Outdoors & Adventure | HISTORY
The great outdoors has shaped history and history has shaped the outdoors. Explore stories and video about humans in nature—from survival to exploration to adventure.
The great outdoors has shaped history and history has shaped the outdoors. Explore stories and video about humans in nature—from survival to exploration to adventure.
History Outdoors
The Man Who Plunged to Record Ocean Depths
In 2012, Herbert Nitsch earned the name 'the deepest man on Earth' after he free-dove deeper than anyone thought possible.
The Single Deadliest Day for Climbers on Mount Everest
In 1996, crowds and a killer storm took the lives of eight Everest climbers.
5 of the Highest Peaks That Have Never Been Climbed
These impressive mountains are either too remote, too dangerous or too sacred.
7 Frontier Survival Hacks Worthy of Daniel Boone
Famed hunter-adventurer Steven Rinella shares seven ways to safely navigate the backcountry.
“Life is a great adventure...accept it in such a spirit.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
Earth's Extremes
Colorado claims 18 of the 20 highest towns in the United States, but not the highest state capital.
The longest cave system winds for more than 400 miles, but others on the list haven't even been fully explored yet.
The exact location of the ancient, gnarled bristlecone pine is kept secret for its protection.
In 1934, wind gusts of 231 miles per hour roared over the top of Mount Washington, rattling the weathermen who managed to record it.
Mountain Men
Tom Oar's Secrets From the Wild
Tom Oar shares his hard-earned survival secrets forged through a lifetime of experience living in the wild.
Digital Exclusive
From forge to finish: everything you need to craft blades like a pro.
Featured Video
How Yosemite’s Half Dome Became the Most Iconic Rock in America
Discover how Yosemite’s Half Dome rose from a massive granite formation to one of the most recognizable natural landmarks in the United States.
On the Trail
These remarkable sites offer a window into the United States’ pioneering past.
The Good Roads Movement, which gave America its highways, was started by a group of wealthy cyclists who were tired of muddy rides.
Before inspiring a well-known computer game, the Oregon Trail led hundreds of thousands of settlers west during the 19th century.
The explorers not only produced maps from their 1804-1806 expedition to the American West, they also recorded some 122 animals new to science.
Man vs. Wild
Playlist
America's National Parks
America's national parks were established to protect the country’s most beautiful natural landscapes for all to enjoy.
How a Camping Trip Created our National Parks
When John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt spent three nights in Yosemite, it would soon pave the way for a National Park Service.
Landmarks of America
What Is the Most Iconic American Landmark?
Play our new bracket game and put the contenders—from the Grand Canyon to the Gateway Arch—head-to-head.
Yellowstone's stunning natural beauty inspired the 19th-century push to set aside the land, where Indigenous people had been present for millennia.
A little-known chamber concealed behind the head of Abraham Lincoln was intended to contain a shrine to America.
You know these sites, but have you noticed these details?
Digital Exclusive
Experts offer tips and tricks in "How to Survive Alone."
Explore related articles
The fire prevention icon was born of national paranoia about enemy-initiated wildfires.
An 1861 trek laid the foundation for organized summer camps in the United States.
The Good Roads Movement, which gave America its highways, was started by a group of wealthy cyclists who were tired of muddy rides.
Yellowstone's stunning natural beauty inspired the 19th-century push to set aside the land, where Indigenous people had been present for millennia.
As postwar road trips surged, Mission 66 transformed America's national parks for the automobile age.
In 1909 African American Matthew Henson trekked with explorer Robert Peary, reaching what they claimed was the North Pole. Who got there first?
Climbing the highest peak on each of the seven continents is considered the ultimate achievement among mountaineers.
In 1934, wind gusts of 231 miles per hour roared over the top of Mount Washington, rattling the weathermen who managed to record it.
Only five U.S. lakes, most of them in the mountainous West, descend more than 1,000 feet into the watery depths.
Though it gets almost no rainfall, the Atacama Desert hosts a surprising amount of life, including a long history of human habitation.
Residents in these five states have come up with creative traditions to beat the chill.
Feeling the heat? See if you're living in one of the historically steamiest states in the country.
Route 66 attractions, like the Kan-O-Tex Service Station and the first McDonald’s site, preserve the famous highway’s past.
They've eaten practically every mammal in sight—and have no natural predators.
