The Year in Outdoors: Our Top 10 Stories in 2023 (Plus 10 You May Have Missed)

The Outdoors.com team covered hundreds of stories in 2023—from showcasing national parks to providing tips for outdoor travel, outdoor survival, foraging, and more. We also covered plenty of news that impacted the outdoor community. Here’s a look back at the 10 most popular stories for 2023 and 10 you may have missed.

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Outdoors.com’s 10 Most Popular Stories in 2023

1. Things You Didn’t Know About National Parks

This isn’t a single article but rather a series of articles in which our writers collected fun and lesser-known facts about national parks in the U.S. and beyond. We covered dozens of parks, including Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, and Great Smoky Mountains. 

2. A Trail Camera Captures How Powerful Mountain Lions Are

Seeing wild animals do wild things is always a hit with the Outdoors.com audience. More affordable and better-quality trail cameras have given us a whole treasure trove of footage that we shared throughout the year. In this particular article, a video clip shows how terrifying a mountain lion can be when it pounces directly at you.

3. Dream Job Alert: Michigan DNR Is Hiring Bear Cub Cuddlers

Is there such a thing as a dream job? If so, this seems like it. In March, Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources hired someone to cuddle bears as they conducted research.

4.  Single Mom and Her 13 Kids Thru-Hiked the Appalachian Trail—What’s Next?

Parenting is never easy, but one woman didn’t let that slow her down. In fact, she did the opposite and took 13 of her 15 children on a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. 

5. How to Identify Toxic Mushrooms, According to Bear Grylls

Foraging struck a chord with the Outdoors.com audience in 2023. However, when it comes to mushroom foraging, extra caution is necessary. This is Bear Grylls’s advice on how to identify toxic mushrooms.

6. WATCH: This Baby Animal Crossing in Utah Is Adorable

This Utah DOT video showing a land bridge that allows animals (and their offspring) to safely cross a major roadway was a big hit.

7. The 9 Best National Parks for Seeing Wildflowers

From Crater Lake to the New River Gorge, this article helps visitors find the best time to see wildflowers at national parks all over the U.S.

8. Scientists Discover Giant Red Spider That Can Live for 20 Years

Scientists discovered a new species of spider this year in Australia. (Don’t click on this one unless you’re cool with spiders, which, apparently, many of you are.)

9. Superbloom? Or SuperSHROOM? California Storms Spawn Epic Mushroom Season

Wildflowers are beautiful, but if you’re more of an Alice in Wonderland fan, then this superSHROOM article is for you. Check out how California’s wet year helped contribute to an explosion of mushrooms.

10. Looking for Fall Foliage? Great Smoky Mountain National Park Wants You to Look Elsewhere

America’s national parks can be crowded. Great Smoky Mountain National Park officials offered some advice to see the fall foliage—elsewhere. 

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Sometimes, great stories fly under the radar. Here are 10 more Outdoors.com stories from 2023 that deserve some more time in the limelight.

Great Outdoors.com Articles You Might Have Missed in 2023

1. What Do Park Rangers Do? Go Behind the Scenes With a Real-Life Ranger

In this guest post, a California park ranger shared a day in her life with details about patrols and other job responsibilities.

2. Extreme Tourism Is a Booming Industry for the Rich, But Is It Ethical?

The final frontier of the outdoors is taking people to the bottom of the ocean and into outer space. We look at the ethics of this modern age of adventures.

3. Ice Baths, Nootropics, and Beyond: The Science of Biohacking

Is biohacking just a trend? We look at the real benefits of activities like ice baths and taking nootropics.

4. Inside the Minds of Thrill Seekers: Why Participate in Dangerous Outdoor Sports?

The outdoors drives some to extreme pursuits with free climbing, BASE jumping, and more. Here is what inspires people to do these dangerous activities.

5. Nature vs. Burnout: How the Great Outdoors Could Address the Burnout Epidemic

There’s a burnout epidemic, and spending time in nature may benefit your health for the better. We take a closer look in this article.

6. Hiking Solves Everything: How I Finished the 4,800-Mile North Country Trail at Age 75

Proving age is just a number, hiker Joan Young wrote this article after completing her second thru-hike of the 4,800-mile North Country Trail.

7. The Greatest Outdoors Films of All Time

You can’t always be outdoors. Sometimes, you’re on the couch, but when you are, these are the best movies to inspire you to get back outside.

8. How to Mentally Prepare for an Extreme Adventure

If you’re tackling a big challenge like a thru-hike, multi-pitch climb, or any other outdoor pursuit, it’s important to mentally prepare. Here’s how.

9. Coyote Peterson on His Wild Career (That Almost Didn’t Happen)

Coyote Peterson is a wildlife expert who’s built his popularity through YouTube videos. In this interview, he explains how he became one of the biggest names in the outdoors.

10. The Outdoors Etiquette Guide For Visiting the National Parks

National park visitors make some questionable decisions at times. This article covers some basic etiquette to follow when spending time in the outdoors within a national park.

Which of these articles was your favorite?

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