Pacific Northwest Trail

A man with a yellow helmet in the forest.

Trail & Public Lands Champions: Bill Way and the NEWTS

Some of us only ride, hike, or run trails. But there are many others who also support outdoor recreation and conservation groups and volunteer their time on trail and restoration projects. We need more of the latter, people who are trail and public land champions, like Bill Way and the NEWTS, Diana Roberts, and Bill Kinzel. (OTO)  Bill

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A forested mountain scape.

3 Scenic Inland NW Drives with Day Hikes

The federal government owns nearly 30 percent of Washington’s land; in Idaho, that figure is more than doubled. Which is to say, we, the public, own some of the most beautiful real estate in the country, from sagebrush steppe to subalpine meadows. And while much of it is remote backcountry requiring serious sweat equity, vast swaths border backroads and two-lane highways.  

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A mountain range with many pine trees.

4 Alpine Lakes of the Pacific Northwest Trail

By Blair Libby After admiring, camping alongside, and inundating myself in the Pacific Northwest Trail’s dozens of backcountry waters, I’ve devised my own rating system for the benefit of Out There Outdoors’ lake enthusiasts: The Way There, Big Rocks, Snackability, and Wildlife.  Ball Lakes and Pyramid Lake (Moderate)  The Way There: These lakes are nestled high

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A lake reflecting the sunset with mountains in the background.

Backcountry Lakes of the Pacific Northwest Trail

By Blair Libby  A pair of bald eagles moved from ponderosa, to fir, to possibly a spruce, which rose up from corners of the lake as trout lookout towers. After a few explosive wing flaps during liftoff, they would glide, bodies as still as the glassy water that mirrored them. I followed their flight path on the water’s

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