your thing. The trail also gets much more technical and rocky after mile 4, so if I’m just out for a shorter ride mile 4 is an ideal spot to turn around. This trail gets busy with hikers, it’s best to ride it at a low usage time.

Tripletree Loop – 5.5 miles, 975 ft ascent, 1 hr ride time

Oh, Tripletree! This is the trail I frequent most due to its close proximity to my house, fun terrain, and water access for my dogs. This one will keep you coming back for the same reasons – you can also link TT into Painted Hills for a really nice ride around Bozeman.

Sypes Canyon – 6.9 miles, 1816 ft ascent, 1 hr 45 min ride time

If you want a steep uphill battle and an incredibly fun downhill with great views mixed in, look no further. Sypes is definitely a challenging ride, with some sections that are probably hike a bike for all but the strongest riders. It’s a great workout though, and the views on the ridge are stellar. Then the best part – the downhill – makes it all worth it.

Moser / Buckskin Meadows – 5.7 miles, 940 ft climb, 1 hr ride time

Hyalite has tons of great riding, but the drive up the canyon makes a good amount of the riding available only on days when you have lots of time. For those days that you don’t, Moser to Buckskins Meadows is perfect. Beautiful rides through winding trails and grassy meadows make for a great day out on the steed.

Painted Hills / Town Trails – Rider’s choice

Right in the heart of Bozeman sits the Painted Hills trails. This trail system starts downtown and continues all the way to Tripletree – you can start pretty much anywhere you like on the trail system and take it as far as you want to! Painted Hills is great for those days that you don’t feel like driving.

Best Medium Rides (2-5 hrs)

Corbly Gulch – 9 miles, ~1500 ft ascent, ~2 hrs

This is by far my favorite trail in the Bozeman area. Wonderful uphill pedaling on smooth trails through a beautiful forest leads into one of the most enjoyable downhill rides I’ve done on a mountain bike. This trail has a little bit of everything and is a blast to ride again and again. The Trailforks track doesn’t include the washed out road you have to bike up to get to the the trailhead, and it continues on into a rocky section near the end. I usually stop at the last switchback to soak in the views – you’ll know where it is when you get there.

Johnson Canyon – 12 miles, ~2000 ft ascent, 2.5 hrs

On the northern end of the Bridgers sits the Johnson Canyon trailhead. Tucked back into the mountains and less frequented than many of the other trails on this list, chances are you’ll have the area to yourself as you pedal away from the semi-remote trailhead. The uphill is awesome, with a wonderful side hill that puts wildflowers on full display in the summer. As you reach the end of the trail you have a choice – you can either bomb down for one last downhill and pedal back up the way you came, or continue on down North Cottonwood (hike a bike) and ride the road back to your car (15 miles, 2700 ft ascent).

Copper City – Rider’s Choice

It would practically be a crime to not mention Copper City in this article. Just 45 minutes out of Bozeman is the mountain biking haven of Copper City! 30 miles of single track through a variety of terrain makes this the perfect place to spend a whole day riding. While the arid environment of CC can lead to some very hot days in the summer, mornings are very pleasant at CC, and spring and fall pretty much always provide perfect conditions at CC. You can even get some good days in the shoulder season and in winter depending on snowfall.

Copper City is on BLM land, so there is some camping available in the area as well as a pit toilet at the trailhead.

Emerald Lake – 8.6 miles, 1900 ft ascent, 2.5 hrs

There isn’t a ton of riding in Hyalite mentioned in this article – getting up into Hyalite usually takes at least 45 minutes or more, so most of the riding is a little beyond the scope of this article. Emerald Lake, however, is right around 45 minutes from Bozeman and is an definitely worth the drive up the canyon! A steep, techy uphill leads to a beautiful system of lakes in a mountain basin. Nice place to eat a quick snack before bombing back downhill!

Garnet Mountain – 8.6 miles, 2800 ft ascent, 3 hrs

Talk about an uphill sufferfest – Garnet Mountain will have you questioning why you chose to bike here until you reach the top. Once there you’ll be rewarded with incredible views of the Madison and Bridger mountain ranges, and you get to hangout at a cool forest service fire lookout (that you can rent out!) for a bit. You’ll also take your break with the knowledge that the hard part is behind you, and now you get to enjoy the sweet, sweet reward of the 2800 foot descent.

Wheeler Gulch – 7.2 miles, 1700 ft ascent, 2 hrs

Starting off from South Cottonwood, about a mile in you’ll run into the Wheeler Gulch turnoff on the right. Deviating from the stream, you’ll head uphill through a lush forest and past several switchbacks to a nice viewpoint before descending one of the most fun downhills in the Bozeman area.

Epic Adventure Rides (5+ hrs)

Bangtail Divide – 23 miles, 4000 ft ascent, 3 – 5 hours

Bangtail is the premiere bike ride in the Bozeman area. Fun uphill, stellar downhill, and over 20 miles of singletrack in one ride all add up for an epic day that you’ll want to relive over and over again.

While these certainly are some of the most popular trails in the Bozeman area, it’s just scratching the surface of the mountain biking SW Montana has to offer. Beyond the borders of the Bozeman area you’ll find tons of epic trails with long rides abound. Don’t be afraid to explore the path less traveled and get on some of the trails not listed here – if you have suggestions for trails that you think should make the list please let us know. Happy trails!

Disclaimer: Rock climbing and mountaineering in general is a dangerous pastime that can lead to serious injury or worse. You should not undertake these without proper training or equipment.

By using this site you acknowledge that the information here is not a replacement for a professional guide, and Fantasium Media cannot be held liable for any damage or injury that may be caused by use of this website.

When you think of a climbing destination the first place that comes to mind isn’t generally Montana – the winters are long, summers are warm, and the mountain ranges remote. However, Bozeman is a gem of a climbing region, with classic cracks, killer sport lines, beautiful boulders, and huge multi-pitch lines abound. While finding the climbs can often be challenging, once you’ve located them you’re sure to have a day of climbing you won’t soon forget.

With quality rock and minimal crowds, routes around Bozeman can provide exceptional rock climbing at almost all times of the year. The best time to climb is May – October, but even in the winter some nice climbs can be found on warm days.

This article is focused on climbing that is within roughly an hour’s drive of Bozeman, usually shorter.

Let’s dive in and learn more about the climbing around Bozeman!

Guidebooks

There are several guidebooks that cover most of the areas around Bozeman. There’s lots of climbing that isn’t here or anywhere on the internet, so ask around and get to know your local climbing community!

These books can be found at Spire and REI, with the exception of Rock Climbs of Southwest Montana.

Bozeman Rock Climbs by Bill Dockins & Tom Kalakay

Rock Climbs of Southwest Montana by Kyle Vassilopoulos

SW MT Blocs by Erik Christensen

Select Alpine Climbs to Montana by Ron Brunckhorst

Rock Guides in Bozeman

Montana Alpine Guides and Montana Mountaineering Association are the premiere guides in Bozeman. If you’re looking to hone your skills, haven’t climbed in a while, or just want to find the best climbs, getting out with them for a day or two is a great way to do all of these!

Access & Ethics

Southwest Montana Climber’s Coalition

The Southwest Montana Climbers Coalition (SMCC) is an organization dedicated to securing, protecting, and improving climbing access in Southwest Montana. With a mission to preserve and enhance the climbing resources in the region, SMCC strives to ensure that climbers have the opportunity to explore and enjoy the vast array of climbing options available.

If you do climb near Bozeman, you should strongly consider donating to the SMCC. Your donations go to building trails, replacing hardware, securing climbing access, and more.

Climbing Ethics

The climbing near Bozeman could definitely be described as “old school” – tough grading, moderate runouts, and minimal beta can be the name of the game in many places. Usually if a line goes on gear or there are gear placements on parts of a climb, you won’t find bolts. All of these things make for better climbs and better climbs in my opinion!

Most routes have rap rings on them. Rappel off climbs when you can.

As for establishing new routes, most climbs in the area have been established from the ground up. There is definitely still tons of opportunity for development in the area. Never go altering an existing climb without first discussing those changes with the climb’s first ascender.

Camping

Most of the climbing near Bozeman is in National Forests, and dispersed camping is very easy to find. In Gallatin Canyon there are also very nice pay campgrounds scattered throughout the canyon, and if you’re in a van or RV street parking in Bozeman for a few nights is readily available.

Remember to practice Leave No Trace principles when you camp, and always use the installed toilet facilities if you can.

Access

As I mentioned above, most climbing is on National Forests and access is generally fairly straightforward. That being said, there are a few locations that abut private property (Allenspur in particular), so always be conscious of how lucky we are to access these climbing areas. Keep your pets under control, keep the areas clean, use established trails, keep music to a reasonable volume, etc. Let’s give the best impression of climbers that we can to ensure we can access these locations for years to come.

Safety

Best All Around Climbing – Gallatin Canyon

Ahhh, Gallatin Canyon. What a special place! Home to every style of climbing imaginable, the climbing in Gallatin Canyon is varied enough in style and grade to keep you occupied for a lifetime of rock climbing. Hard lines, classic boulders, and fun multi-pitch romps make this the best place by far to climb near Bozeman. There are several different crags in the Canyon – my favorites are the Gallatin Tower and the routes on the East Side of the Gallatin River. The other areas are fun, but these two are absolutely classic and will have you grinning from ear to ear after each day here.

You’ll see the Gallatin mentioned in every other category as well – it’s so good that it deserves its own special mention. In the following categories I will outline specific areas that are great for each style of climbing.

Grades in the Gallatin can be a bit sandbagged – the Dockins & Kalakay guidebook states comedically that in the Gallatin, “instead of climbs being rated for the hardest move, they are rated for the easiest move”. That evaluation might not be too far off, but they are stellar climbs nonetheless so get out there and get on them!

Best Trad Climbing

Gallatin Canyon

The trad climbing in the Gallatin is unbeatable. The gear can be tricky at first with flaring cracks and sometimes challenging placements, but once you get the style figured out there’s a climb here for everyone. Test your mettle on classic “moderates” like Diesel Driver and Pineapple Thunderpussy, or push yourself on hard lines like Stigmata or The Fugitive.

Rock Type: Gneiss

Favorite Crags: Gallatin Tower, Black Line Buttress, Skyline Buttress, Fish Face, Pineapple Buttress

Classic Routes: Diesel Driver (5.9), Pineapple Thunderpussy (5.9), Black Line (5.10b), Stigmata (5.11d), Sparerib (5.8), Thing in Between (5.9+), First Best (5.10-), Soft in the Middle (5.11c), Tigger (5.10-), Spare Tire (5.10b), Orange Crack (5.11b, 5.9 1st pitch)

Hyalite Canyon

While it’s known for ice climbing, Hyalite is also home to some of the best traditional climbing near Bozeman. It doesn’t have the incredible multi-pitch climbs that Gallatin offers, but contains high quality lines of all grades.

Rock Type: Gneiss

Favorite Crag: Practice Rock

Classic Routes: Wizard’s Well (5.9+), Theoretically (5.10c), Tough Trip Through Paradise (5.11c), Last of the Wild Ones (5.12c)

Rock Type: Gneiss, Limestone

Best Sport Climbing

There is tons of high quality sport climbing within 30 minutes of Bozeman if you know where to look! While there are several smaller sport crags, the three most highly concentrated crags are Allenspur, the Limestone crags in Gallatin Canyon, and Wolverine bowl in the Bridgers.

Allenspur

I love climbing at Allenspur! The environment is awesome, the views are stellar, and the climbs are super fun. There are lots of moderate to very difficult climbs here, some of them being quite long. The access at Allenspur is delicate – please be sure to use one of the dedicated climber’s trails and don’t bring dogs up this approach!

Rock Type: Limestone

Favorite Crags: Main Crag, 7-11 Crag

Classic Routes: Sully’s Route (5.10a), The Prow (5.10c), Bee Yourself (5.11a), Flake Fest (5.10b), Rancho Deluxe (5.11b), Out of the Whole (5.11c)

Gallatin Canyon Limestone

Although Gallatin Canyon’s Gneiss buttresses are where it’s at in my humble opinion, there is fun sport climbing to be had on the limestone cliffs that line the entrance to the canyon. These routes can be fun, hard, and adventurous – the difficulty varies, but some of the hardest climbs in the area can be found in Hantavirus Cave if that’s what you’re looking for!

Rock Type: Limestone

Favorite Crags: Scorched Earth, Hantavirus Cave

Classic Routes: Geriatrix, It’s-It, Endless Summer, Pearl Necklace, Fistful of Steel, Dogleg Arete, Weapons of Mass Destruction

Wolverine Bowl

What a wonderful place Wolverine Bowl is! Set in the Northeastern Bridger Range, Wolverine is an alpine limestone sport climbing paradise. Long, hard routes abound here, all on bomber gray limestone that is the stuff of dreams. This is easily the best sport climbing venue near Bozeman. The approach is a bit long, and the walls get early morning sun – a midmorning start will put you in the shade around 1 pm with a full afternoon and evening of perfect climbing temps. It can get chilly here too, so be prepared!

Rock Type: Limestone

Favorite Crags: Lower Replica, Upper Replica, Bud Wall

Classic Routes: The Beat Connection (5.10c), Hate Street Dialogue (5.11b), Single Synapse Rat Brain (5.11b), Stud Finder (5.12a)

Best Multi-Pitch Climbing

Gallatin Canyon

Surprise surprise, Gallatin Canyon makes the list again! Here is where Gallatin really shines – the multi-pitch routes here are absolutely stellar, and for the most part are fairly moderate grades. Almost every single one of the buttress faces contains a stellar multi-pitch climb, with the ability to link several climbs together for a full day of climbing if you want!

Rock Type: Gneiss, Limestone

Favorite Crags: Gallatin Tower, Eastside Buttresses, Scorched Earth

Classic Routes: Skyline Arete (5.6), Sparerib (5.8), Watchtower Standard (5.8), The Waltz (5.8), Silver Foxes (5.10a)

Ross Peak

In my opinion Ross Peak holds some of the best rock climbs in the Bozeman area and in all of Montana. These are some of my highest rated climbs I’ve ever done – exposure, stunning setting, high quality rock, and clipping bolts on a 1000ft wall. What more could you ask for?

While these are sport routes, they were all bolted from stances and can be quite run out at times. The bolts are there when you need them, but be on your game for these climbs. Some gear can help supplement these runouts. It’s an alpine environment, so keep an eye out for loose rock, and make sure you dial the descent before heading up.

Rock Type: Limestone

Classic Routes: All of them!

Best Bouldering Areas

The bouldering near Bozeman is a bit more scattered, with quality lines being found in many locations, but not in extreme abundance in any location besides Whiskey Gulch. That being said, the bouldering scene is alive and well and growing quickly around Bozeman. New climbs are being established daily in these and in new locations, and quality lines are to be found everywhere. These two areas are my favorites and have a huge concentration of problems, but check out some of the other areas if you do get a chance!

Whiskey Gulch

While Whiskey Gulch isn’t exactly in the Bozeman area, the climbing here is good enough that I think it’s more than worth listing as the best bouldering area near Bozeman. A huge expansive area with tons of boulders, Whiskey Gulch will scratch your bouldering itch – whether that means highballs, crimps, traverses, you’ll find something here that is stellar climbing. There’s tons of opportunity to continue developing problems here. Depending on snowfall you can climb here year round.

Rock Type: Granite

Classic Problems: Fear of Friction (V0), Adam’s Wall (V3), Osteoporosis (V3), Globe Trotter (V3), Wave Runner (V4), Emphysema Traverse Low (V4+), The Pope’s Penis (V7)

Gallatin Canyon

You didn’t think there would be a section without the Gallatin in it, did you? Gallatin provides, my friend. The bouldering here is also stellar, with classic boulders found throughout the canyon. Cascade Creek holds most of and the best of these lines; with the beautiful setting and good rock you’ll find yourself coming back for more and more.

Rock Type: Gneiss

Favorite Crags: Cascade Creek, The Nunnery, Hidden Lakes

Classic Routes: Tick Tick Boom (V3), Leviathan (V4), Fear Factor (V6), Intergalactic Jellyfish (V6), Hymenoptera (AKA the Gargoyle (V6+), The Enchiridion (V5), The Battle of Hoth (V8)

Best Winter Climbing – Madison River Area

You didn’t think there would be any climbing in the frozen tundra of Montana in the winter, did you? While snow does put the kibosh on rock climbing plans for most of the winter, during warm spells you can get out to the Madison River area’s desert like environment and find quality climbing only 25 minutes outside of Bozeman. There is great bouldering and rope climbing here, and on a sunny day in February you’ll be climbing shirtless.

Rock Type: Gneiss

Favorite Crags: Bear Trap Road Boulders, Neat Rock Area, Winter Wall

Classic Routes: Balance of Power (5.10b), Sheep Herder (V4), The Fallen (V7 – V8), Garmonbozia (V6), Yesteryear (V5), Standard Route (5.9), Drive-By Shooting (5.10b), In Spite of Ourselves (5.11b)

Bozeman is truly a hidden gem for climbers looking for adventure and quality rock. While Montana may not be the first place that comes to mind when searching for climbing destinations, the Gallatin Canyon is a special place that offers every style of climbing imaginable. In addition to Gallatin, there’s lots of climbing that isn’t recorded online, so it’s worth getting to know the local climbing community and asking around for tips on the best places to climb. With quality rock and minimal crowds, routes around Bozeman can provide exceptional climbing experiences at almost all times of the year. Pack your gear, grab some friends, and join us in exploring the amazing climbing near Bozeman!

About the Author: Daniel Loudenback

Daniel is the founder of Fantasium and an avid outdoorsman. Whether he’s rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, skiing, snowboarding, or mountain biking, you’ll find him outside almost every day of the year – usually with his two dogs, Chance & Aldo in tow!

Bozeman is Daniel’s home base and where he spends most of the year. When he’s not in Bozeman he’s traveling around in his van or hopping on a plane to explore a foreign destination.

Daniel’s life goal (besides being outside of course) is helping people achieve their dreams and build a life that they love to live.

He does that professionally too, through Fantasium Media — a Bozeman design studio building websites and eCommerce businesses for people chasing something bigger.

We all love to get out into the backcountry for many different reasons, but one of the primary motivating factors is the opportunity to experience stunning scenery in a pristine location. The best way to experience these vistas is in person, in the moment, and to lock them away in the memory bank for person enjoyment – however, if you’re like me, it’s easy to feel the call to share these beautiful scenes with other people. Sharing our favorite images of the wilderness can help communicate to others how precious our wild spaces are and show them why they are worth protecting.

Try as they might, cell phones usually don’t do this stunning scenery justice. They do provide an easy to use lightweight option for shooting landscape photos, but a high quality camera will always do a much better job, especially if you hope to create large prints of your photographs later down the road.

If you have a hankering to haul your high quality photography rig out into the backcountry, there are a few tips and tricks that can not only help you do it in an efficient manner, but that can also ensure you don’t accidentally ruin your expensive equipment when you’re out in the wild.

Stay light

Keeping your gear light might seem obvious, and if you’re an experienced backpacker you likely already gone through this train of thought. It’s the single biggest thing that I still struggle with, which is why it’s the most important thing to consider when deciding what your approach to backpacking with your photography gear. There are tons of options and a wide variety of options that you can evaluate when building your backpacking gear list – it’s helpful to take a look at where you are, work with what you have, decide what your tolerance for added weight is, and decide what you want to do with your photographs from your trips. If you’re looking to keep some photos as memories, post on social media, and show your friends, a lightweight option probably makes more sense. If you plan on selling these photographs as prints or creating a display with your work, then carrying more gear is likely the only way to go.

Mobile phone photography

At one end of the spectrum, you have your cell phone. This will be your most cost effective, weight efficient option for shooting in the backcountry. If you don’t want to add any more weight to your pack and you don’t want to make any additional investments, this is the way to go. Just know that your options for printing later will be limited, and as you probably know, any zooming on a phone will basically make the photo unusable from a professional photography perspective. If you’re just looking to snap some pics for your own enjoyment or for showing on social media, this is still a great option!

Compact point and shoot camera

The next step up from your phone would be a point and shoot camera. While point and shoots won’t have quite the capability of a larger camera body and lens combination, the image quality that these tiny cameras produce can still be stunning, and is a huge improvement from mobile phone photography. Your ability to communicate the scenery and also to take more compressed, zoomed shots will drastically increase with an investment in a high quality point and shoot.

If you’re exploring investing in a point and shoot, I highly recommend the Sony RX100. This little camera is insanely powerful, and is a trusty companion for any photography journey.

Carbon fiber tripod

If you’re getting out to shoot landscape or astrophotography, you’ll need to pack your tripod along with you in your pack. The tripod can be one of the most cumbersome and heavy items in your pack, so it’s crucial to cut down on the size of this important item. The most effective way to do that is with a carbon fiber tripod. I recommend either the Peak Designs Travel Tripod or the Sirui T-025s Carbon Fiber Tripod.

All in one lens

If you do decide to carry your fancy camera body out into the wilds, getting a quality all in one lens is a great way to be sure you keep your gear limited while also staying prepared to shoot pretty much anything that might come at you. I like to bring my Sony 24-105mm lens on trips – it gives me enough range to shoot wonderful landscape and even astrophotography shots while still giving me the ability to zoom in on scenery, including wildlife.

Full frame vs. crop sensor

Personally I wouldn’t want to swap my full frame camera for a crop sensor camera when shooting landscapes (if you’re not sure of the difference, we go into the details in this article), but carrying a crop sensor camera is a valid way to try to save on some weight. New mirrorless camera bodies are quite compact, but the real weight savings will come on the crop sensor lenses. If you’re interested in checking out a solid crop sensor package for backpacking, I would recommend the Sony a6600 with the 18-135mm all in one lens.

Protecting your equipment

Once you’ve decided what gear you will be bringing, it’s critical to make sure that you protect that gear from the elements. If a storm rolls in while you’re on trail, you’ll have nowhere to go and nowhere to stash your gear besides in your pack. Beyond rain you’ll need to deal with dust, dirt, and mud, lakes, rivers, rocks, trees – if you’re not careful, it’s quite easy to come home from a trip with a non-functioning camera! There are several very simple, yet critical steps that you can take to protect your precious equipment in the wild.

Waterproofing & protection

The most important thing you need to worry about is what you are going to do with your camera in a downpour. There are a few options that you could go with here, but I like to use a simple, tried and true method – drybags. I go with the Sea to Summit Drybag, then stuff my camera cube (more to come on that) into it. I’ve found that as long as I’m not in an environment like the Boundary Waters where my camera may possibly become submerged, one bag does the job. For canoe or other water trips, I would recommend two bags and maybe even a Pelican case depending on how much space you have. I really like the Pelican’s, but I haven’t found one that is small enough for my liking. You’ll also want to make sure that you have a rain fly for your pack for an extra layer of protection – it will also keep everything else in your bag bone dry.

I would also highly recommend snagging a Peak Design Shell. I don’t know how I lived without the Shell before – bandanas, plastic bags, and other jerry rigs are a thing of the past. The Shell allows you to carry and use your camera in light to moderate rain / snow without worrying about water damage. Not only that, but you can wrap you camera in your Shell when not in use for added padding and waterproofing.

If you use Pelican case you’ve got your camera completely protected from bumps and falls as well – however, as mentioned above these cases are quite bulky and heavy, and I prefer to go lighter and more compact. I use a lightly padded ProMaster case for my camera. Something like the Peak Design camera cube or Peak Design tech pouch would work well depending on the size of your setup. Whatever you do, make sure you have some protection in case you or or your bag take a small tumble!

Dirtproofing & keeping clean

The Shell helps to keep dust out of your camera as well as moisture – when I’m in a sandy or dusty environment, I always avoid being a fool and wrap my tool. If you don’t have a shell you can rig up a bandana or plastic bag, but beware of excessive heat and of moisture getting stuck in between your bag and your camera.

I also highly recommend picking up a specialized tool that you can use to brush dust and sand from your camera. I like the ProMaster cleaning pen – you can pick them up at your local photography shop, or on ProMaster’s website.

Protective lens filters

This extends beyond just backpacking – you absolutely need to be sure that you have a protective filter on all of your camera lenses. Having a $50 protective lens cover can be the difference between breaking your lens or breaking the lens cover. They also help keep dirt, dust, and fingerprints off the lens. I highly recommend the Promaster HGX Prime filters for all of your lenses.

Peak Design Capture Clip

The Peak Design Capture Clip is probably the single item on this list that completely changed the game for me when it comes to backpacking with my camera. Before the capture clip I was using my camera’s stock strap – I always had my camera out and ready to capture the scenery, but it was constantly bouncing around, pinching my skin, and just getting in the way of everything else. Life after the Capture Clip looked completely different. The camera stays super secure on my pack and my body no matter what I’m doing, and it’s always right there ready when I need it.

The clip attachment also fits on standard Arca-Swiss tripod mounts, so when you need to take an astrophotography shot or setup your tripod for a sunset, there’s nothing else you need to switch around. I can honestly say the Capture Clip is the most valuable photography accessory in my toolbelt.

Backpacking photography gear list

• Lightweight camera – mirrorless full frame or compact full frame

• All purpose lens or two lenses max

• Protective camera case – Peak Design camera cube

• Carbon fiber tripod – Peak Designs Travel Tripod or the Sirui T-025s Carbon Fiber Tripod

• Peak Design Capture Clip

• Waterproofing accessories – Sea to Summit Drybag

• Variable ND filter

• Protective lens covers – Promaster HGX Prime filters

• Protective sleeve – Peak Design Shell

• Microfiber cloths

• Lens pen or other cleaning tool

• Spare memory cards if necessary

• Extra batteries

• Portable batteries

As the human population continues to grow and urban centers become increasingly crowded, many people are turning to the outdoors as an escape from the city and from other people. Understandably so – time in nature has long been lauded as a way to be more physically, spiritually, and emotionally healthy. Personally I know that I’m happiest when I’m outside, and try to get out as often as I can.

Backpacking is naturally the next step that a participant to outdoor activities might want to take after they have experience day hiking. Taking an overnight trip is an exciting way to test your skills as a natural being and is the best way to gain the solitude that is so hard to come by in our modern age. It’s also a great way to get in touch with your roots and live life like our ancestors did, with everything you need to survive carried on your back.

It’s easier than you might think to head out for an overnight backpacking trip. An overnighter doesn’t necessarily have to be a 20 mile, super challenging hike through the mountains – you can even just head out a few hundred feet for your first overnight trip. In fact, if you’re at all nervous about the prospect of spending a night in the wilderness away from the comforts of civilization, this is a great way to get your feet wet! The best teacher is experience – the more trips you take, the more you’ll learn, and the more you’ll feel comfortable with sleeping out under the stars.

Taking your first overnight trip can seem daunting – there are things you need to know and gear you might want to have to be sure you have a safe, enjoyable experience. Whether you’re planning your first single or multi-day backpacking trip or you have a few trips under your belt and you’re looking to gain more information, you’ve come to the right place!

Beginner’s guide to backpacking at a glance

1. Leave No Trace!

2. Don’t get overambitious – stay close to home and choose an easy destination for your first trip.

3. Go with an experienced friend or group of friends your first time.

4. Check the weather before you head out and plan accordingly.

5. Plan your meals and water access carefully.

6. Collect your essential gear, but don’t go crazy right away – borrow what you can, and wait to invest in expensive equipment until you know exactly what you want.

7. Respect wildlife, and understand if you’re heading to an area that requires special wildlife considerations like Grizzly country.

8. Make sure you’re in adequate physical shape for the route you choose.

Leave No Trace

We start with Leave No Trace because to me, the most important thing that a new backpacker can learn is how to respect the environment. We are guests in these beautiful places, and the number one rule of being a guest somewhere is leaving things better than you found them. This isn’t exactly possible for humans to do when visiting nature, but by educating yourself on how to camp and hike responsibly, you can make a conscious effort to ensure that the next person to come to that special place will be able to enjoy it as much as you are.

When you step into nature, try to be considerate of others. If it were your first time exploring a dream destination or even the state park closest to where you live, what would you want to experience? We should go into each trip with the mentality of leaving the place we are visiting better than we found it.

The seven principles of leave no trace can be reviewed here: https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/

Take some time to get to know these by heart. Eventually, you’ll follow these principles as if they are second nature. When you first start studying LNT, some of the principles may seem nit-picky, but when you start to dig in deeper, investigating more with works like NOLS Wilderness Ethics, you see that even the smallest actions can make a huge impact on wild places. Cutting switchbacks, camping on wildflowers, or dumping soapy water into a lake can cause damage that can take thousands of years to be repaired. Knowing how your actions impact these places can help you understand how you can best minimize that impact.

Going to the bathroom in the backcountry

This is a topic that deserves its own section. Going number two on your backpacking trips can be glorious – I’ve had some spectacular views that I will never forget while I took care of business. However, just like many things, if you aren’t prepared to head out on your own to relieve yourself while you’re backpacking, you could have a less than ideal time.

Put together a bathroom kit. Get two quart sized sealable baggies. In one bag stash your TP, and in the other empty bag, hand sanitizer, and a trowel. When it’s time to go, bring this kit with you.

Choose a location that is at least 200 feet away from any water sources, and at least 200 feet away from any campsite or trail. A dirt or sand patch relatively free of vegetation is ideal if you can find it. If you can find a fallen log to rest on or a tree to lean against, that’s always a great strategy.

Using your trowel, dig a hole around 6 inches deep, and 6 inches across. Do your business, and extract your fresh TP from the bag. Wipe, then place the used TP in the empty ziploc bag that was in your kit bag. Cover your feces with the dirt you had scooped out of the hole, wash your hands with the sanitizer, and replace all of your items in your main ziploc bag. Make sure you do not bury your TP no matter how tempting it is! You may think that TP is just paper, but it can take years to break down. There’s nothing worse than arriving in a location that you imagined would be pristine just to find piles of TP everywhere. Pack it out!

It might seem silly to devote so much attention to this topic, but if you’re not prepared, answering nature’s call in the backcountry can be less than pleasant. Not only that, but nobody wants to stumble upon the Mountain House that you wolfed down the night before.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of Leave No Trace, we can get into the fun part – planning your first backpacking trip!

Planning Your Route & Destination

Whether you’re setting out on your first or your fiftieth backpacking trip, planning is key. There are many things to consider when planning a destination and route – no matter how experienced you are, you’ll want to check all of the planning boxes before heading out.

• Maximize time on the trail, minimize time in the car.

• Go with an experienced friend or group of friends the first time.

• Account for distance and elevation gain.

• Research your route, the terrain, and identify campsites beforehand. Bring a map and compass.

• Download your route and the surrounding areas on your phone so you can access them offline.

• Check local rules and regulations, and see if you need to obtain a permit before setting out.

• Consider leaving the kids and the dog at home your first time out.

• Share your itinerary with a few loved ones or friends, and let them know when they should expect to hear from you.

On your first (or first few) trips, I recommend keeping your destination close to home and not planning anything too extremely challenging. Staying close to home is a good recommendation no matter your level – you aren’t setting out to spend your time locked away in your car! The less time you spend driving, the more time you get to spend out on the trail. You also want to make sure you arrive with plenty of time to get to your first campsite and setup your camp – pitching a tent in the dead of night is no fun. Trust me.

First and foremost backpacking is meant to be enjoyed, so don’t feel any pressure to tackle crazy distances for your trip. Even as a seasoned backpacker I find that 10 miles per day is my sweet spot. The max I would recommend is 15 miles. There’s a point where it stops being fun and you just want to get to camp – the key is to find where that intersection is for you, and planning your trips around that ideal distance.

Be sure to take in elevation gain and loss when you’re planning your route. A distance of 5 miles may seem paltry, but if you have 2,000 feet of elevation gain, it could take you all day! Consult a map before departing, and bring your map with you. I love to use an app like Gaia GPS or Hiking Project to calculate distance and elevation. You can also use these apps along with your phone’s GPS to determine how far you’ve gone, how far you have to go, and determine your location. Keep your phone on airplane mode while you’re in the backcountry, and bring a portable battery to charge it.

Base camping is a great option for backpacking trips. Base camping is where you hike all of your gear, setup camp at a spot that provides easy access to other locations or objectives, and daytrip to different locations during your time there. This is an awesome way to cover lots of ground without having to carry all of your gear along with you or break down camp every day.

An extremely important item that many people tend to overlook is informing a loved one or friend of your itinerary and letting them know when they should expect to hear from you after your trip. I’ll never forgot one trip I took to the Boundary Waters – four of us went, and at one point we all figured out that none of us had told anybody where we were going. We had all thought that one of the other three would do so. None of us ever made that mistake again!

Backpacking Gear

Ahhh, gear. For the most part I try to keep my material possessions to a minimum – gear is the only place where I’ve failed at that mission. Learning about, buying, testing, and upgrading your gear is definitely an exciting part of backpacking!

However, I would recommend resisting this temptation at first. Even if you know you’ll love backpacking, it’s a good idea to start small and cheap first. Scrounge garage sales, borrow gear from friends, make your own equipment. No matter what you do, your first time out you’ll forget or be missing pieces of gear. It’s unavoidable. If you go with a friend who has been backpacking for a while, you’ll probably drool over their upgraded equipment. Each trip you take will likely add one or two items to your backpacking shopping list. Going with friends can be a great way to test out their equipment, see exactly what it is you want to go with, and add it to your collection once you’re ready. If you head out and stock up on fancy new equipment right off the bat, it’s almost certain that you’ll wind up spending more money buying items twice. I know from experience!

That being said, there are a few items that I would highly recommend investing in at a premium right away. These are things that can truly make or break your trip, and even determine whether or not you enjoy backpacking as a lifelong activity. There are lots of good options out there and you really can’t go wrong with pretty much any of them. I’ve included links to the gear I use so you can start with a reference point.

• Backpack – Osprey Aether AG

• Hiking Boots / Shoes – Salomon 4D GTX

• Sleeping Pad – Nemo Foam Pad or Big Agnes Core Inflating Pad

• Sleeping Bag – Kelty Cosmic Down

Head to your local outfitter and don’t be afraid to invest in these critical pieces of gear. Besides the backpack, they all can be used outside of backpacking, and if you buy smart, you’ll use them for decades to come.

For everything else, start cheap (or free!) and work your way up. Check out our backcountry backpacking checklist for a complete list of gear you’ll want to consider bringing before you hit the trail.

Another piece of important advice is get to know your gear before you are in the backcountry. If you get a new stove, head outside in your backyard and fire it up a few times. Break in your new hiking boots and backpack. You don’t want to be the one who goes hungry or gets bit by mosquitos because you can’t figure out your stove or you bought the wrong bug net!

How to Pack Your Bag

It took me several trips to dial in the way I load my pack, and depending on the terrain, weather, or other factors it can differ with every trip. The basics of loading your pack generally don’t change – the below information goes into detail on how I usually pack for a standard wilderness trip.

One important thing to keep in mind as you load up your pack is balance. You don’t want to have 20 pounds on your right side and 5 on your left – make sure you do your best to load things evenly and center the items that are big enough to stretch across your pack.

• Bottom of pack – I always like to put my sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and other items that I won’t need until we get to camp in the bottom of the pack. I’ll also sometimes throw my down jacket or another bulky item in the bottom – the idea is that ideally you won’t need this stuff until you get to camp for the night. The bottom pouch also provides a nice foundation to build on as you get to the heavier items in your bag.

• Core of pack – This is where you’ll want to throw your heaviest items as wells as things you won’t need until you get to camp. This includes cooking equipment, tent, fuel, spare clothing, etc. In between the items at the core of your pack and the very top of your pack I like to insert my food – it’s the heaviest item, but it’s important to keep the food separate from your sleeping equipment to avoid attracting wildlife to your tent at night. I also insert my water bladder into my bag before loading up so I can easily sip from it while hiking throughout the day.

• Top of pack – On top of my pack I throw things that I might need throughout the day – snacks, photography equipment, extra layers, water filter, etc.

• Top pockets – Here you’ll also want to put things that need to be easily accessed through the day. First aid kit, snacks, buffs / bandanas, things of that nature.

• Tool loops and clip ons – As I have gained experience I have generally done my best to keep everything in my bag for several reasons, but I’ve been known to clip an item or two on my bag using a carabiner. Usually this means that your bag is too full and you should re-evaluate your gear selection, but you’re bound to have some danglies every now and then. Good things to strap on the outside of your bag are your tent, sleeping pad, or camp shoes.

• External holders – It’s likely you will have two water bottle holders on your pack. I use one for a water bottle, one for my camera’s tripod.

• Stuff sacks, compression sacks, dry bags, and packing cubes – These are items that you’ll need to buy separately, but lots of times you can find them in bargain bins or on sale. My things seem to get everywhere when I backpack – organizers are critical to keeping your gear and your sanity in check.

  • Food & Garbage – Grab two larger Sea to Summit Dry Bags or something similar – one for food, one for trash. You can wash them when you’re done and reuse them.

  • Clothing – Grab a few packing cubes to help organize your clothes along with other gear. These are great for backpacking as well as any other type of travel.

  • Cameras and electronics – It’s imperative that you store all of your electronic gear in a dry bag – again, I recommend the Sea to Summit Dry Bags.

Food Planning

After you’ve chosen your destination, route, and determined how many days you’ll be backpacking for, you can start planning out what you will eat on your trip.

Food can be one of the hardest things to dial in when backpacking. It can seem simple at first – just stock up on dehydrated food, candy bars, trail mix, and so on. Eating the same dried food for a week can get old, and when you eat mac and cheese for the fifth time on a trip, you’ll be ready for a fresh meal and an ice cold beer. If you get creative and are willing to put in a little extra work, however, you can eat just as good on the trail as you do at home – and do it at a fraction of the cost and the weight.

Remember that your cooking supplies will be limited, and you’ll have to clean all of the dishes you use right after your meal – likely you’ll need to use them again for your next meal. Keep things simple and your meals will be much more enjoyable. Don’t forget – pack it in, pack it out! The less packaging you bring, the less weight you’ll carry and the less space your food will take up.

If you visit any outdoor outfitter you’ll see a plethora of dehydrated meals lining the shelves in the camp kitchen section. I have a love / hate relationship with dehydrated meals, leaning strongly towards the hate side of the relationship. Most of the dehydrated meals are incredibly high in sodium and other unhealthy ingredients, and more often than not they taste like salty mush.

There are some solid dehydrated options like Patagonia Provisions and MaryJane’s Outpost meals, but for less money and minimal effort you can create your own delicious backpacking meals. This is the route I would recommend taking once you’re ready for it!

One tip that can make the difference between going hungry and having a full belly on your final night is packing one more meal than you think you might need. It adds weight, but if you wind up running low on food or get into a situation where you have to stay out longer than expected, that extra meal could quite possibly be a lifesaver.

Kitchen Equipment

To start, you’ll need to get your basic kitchen equipment together. At the very least, you’ll need a stove, a pot to cook and boil water in, a dish, silverware, and a mug. I like to have one cooking apparatus that is only used to boil water and one that I use to cook in – this helps keep the water vessel clean and the water that is boiled in it taste free.

Your kitchen equipment will also depend on what you plan to cook while you’re backpacking. Only bring the equipment you absolutely need to save on space and weight! I’ve added some recommendations here so you can start with a solid reference point and continue your gear research on your own from there.

• Backpacking Stove – MSR PocketRocket

• Mug – Thrift store!

• Dish – Thrift this as well – something versatile like a wide bowl is great.

• Silverware – Any old spoon, fork, spork, etc will work.

• Cooking Pot (Optional) – You can certainly get by with any old pot from the thrift store, but eventually it’s great to upgrade to something like the Sea to Summit X Pot.

• JetBoil or Cooking Mug (Optional) – I do love my JetBoil for boiling water to make coffee, tea, or dehydrated meals, but you can also use your stove with something like the GSI Mug to boil water and save on space.

Breakfast

For me, oatmeal is my go to for breakfast. I’m a big fan of the prepacked paper bags of oatmeal – you can pour boiling water right into them and keep all of your dishes clean. Some dried fruit and nuts on the side, and you’ll be fed and ready to head out in less than 15 minutes.

Another option is to have a granola bar or two along with some dried fruit. It’s nice to keep it simple with minimal cooking so you can get on the trail as quickly as possible.

Lunch

There’s nothing more satisfying than taking a break midday at some amazing vista to wolf down a simple, delicious lunch. You’ll have a good chunk of your day behind you and a solid portion ahead, so it’s extremely important to refuel your body with protein, carbs, and of course plenty of water. Hydration mixes work great for a midday fuel up as well!

Some of my favorite lunch meals are cheese and crackers (salami optional), PB&J tortilla wraps (delicious, but can be messy), or even a simple meal of fruit and nuts. love to have a more intricate meal planned for the first day or two of lunch like tacos, nachos, or sandwiches, and then move onto simpler, non perishable lunches for the rest of the trip.

Dinner

After a full day of carrying your pack across mountains, forests, and streams, your body needs to refuel. Dinner is an extremely important meal and when you’re preparing dinners for your trip it should be treated as such.

When you’re first getting started it’s not terrible to bring along some dehydrated meals. They are quick and easy and if you go with one of the options we had recommended earlier – Patagonia or Mary Janes Outpost meals – they aren’t terribly unhealthy. They can be great sources of inspiration for when the time comes to create your own dinners.

Whole wheat pasta is a go to for backpacking meals. It doesn’t go bad, it’s healthy and it’s quick to cook. Pack some spices, dehydrated veggies, and salami and you’ve got yourself a tasty gourmet backcountry meal. Other dehydrated goods like beans, rice, quinoa, etc are also great options. Don’t forget a Snickers bar for dessert!

Just like with lunch, depending on the length of the trip, our destination, weather, and other factors I might pack in some fresh meat and bread for sandwiches or brats and buns for the first night only. After that, it’s all dehydrated.

Depending on where you are, you might even be able to supply your own dinner from time to time. If you have fishing skills this can be a great way to add a fun component to your trip, add some protein to your diet, not to mention get a taste of some of the freshest fish you’ll find anywhere.

Snacks

Having delicious snacks can make or break your trip. If all of your friends are snacking on breaks, you’ll be extremely jealous, and worse, hangry. Jerky, nuts, cheese, hydration gels, bars, granola, and dried fruits are just a few of my favorite snack options.

Sample meal plan

Before heading out I always like to write out all of my meals for the entire trip to ensure I pack everything I need. Here is a very simple sample meal plan for a five day trip that you can use as a template to build your own:

Wildlife and Food

When I mention wildlife and food, most people’s first thought is probably bears, mountain lions, wolverines, and other big game. While the consequences of attracting one of these animals should always be taken into consideration when handling your food, you’re much more likely to encounter the little fellas – mice, rats, squirrels, or ants. Wherever you are backpacking, observe the following guidelines to avoid unwanted interactions between your food and the local fauna:

• Whenever possible keep your food in a separate dry bag or ziploc baggie during your hike. Only keep out the snacks you will need for short breaks, and pack up everything else. I’ve seen many a mouse chew right through a backpack pocket to get to a Clif bar!

• When packing your bag, don’t store your food near your sleeping gear. The sense of smell of pretty much all animals is insanely sensitive, and having even the slightest scent on your sleeping bag or pad can attract critters.

• Hang your food with a bag even if there are no bears in the area. I’ve never had a bear get into my food, but have seen tons of mice or raccoons try to pilfer a morsel during the night.

• Have a separate bag for garbage, and follow the same guidelines as you do with the foodstuff.

Water Safety

Depending on your destination and the time of year, water can be a second thought, or the main consideration of your trip. You’ll either need to have access to water regularly on your route, or pack all of your water in. Plan carefully, ask rangers if possible, and always have a contingency plan.

Before heading out, make sure you know how to use your water filter like a pro. Gravity filters are spendy but are worth the investment, especially if you’ll be traveling with a larger group. I would also recommend that every member of the party carry a Lifestraw or something similar with them. Water filters can get clogged and people can get separated from the group – it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.

Unless you are 100% certain that the water is clean, never drink unfiltered water. If you’re high up in the mountains the chances are good that it’s pure, but there could be dog or goat shit that was frozen under the snow all season and melted just in time for you to take a sip from the pure mountain stream. It’s not worth risking getting Giardia in the middle of nowhere. Use your filter.

Wildlife Safety

If you do have any type of wildlife encounters while backpacking, there’s a 99.99% chance that it will be a positive or neutral interaction – generally local wildlife want nothing to do with humans, and we should go above and beyond to respect that. Oftentimes even the simple act of expending energy to flee from a person can push an animal into starvation territory, so the goal really should be to not have any animal interactions. However, you’re in the animal’s territory now, and chances are you’ll stumble upon some type of furry or scaly critter at some point.

The number one guideline for wildlife when exploring the outdoors is to leave them alone. Let them go about their business, and you go about yours – it’s as simple as that.

In the event that you do have an animal encounter that turns negative, it’s imperative to know how to handle it for your own safety and for the safety of the animal. This information is covered all over the internet and in National Park / Forest resources, so I’m going to link to many of these and allow you to do your own further research. REI has a nice article that covers most of the bases.

At a minimum, it’s good to know how by heart to handle the following types of animal encounters:

• Grizzly & Black Bears

• Mountain Lions

• Moose

• Bison

• Snakes

First Aid and Participant Safety

Wilderness first aid and caring for an injured or sick individual goes far beyond the scope of this article. At the very least when you go out you should know CPR and how to at least triage any major health emergencies.

If you forget everything else, remember this – if someone gets hurt or sick in the backcountry, it’s not your job to treat them. It’s your job to make them as comfortable as they can while you or another member of your party seeks professional help. Call 911 if possible, or speed as fast as you can without putting yourself in harms way to the nearest ranger station.

I highly recommend taking a Wilderness First Aid Course through NOLS or some other qualified organization. For a relatively inexpensive amount you can learn skills that just might save your life or your best friend’s life. I’ve used these skills several times since taking the class, and I believe that even if you aren’t heading out to places where you might have to be the first responder, everyone should know basic first aid skills and what to do in an emergency.

Physical training

Depending on the difficulty of your route and your current state of physical fitness, you might be able to get by without changing or enhancing your exercise regimen. However, speaking from experience, backpacking is a lot more fun when you don’t feel like you’re about to keel over during the hardest part of the hike. I wrote an in depth guide on creating a workout routine specifically geared towards backpacking exercises:

Getting in Shape for Backpacking

One of the best things you can do is to fully pack your bag and hit your nearest hill. If you’re a flatlander, laps on the local ski hill can’t be beat!

Conclusion

You’ve taken the first steps towards getting out on your backpacking adventure – nice job! There are so many resources online and so many things you can read that will tell you all about how you should backpack, but the best way to learn is to just get out there! You’ll make mistakes, wish you had something you forgot – it’s all part of the process. As long as you have the critical items like food, water, shelter, and safety under wraps, you’re good to go. Backpacking isn’t about gear anyways, it’s about experiences in nature with the people you love. So what are you waiting for – get trekking!

There’s nothing quite like the crisp, clean air of the Northwoods on a beautiful day. Surrounded by trees, water, and friends, Minocqua in Northern Wisconsin is one of the most wonderful places to spend your time – summer or winter! There’s no shortage of activities to keep yourself busy and bodies of water to jump into when you get too hot, not to mention strong drinks to put a fire in your belly in the winter. Minocqua is one of my favorite places in the Midwest and indeed the United States – everywhere you turn there are folks having a good time no matter what the season. After spending lots of time in the Minocqua area here are some of my recommendations for things to do while you spend your time in this beautiful place.

Go boating

If you’re lucky enough to have access to a boat while you’re in Minocqua, there’s no better way to spend a beautiful summer day than out on the water. You can boat from bar to bar on the chain of lakes, and you’ll be sure to make friends with other fellow boaters as you cruise from spot to spot. Be sure to boat responsibly – remember that the rules for operating a boat while under the influence are the same as operating a car. With lots of other people enjoying summer days out on the lake, traffic can be high. Designate a driver, then head out for a wonderful day in the sun.

Waterski, wakeboard, or a tube

Adding one of these great accessories to your day is a surefire way to enhance your Minocqua experience. You can rent these from one of the many watersport providers in the area. Chances are you’ll spot lots of other folks out on the water doing the same thing, including the infamous Min-Aqua Bats. Be sure to check out one of their shows while you’re in town!

Go for a hike

If you’ve had enough of the water for one trip, get out for a hike in one of the many trails in the area. One of my favorites close to town is the Raven trail system, but after doing some quick research you’ll learn that there are countless hiking options not far from Minocqua.

Take out a canoe or kayaks

Just couldn’t get enough of the watersports, could you? Canoes and kayaks are a great way to enjoy the majesty of the Northwoods without the roar of modern machinery or the crowds that the chain of lakes attracts. Get out on one of the many remote lakes in the area – lots of them don’t allow any sort of motorcraft, and you’re likely to have the place to yourself if you choose a lake that’s slightly off the beaten path.

Ride mountain bikes

Lots of the same trails in the area that make hiking so enjoyable are also great choices for mountain biking. With countless options to choose from in the area you are certain to stay entertained – one of my favorite options for mountain biking is the Win Man trails, only about 30 – 45 minutes outside of Minocqua.

If you need bikes you can easily rent them. We rented from Coontail Sports and had a great experience.

Watch wildlife

You may have noticed that many of the recommendations on this list take you out into nature – chances are, if you do enough of them, you’ll run into some sort of wildlife in the sparsely populated Northwoods. Moose, bears, coyotes, birds, rodents, and more all call this part of the country home. If you’re lucky you’ll get to share your experience with them – remember that this is their home, and you’re just visiting. Always give wildlife a wide berth and respect the fact they are wild animals. Human interactions can be very stressful for them, so enjoy the experience for a moment, then let them be on their way.

Get a fish fry

Now that we’ve been outside working up an appetite, it’s time to head into town for some food. You can’t go wrong with many of the restaurants in Minocqua for any meal, but one of my favorite meals is the weekly fish fries. Yacht Club and Boathouse both have great fish fries, and both are staple establishments that you have to visit at least once while you’re here.

Drink a bucket at the Thirsty Whale

After you’ve eaten your fill of fried, fish, it’s time to head out for a night on the town. The de-facto place to start (and often end) your night is the Thirsty Whale. Right on the lake, you can pull up with your boat, or easily walk to the Whale from in town. You’ll probably hate yourself for it in the morning, but you’ll definitely get pressured into ordering a bucket at some point during your time there. Drink your bucket, rip up the dance floor, play some shuffleboard, and enjoy your night in Minocqua post buckets.

Put a dollar up at the Little Brown Jug

The night isn’t over yet – indeed, many nights out in Minocqua don’t end until the sun rises. It’s time to head to the LBJ, dive bar of all dive bars, Order a PBR for about $2, tip your bartender $1, then pound your other dollar somewhere over someone else’s and join the plethora of drunks who have done the same at the LBJ.

Attend Beef-A-Rama

What better way to recover from a hangover than consuming far too much high quality meat? The annual Beef-A-Rama is an incredibly fun event, hosting vendors from all over Wisconsin promoting their wares, giving free samples, and – you guessed – cooking up some meets. Make sure to stick around for the beef eating contest and various events that accompany this day of beef and beer.

Head out for a night of stargazing

Thanks to it being one of the most sparsely populated regions in the United States, the stargazing in Northern Wisconsin is unmatched. There are few better feelings than sitting underneath the Milky Way on a warm summer night, especially if you’re in a kayak or canoe. You can use Dark Site Finder or Dark Sky to locate a site that has premium stargazing and limited light pollution. If you want to take your stargazing to the camera check out our Beginner’s Guide to Landscape Astrophotography.

Go snowmobiling

Ah, winter in Minocqua. It’s cold and it snows a TON – which can be miserable if you don’t pick up a winter hobby or two to keep you occupied. Snowmobiling is a prime past time for locals of the area and for visitors alike. Travelers come from all over the world to take advantage of the world class snowmobiling that Minocqua has to offer. There are hundreds of miles of backwoods trails, and you can sled across the frozen lakes to head out for a drink or dinner at the end of the day.

Warning – Snowmobiling is an inherently dangerous activity. Always wear a protective helmet, warm clothes, and never operate a snowmobile under the influence of alcohol.

Head out for a cross country ski

The endless acres of the Northwoods lend themselves to incredibly immersive cross country skiing. There are dozens of trail systems in the Minocqua area, but one of my favorites is the Raven Trail system. The Raven offers a great option in a beautiful area, with enough variety to provide a full day or several days of exploration. Check out beautiful Hemlock Lake right up the road once you’re done with your XC skiing adventure!

Ride fat bikes

Fat biking is an incredible way to spend cold winter days, and Minocqua has a plethora of world class fat biking trails just a short drive outside of town. The wind on your face, pedals beneath your feet, snow beneath your tires – you don’t need much more than that on a beautiful winter day in Minocqua. I mentioned Win Man trails for mountain biking earlier – during the winter they transform into some of the best fat bike trails I have ever ridden. You can also check out the Raven trails if you’re looking for something closer to town.

Hit the slopes

If downhill sliding is your thing, there are tons of great skiing and snowboarding options not far from Minocqua. Just across the border in Michigan are the twin resorts of Blackjack and Indianhead, and not far from Minocqua is the local classic Mount Bohemia. With the lake effect coming off of mother Superior, these locations boast over 200 inches of snowfall each year. If you spend a few days skiing here you are almost guaranteed one or two solid powder days!

Go snowshoeing

Snow is a theme in Minocqua and in the Northwood – you absolutely need to find some way to enjoy the winters in this incredible place. Snowshoeing is probably the most accessible option to do so – all you need is a pair of baskets on your feet and you’re good to go! There are tons of options for snowshoeing around the area – many of the trail systems offer dedicated snowshoeing paths, but if you really want to get the value out of your snowshoes, head off trail into some deep snow for a full value experience.

Minocqua is truly a paradise – a playground all times of the year with activities and fun for everyone. Get out and experience some of the recommendations on this list, and you’ll have a smile as big as mine was!

Quick View Itinerary

* Note – Tourism to Supai and Havasu Falls is currently suspended.*

Distance: ~20 miles, out and back

Time: 2 days, 3 nights minimum

Difficulty: Moderate (3/5)

Highest Elevation: 5,231 ft

Ascent: 4,724 ft

Descent: 9,174 ft

Gaia GPS Route Link

• Day 1: Drive to Hulapai Hilltop to start your hike, then trek to Supai, and on to Havasu Falls Campground. ~ 10 miles

• Between First and Final Day: Spend time exploring canyons and falls that are in the area and relaxing at the campground.

• Final Day: Hike back to Hulapai Hilltop to end your trip. ~ 10 miles.

Good to Know

• Reservations with the Havasupai Tribe are required to visit Havasu Falls. You can make your reservations on their website here: https://www.havasupaireservations.com/

• You must stay a minimum of 3 nights in Havasu. This is due to the strenuous nature of the hike in and out. No day hiking is allowed.

• If you are unable to carry a fully loaded pack or manage the hike into the village, there are guide services available that can transport you or your gear on horses / mules.

• Respect this special place. Pack out all trash, and make an effort to learn about the people that live there before your visit. More information on the Havasupai Tribe can be found here: https://theofficialhavasupaitribe.com/

• Flash floods can occur in this area. Understand the risks that these pose, and how to monitor weather and conditions for their approach.

• Temperatures in the desert can easily exceed 100ºF. Drink plenty of water, and bring clothing that will help shield you from the sun as well as keep you cool. There is no water available on the trail, so carry at least one gallon per person on the hike.

• Keep an eye out for snakes and scorpions.

• Hiking shoes or boots are recommended for the hike; water sandals or water shoes are very nice for swimming and hiking along streams.

• There are no public health facilities in the area. The only way out of the village quickly is via helicopter.

About Havasu Falls and the Havasupai People

Trekking to Havasu is a dream come true for backpackers. A permit is required to attend this bucket list destination. Permits can be obtained through the Havasupai Village website. The permits are highly coveted and can often take years of waiting to finally work through the queue of requests and be issued to a party. 

Deep in the Grand Canyon live the Havasupai People, the sole guardians of the pristine paradise they call Havasu Falls. “Havasu” means “blue-green water”, and “pai” means people in the Havasupai language. As soon as the falls come into sight, it’s easy to see why these indigenous peoples were proud to carry the namesake of their lands. The spectacular waterfalls and isolated community within the Havasupai Indian Reservation attract thousands of visitors each year. The Havasupai are intimately connected to the water and the land. When you enter their land, be respectful – you are entering their home.

The falls are found down river from Supai Village, which is about a 10 mile trek from the starting point at Hulapai Hilltop. The trek goes over desert sand, rocky paths, eventually intersecting with an oasis of green that follows the Havasu Creek, a tributary of the Grand Canyon, to the Supai Village. Because there is no way to access the village and the falls upon arrival, all supplies must be carried in by foot, donkey, or other mode of transportation. 

Day 1: Hiking In ~ 10 miles

The trek to Havasu is a beautiful journey of browns, blues, greens, whites, and blacks; large cliffs loom on each side of the trail, and fine sand crunches underneath hiking boots. It seems unlikely that any sign of civilization would be found here. Once Havasu Creek comes into sight, it’s a short distance from there to the village. Wooden signs begin to pop up along the trail, pointing the way. Before long the canyon and trees open up, and the buildings of Havasupai Village come into view. 

Once in the village and in the falls, there’s a plethora of sights, sounds, and activities to keep visitors entertained and content. Village stores sell food, drinks, supplies, and more. Dogs wander the village freely, and almost every house in the area has some sort of livestock grazing behind rickety wooden and barbed wire fences. Many families grow and manage their own gardens; corn stalks shoot up from behind houses, and through the center of the village neatly rowed lines of crops take center stage. One striking reminder of the outside world sits dead smack in the middle of the village – a helicopter pad with a modern, high tech helicopter resting on it. Besides following the path to the starting point ten miles back or scaling the canyon walls (not recommended), the helicopter is the only way out of the village.

Beyond the village the river continues to run, and the canyon continues to carve its path downwards. Several falls precede Havasu, building up the excitement to the canyon’s namesake. All of the water in the creek and in all of the falls in the canyon is a vibrant bright blue green, giving it the illusion of being from some fairy tale or made up of a sugary concoction. The creek’s color comes from the large amounts of calcium carbonate in the water that help to form the limestone that lines the creek. This combined with the reflection of the limestone in the creek gives off the blue-green color that the creek and the falls are so famous for. 

Camping at the Falls and Exploring the Surrounding Area

Only so many people are allowed in the canyon and to the falls at one time, which is why it can take so long to be issued a permit by the village. Despite these limitations, a good number of visitors can be seen swimming in the blue pond below, jumping off rock cliffs near the falls, and relaxing next to the pond, taking in the scenery. 

All of the camping spots are first come first serve, and space near the entrance is extremely limited. Campsites can be spotted all the way through the valley. Hammocks are popular and recommended, as there is a large number of trees that stretch along the creek, their roots digging deep down for moisture in this otherwise dry environment. There is also a pure natural spring that flows conveniently out of the canyon side right in the middle of camp, so freshwater isn’t an issue, and water purifying equipment is not necessarily required, but still recommended. 

Generally the weather in the canyon is hot and dry, but rain can and does occur quite often. Flash floods in the Grand Canyon can occur and while they are extremely rare, are incredibly dangerous. When hiking to the village the water line from the previous floods are clearly visible on the canyon walls, giving a firsthand idea of how much water can flow through the narrow channel during a flood. Always check weather conditions and the US National Park Service website before heading out. Hikers assume responsibility for all risks while traveling in the park. Come prepared for hot temperatures – daytime temps can reach up to 115 degrees fahrenheit. No day hiking is allowed, and as mentioned before, permits are required for all backpackers.

There are countless offshoots and falls in the area that you can explore. If you do plan on going off the beaten path, try to bring a map with you as it can be easy to get lost in the slot canyons.

One of the spots that you have to explore and can easily access from the campground is Mooney Falls. Heading downstream from the campground, you’ll reach a drastic cliff that shoots off into space. If you peer over the cliff you’ll get your first glimpse of Mooney. At 200 feet, it’s twice the size of Havasu, and the tallest waterfall in the Grand Canyon. You can get down to the base of the falls via a steep path, with only ladders and chains to aid your descent. Below Mooney are a series of smaller waterfalls and fun caves to explore. Don’t miss out on the out of this world flora and amazing rock formations created by the constant waterflow.

Trekking to Havasu Falls is a dream come true for any backpacker, adventurer, or sightseer. While there are many details that need to be arranged prior to taking the trip of a lifetime, once those are in place, all that is left is to enjoy the red sand, the blue green water, and the journey there and back. The way back will be bittersweet – I can guarantee you won’t quite be ready to head back to your normal life after this experience!

When the holidays roll around or when birthdays beckon, it can sometimes be difficult for those of us who have photographers as their loved ones to find a gift for those important people in our lives that don’t break the bank. Most of us don’t have stacks like the guy in the image does above to drop on a new setup!

Despite the fact that photography is definitely a hobby that is more expensive than others, there are tons of critical accessories that can be purchased without taking a hit to your savings account. The best thing about these items is that even though they cost less than a new lens or new camera, they can have just as big of an impact on their photography as one of those big ticket items.

Disclaimer: I have a lot of Peak Design accessories listed here. I have not received any financial compensation for this article. I just love their products and think that they truly help make better photographers! Not only that, but each of their products complements the others, so when used together you get more value out of them than you would using them independently.

I’ve also linked to these products for easy purchase. If you do have a local photography store in your area I strongly encourage you to contact them to see if they carry any of these options. Support your local businesses!

Peak Design Capture Clip

I am absolutely in love with the Peak Design Capture Clip, and I recommend it to every photographer that I meet. This is the perfect accessory – it transforms any backpack or belt loop into a quickdraw holster for your camera. No more fussing over straps or dealing with your camera bouncing up and down against you. The capture clip makes it incredibly easy to unclip your camera and fire off a quick shot while keeping it securely fastened to your belt or bag.

• Shop the Peak Design Capture Clip at Peakdesign.com

Bags & Cases

Getting the right bag can be extremely challenging. I personally love the Peak Designs Everyday bags and the Peak Design Travel bags. They are high quality and are extremely versatile, sure to be a good fit for any photographer’s equipment.

I’m also a huge fan of the Peak Design Camera Cubes (pictured right). I use these to transport my photography gear almost everywhere. I’ll utilize the bags and the cubes together to ensure my camera gear is well protected while I’m traveling, but easily accessible and arrangeable when I need to get at it quickly.

• Shop Peak Design Everyday Bags at Peakdesign.com

• Shop Peak Design Travel Bags at Peakdesign.com

• Shop Peak Design Camera Cubes at Peakdesign.com

Camera Strap

It might not seem like the camera strap that you use could have a huge impact on the way that a photographer shoots. I thought the same thing until I upgraded to a Peak Design strap. For years I had used my standard “Nikon” strap that came with my camera; never again! The Peak straps come in several different varieties, with options for all camera types and sizes. The big reasons to upgrade to one of these bad boys are 1) they are easily adjustable, 2) they are easily removable, 3) you can transfer your strap between cameras or even bags in the blink of an eye, and 4) they look far cooler than the stock camera straps. Ok, reason number four won’t make you a better photographer on it’s own, but there’s no denying that swag is important!

• Shop Peak Design Camera Straps at Peakdesign.com

Tripod

This is the item on the list that will likely cost the most coin, but it’s also the most important tool in any photographer’s arsenal. Having a high quality, easy to use tripod can make a night and day difference during a photoshop. As you might have guessed, the Peak Design Travel Tripod is the best option out on the market. It’s compact, quick to setup, can be used with your phone, and it can be used with the PD capture clip.

If you want a more affordable option, the Sirui T-025S is a great option. It’s almost as small as the PD Travel Tripod, and the carbon fiber option is less than half the price of the PD offering. I have used this tripod for years and absolutely love it.

• Shop the Peak Design Travel Tripod at Peakdesign.com

• Shop the Sirui T-025S Tripod at Adorama

Portable Lighting Setup

Light is the lifeblood of a photographer. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to take photos. Oftentimes light can be hard to come by, so the best solution is to have a portable light unit that you can bring with you anywhere. I personally love the Litra Pro. It’s super compact, has a long battery life, is easy to use, and can be controlled directly on your phone. It also has a wide temperature range and throws a TON of light for its small size.

• Shop the Litra Pro at Adorama

Filters & Lens Protectors

Lens protectors and filters can sometimes be a second thought to lots of photographers, but they are critical accessories that every photographer should have – especially lens protectors. I have had many a lens be saved by a high quality lens protector that I had put on.

You’ll need to make sure that you get the filter that fits your lenses. I highly recommend the ProMaster filters. I use their protection filters on all of my lenses, and I utilize their ND / Polarizing filters when I’m out shooting. Formatt Hitech and Breakthrough Photography also make awesome filters.

• ProMaster protection filters

• ProMaster neutral density filters

• ProMaster polarizing filters

• Breakthrough Photography neutral density filters

• Breakthrough Photography polarizing filters

• Formatt Hitech neutral density filters

• Formatt Hitech polarizing filters

Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription

Editing photos is almost as important as shooting them, and the Adobe Suite is the most renowned photo editing application in the game. For most photographers the Photography plan does everything they need and more, giving them access to Lightroom and Photoshop. An annual plan is $120, making it a perfect holiday gift.

Prints

As a photographer there is no better feeling than seeing one of your favorite photos hanging up on the wall in a large format, high quality print. Seeing your photos in a physical manifestation can completely change the way you view them and provide newfound motivation for many photographers. If your photographer hasn’t done much printing of their photos, getting a nice sized print displaying their best work is a guaranteed success.

I use The Camera Company to print my photos. This was the photography shop I worked at, and they run a great operation. They are a small local business, so you know you’re money is going to a good organization!

Film

Photographers who shoot film are always scrounging for more film. Expired, new, whatever – we don’t care. If there’s a photographer in your life that shoots film, you can’t go wrong with film as a stocking stuffer or gift. Adorama has tons of film options available. Below are some of my favorite film types to shoot with.

• Kodak Porta 400

• Fujifilm Superia 400

• Kodak Ektar 100

• Ilford HP-5 Plus Black and White

Dry Bags

I don’t go ANYWHERE with my camera without having a dry bag tucked in with my gear. I have been caught in the rain far too many times and had to scramble to protect my gear – I learned my lessons the hard way. Take my word for it, and keep your gear safe.

I really like the Sea to Summit dry bags. They are good quality, and come in a variety of sizes. That being said, pretty much any dry bag works. It’s worth it buying from a reputable brand so you know you’re getting a product that was designed with intention.

• Shop Sea to Summit Dry Bags

• Shop Dry Bags at REI

Insta X Mini Camera & Film

The Insta X Mini is sort of a novelty camera, and is a popular choice among young kids as a camera to take pictures of their friends. Even in the hands of a photographer used to shooting with a DSLR or mirrorless setup, it’s nothing more than that – a camera to just have fun shooting with. The pictures print out right there and then, giving you an awesome party favor to pass out, or providing you with an awesome way to start a conversation or make a connection.

• Shop Insta X Mini at Adorama

• Shop Insta X Mini Film at Adorama

Workshops

There’s one thing that can’t be replaced in photography, and that’s experience. Seasoned photographers have a wealth of knowledge that can help newer photographers avoid the same mistakes they made and improve their photography by leaps and bounds. We offer a 1v1 workshop that can fit your photographer’s specific needs, and have a plethora of workshops in progress that you can get for 50% off before they launch in 2021.

Have any additional ideas for further budget gifts for photographers? Leave them in the comments below!

Quick View Itinerary

Distance: 31.8 miles, point to point

Time: 4 days, 3 nights

Difficulty: Moderately Difficult (3.5/5)

Highest Elevation: 9,162 ft

Ascent: 4,878 ft

• Day 1: Glen Creek Trailhead (1K3) to Fawn Lake Campground (1F2). 5.6 miles, 935 ft ascent, max elevation 7,926 ft.

• Day 2: Fawn Lake Campground (1F2) to Gallatin River Campground (WB1). 11.3 miles. 1,793 ft ascent, max elevation 9,162 ft (Fawn Pass).

• Day 3: Gallatin River Campground (WB1) to Bighorn Pass Trail Campground (1B1). 14 miles, 2,126 ft ascent, max elevation 9,111 ft (Bighorn Pass).

• Day 4: Bighorn Pass Campground (1B1) to Indian Creek Trailhead (1K5). About 1.5 miles, minimal ascent. Max elevation 7,402 ft.

Good to Know

• Be bear aware. Yellowstone is home to both Grizzly and Black bears. Carry bear spray, use an approved bear canister, and travel in groups when necessary. Check out the Yellowstone Bear Safety page for more info.

• Yellowstone – Plan your Backcountry Visit

• Route Planning. Although Yellowstone is one of the most popular parks in the country, planning out a backpacking trip can be tedious and slightly challenging. There aren’t any predetermined routes prescribed by the park, so you will need to calculate the distance of your days and select your campsites on your own. You can use their backcountry map to start, but unfortunately it doesn’t provide any topographic or elevation information. For ease of use and for your sanity I recommend an app like Gaia GPS or AllTrails to help more accurately plan out your route. You’ll want to plan out three possible routes you would like to take – more info on that in the next step.

• Making Reservations. Once you’ve figured out your three routes, you’ll want to fill out the Backcountry Permit Application, print it, and mail it to the Central Backcountry office at the address below:

Backcountry Office
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
307-344-2160 (phone)
307-344-2166 (fax)

• Once your application has been received, the team at the office will review your requested routes and select one that is available based on demand from other applications. Yellowstone has strict regulations enforcing the amount of people in the backcountry. If there aren’t any open slots on the routes you selected, they will choose one for you.

• This is a point to point hike, so make sure you either leave a vehicle at the ending trailhead, or plan on hitchhiking / hiking back to your starting point.

Day 1 – Glen Creek Trailhead to Fawn Lake Campground – 5.6 miles

We rolled out of our warm beds in Billings, Montana far too early, on a mission to hit the trail and commence our journey into the Yellowstone backcountry. This trip – our first leg on a two part backpacking trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons – was something that we had been planning for and looking forward to for months. Two days before our departure date I spotted a warning from the Grand Teton Park Headquarters: high levels of smoke were settling in the area, blown in from fires in California and Yellowstone. After a call to the offices of both parks to check out the situation on the ground, our trip was very much in doubt. Air quality indicators were at dangerous levels, and we would be venturing up into the high altitudes of both parks. Both areas issued warnings about going outside at all, and if you do go out, try to limit your physical activity. Both of these things are quite difficult to do when you’re outside backpacking through the mountains.

Over the next few days we monitored the environment, constantly checking social media, air quality measurements satellite images of the smoke plume, the status of the Yellowstone fire. For much of our lives, people my age – millennials – have had things pretty good. We have had to deal with less war, famine, disease, or any other misfortunes than any generation has before us. Resources have been plentiful, and technology has made life easier and activities more accessible than ever before. We have rarely had to deal with things like wildfires, which to some of us are inconveniences, or troubles a thousand miles away; but for many, they are the worst thing that has ever happened to them, and will ever happen to them. We’re facing our first true challenge as the new leaders of our world in human created climate change. Red skies in Portland, hazardous air in the Rockies, floods in Florida; humanity has put too much pressure on the natural world, and it’s fighting back. The responsibility for saving our planet now falls to the young people of the world.

At one point we were so in doubt of our trip that we agreed we should call off the original plan. But where to go instead? The entire Western part of the United States was covered in wildfire smoke. Dual hurricanes raged in the Southeast, likely another side effect of rampant human caused climate change. We thought of heading East. The Green Mountains of Vermont, the Adirondacks in New York, the White Mountains of New Hampshire called our names. But another specter loomed, also a possible side effect of the massive amount of humans glossing the planet – COVID. It seemed we were destined to stay home, which all things considered, wouldn’t have been the most terrible thing. We were lucky to have a home to go to, where we could shelter from these things.

In the same way that most rash decisions are verified, we made the choice to go the night before over several strong beers. The air quality forecast looked like it might clear up, as did the smoke. We just might have a perfect window in which we could slot our trip. We rushed home in electric excitement and tension, packed our bags, and tried to get a few hours of sleep before our drive to Billings.

As often happens on road trips, the events of just a few days were lived as lifetimes. To us, it was years ago that we were planning our contingency trip to the Eastern US; now, we marveled at how lucky we had gotten. The skies were clear, the sun was shining, and we were ecstatic about the decision we had made. We entered Yellowstone on the North side of the park, already gaping at the dramatic scenery. We cruised past Mammoth Hot Springs and the throngs of tourists there – we would have time to stop at the popular attractions later. For now, we headed to Yellowstone’s more remote locations. Shockingly, only about 2% of people that visit Yellowstone venture off the main drag; and only about .01% that get off the beaten path go backpacking in the backcountry. That .01% is still a staggering number of people in a pristine wilderness environment, but generally, it means you get large swaths of the park to yourself.

We started our day at the Glen Creek Trailhead, along the Fawn Pass trail. The first part of our journey was over expansive, desert type prairies with massive brown mountains rolling in the background. Hot sun rays beat down on us as the grasshoppers chirped and leaped all around us, flying past our faces, landing on our clothes. Glen Creek gurgled alongside us the whole way, and the trail took us across the river on several occasions.

Eventually we started gaining elevation, and with it we gained trees. Each copse of trees we came upon seemed like it almost certainly harbored a bear, so we frequently shouted and sang silly songs.

The 5.6 mile hike went by quickly enough, and we arrived at our campsite at Fawn Lake. Beautiful orange prairie grassed stretched out to a pristine lake that was towered over by a mountain bristling with pine trees. We spent the rest of the day relaxing in the sun, playing cards, reading, napping, and listening to the calming noise of the creek just a few paces away. Day one of a backpacking trip always seems to be the most exhausting of them all. The driving, the early starts, the new physical tolls on your body, the stimulation of the natural environment – these things all lead to an early bedtime the first night of the trip. We retired to our tents early. Throughout the night we were awoken periodically during the night by angry thunderstorms churning above us.

Day 2 – Fawn Lake Campground to Gallatin River Campground – 11.3 miles

As we opened our eyes at Fawn Lake and crawled out of our tents, we were greeted by a dripping wet landscape, soaked by constant storms the night before. We welcomed the rain; more moisture meant less threat of wildfires. As I soaked in the view of the lake, I noticed a large brown spot on the opposite shoreline that looked like a boulder that wasn’t there the night before. Could that be a bear?, I thought to myself excitedly. I hurried to grab the binoculars, rushed back up the slope and raised them to my eyes. After several minutes of close study, we were able to determine that it was not a bear, but a large bull moose enjoying his breakfast in by the side of the lake. Being loud as humans sometimes are, his attention was focused on us. We went back about our morning routine, packed up our things, and hit the trail.

The first part of the trek was all uphill, through beautiful forested areas, mountain meadows, along pristine mountain streams. We stopped for lunch in Fawn Pass at 9,120 ft, an unnamed lake resting below us. The pass was key to our lunch location, as was the lake. As Thoreau said, “It is well to have some water in your neighborhood, to give buoyancy to and float the earth.” Unusually massive grasshoppers leaped everywhere, ripe for the picking of some lucky bird or other predator. We moved on, heading downhill now. Evidence of the 1988 wildfire surrounded us, and up ahead a mass of dark clouds loomed ominously. Thunder boomed across the mountains, and we knew we were in for a storm – not exactly what you want to encounter at 9,000 feet.

Our trail led us through a tree graveyard. We wandered through the dead forest, a forest that once teemed with life. All around us the husks of once great giants stood and laid in various states of destruction and decay. The obvious magnitude of the fire and the sounds of the ever nearing storm served as stark reminders of the power of nature, and how little it cares for our petty human plans.

From our vantage point high up in the mountains we could see our destination – the Gallatin River. The river wound through the valley, and it looked like an ideal place to spot wildlife. We couldn’t wait to get down there and get our camp setup.

By now, the storm that started off in the distance had moved in. We kept hiking until it was clear that it wouldn’t be safe to continue on. The sound of thunder followed the lighting immediately – the storm was directly above us. Our small group sheltered in a crop of tall trees, huddling up under our rain jackets, slightly spread out from each other to discourage potential grounding points. Hail began to fall, pelting us and adding to our misery. We began to discuss our next move. What would we do if the storm didn’t move on for hours? Do we camp here, or try to push on? Luckily, that was not something we had to deal with, and the storm moved on momentarily. We shouldered our packs and started back on the trail, intent to push through this last section of the hike as quickly as possible.

The rest of our day took us over rolling hills with hundreds of downed trees and massive wide open spaces, offering little to no protection if the storms were to return. As we reached our final turn and ascended the last hill, over the next mountain range we could see the rain moving slowly towards us. We donned our rain gear and high tailed it as fast as we could, but to no avail. The rain came down on us, leaving us with the sinking feeling that we would go to bed wet. Our fears proved unfounded; right as we arrived at camp, the rain stopped and the sun came out. We spent the remainder of our night cooking dinner, enjoying the scenery, and relaxing before we hit the sleeping bags.

Day 3 – Gallatin River to Bighorn Trail Campground – 14 miles

Our longest day yet faced us. For most people, about 10 miles is a good distance for a day of backpacking. It gives you plenty of time to enjoy the hike, stop for a nice lunch, and get to camp with plenty of time to setup and relax. It’s also a relatively challenging distance, so you feel good about what you accomplished that day. To me, every mile after that 10 mile mark gets me closer to the point of being ready to get that day over with. I enjoy a challenge as much as the next person, and love trying to push myself to achieve new things, but as a general guideline, I always try to keep backpacking days to about 10 miles, and if there are any longer days than that, make sure that they are followed by a much shorter day if possible. This day would be a mental and physical challenge, but the beauty of Yellowstone and the experience of living in that environment would make it worth it.

We awoke to ice covering our tents and the landscape. Our fingers and toes frozen, we broke down camp and wished that the sun would hurry up and rise above the mountains. A thick fog coated the valley ahead of us, giving us an eerie feeling and leaving us wondering if we would soon be surrounded by mist. The sun finally came up, and it both burned away the mist and warmed our frozen extremities.

Our first destination on the map would be Bighorn Pass, but we had no idea that the hike to that point would be the most stunning part of the entire trek. The frost that coated the plants was being melted off by the rising sun, and it came up in plumes of mist. The world took on an unreal quality as the sun rays shot through the layers of mist. The trail followed the Gallatin River the entire time. We slowly ascended towards the pass, going through areas of thick forest that looked like they could have fit in perfectly in the Pacific Northwest. Green moss coated the trees that dripped with morning dew. We cleared the treeline and stopped for a break to look back at where we had come from. The Gallatin had followed us up to this point, but here it was almost completely dried out.

We didn’t see another single person until we reached Bighorn pass on that third day. Rarely in my life have I experienced such solitude for so long. I always seek it out on our backcountry trips, but there are just too many people in the world to get that type of space for very long. The backcountry of Yellowstone is a very special place indeed.

As we set down our packs to enjoy lunch overlooking the Bighorn pass, the first two humans we would encounter that day came into view. Two horseman were making their way up the pass, and crested right about the same time we did. It was an older man and a teenager; a grandfather and grandson out for a horseback ride in Yellowstone. They sat down to enjoy the same view and lunch spot that we were soaking in. We got to talking a bit and learned that the older gentleman’s name was Bill, and that his ancestors had been living in the Gallatin mountain range for the last three generations. He grew up in Yellowstone, wandering its forests and mountains on foot and by horseback. We asked about the 1988 fire, and he regaled us with stories of it. He experienced it firsthand, and spent 56 days straight packing in supplies to the firefighters on the ground. Bill lamented the thinning of the elk herds after wolves were re-introduced to the park, and he recalled the days when going to the park dump to watch grizzly bears dig through the trash was a regular Friday night family outing. He taught us about the Bannock Native American tribe, who migrated each year through Bighorn Pass, and whom one of the peaks we could see were named for. We were riveted, fascinated to hear from a man who had watched the park evolve and change throughout the 20th century.

All good things must come to an end, and we started our descent down the trail. The terrain changed from mountain pass to pine forest to barren desert prairie in what seemed like the blink of an eye. The rest of the hike passed rather uneventfully. The sun was beating down mercilessly, so we all donned our long sleeve shirts and covered our necks with bandanas or buffs. Before we knew it we arrived at the Big Horn trail campsite, and 14 miles were in the books. We setup camp, took a dunk in the frigid Indian Creek, and settled in for our final night in the backcountry. Little did we know we were in for a big surprise that night.

After dinner we all walked down to the river to catch the sunset. On our way back to camp, we passed a group of young men on the trail. They were hiking out from the Indian Creek campground, without bear spray or headlamps. The sun was setting fast and the temps were rapidly dropping. We questioned their decision making, but didn’t think much more of it as we headed back to our campsite. They had acted a bit funny as they passed us, and we jokingly mused about what type of drugs they might be on. After our lighthearted jokes at their expense, we didn’t pass a second thought about the group.

Suddenly we heard the sound of footsteps pounding towards us on the trail, and one of the guys from the group came running up to our site panting. “We need help!” he said urgently as he doubled over, speaking between breaths. “Our friend is down there, he’s having a seizure, and we aren’t sure what to do!” Our crew exchanged glances, and then we jumped into action. We followed the messenger quite a ways down the trail to where their friend waited. En route to his location we did confirm that they had taken mushrooms several hours ago. Making decisions and evaluating a situation in the moment, especially in the wilderness where you don’t have access to the normal infrastructure that you would in civilization. For anyone that ventures out for backcountry trips, I would highly recommend taking the NOLS Wilderness First Aid course.

Once we reached their friend it was clear that there was some type of strange reaction to the drugs occurring. The patient was standing, but was unaware of his surroundings, was extremely off balance and at risk of hurting himself, and consistently dry heaving. A small trickle of blood ran down his mouth where he had bitten his lip. I ran up and started triaging the patient, instructing Jackie (a marathon and distance runner) to hightail it to the campground and alert a ranger. I asked Sarah to head back to camp and grab some antihistamines, in hopes that they might help reduce the severity of any type of allergic reaction his system might be triggering. I attempted to help the patient take a seat, but he was belligerent, refusing help from myself as well as from his friends. He was still incoherent, unsure of who he was or where he was. During the first aid courses everything flows so smoothly, so having a patient that refuses help is definitely something that throws you off your game. Regardless, his condition was improving slowly, and with his friends on each side of him, he was able to slowly make his way down the trail. We parted ways when we reached our campsite, hoping that his buddies would be able to take it from there. Jackie made her way back as it started to get dark, letting us know that she had alerted the camp host, and that they would be waiting for the group when they made it back.

After that excitement we were up later than we had been any of the other nights, and our bodies were weary from our full day. We climbed into our cozy sleeping bags and our heads hit the pillow, grateful for our health and happiness.

Day 4 – Bighorn Trail Campground to Indian Creek Trailhead ~ 1.5 miles

By design, our final day was a walk in the park. We awoke early in the morning to a herd of elk bugling across the river, and we watched them make their way through the prairie as the sun came up over the mountain. Breakfast was made slowly, coffee was enjoyed, tents were left up until well into the morning. Although we had a full day of touring Yellowstone from our vehicle, we weren’t quite ready to leave the backcountry and face the throngs of tourists that we knew would be waiting. We soaked in the sun, read peacefully, and discussed the highlights of the previous three days. Eventually it was time to go, so we packed up and headed out in high spirits.

On the way out we ran into the campground host that Jackie had talked with the previous night. She let us know that the young man had been transported to the nearest hospital in Livingston, an hour and a half away. It had taken almost four or five hours after the incident occurred for the guy who had the stroke to get to a hospital. It was a good, if somber, reminder of how extended medical timelines can be in a place like Yellowstone, and how important it is to be trained in what to do in that type of situation.

Yellowstone was an incredible experience for all of us. What started as an almost canceled roller coaster of uncertainty had morphed into one of the most magical backpacking treks of our lives. The solitude that we felt during our first days out there was something that we would carry with us as a memory for our entire lives, and the beauty of our wild places served as a critical reminder of what is at stake in our world. Many places that are much less well known than Yellowstone are in danger of being destroyed by our society’s never-ending greed for more. If only more people were able to get out and see what makes these places so important, maybe we would all realize how important our actions in the next few years will be.

— Daniel

Daniel is the founder of Fantasium; having come up with his own ideas about happiness, he decided that they were too special to keep to himself. When not working his day job or contributing to Fantasium, you’ll find Daniel somewhere outside.

Favorite Books: Walden, The Killer Angels, Dune

Favorite Bands: Lord Huron, Rebelution, Dispatch

Prints from Yellowstone