Fixing the Fells: the campaign to save the paths of Scafell Pike

Lake District repair team fear funds to protect route up England’s highest mountain will fall short as crowdfunding deadline looms

Welcome to Brumbria: should the West Midlands become a national park?

Could a plan to turn the West Midlands into a national park transform the Black Country’s unlovely reputation, asks Wolverhampton native Stuart Jeffries

Joshua Tree national park: music, myths and art in the desert

In – and around – Joshua Tree the arts and culture shine all year round

Dome and the ranch: California’s Joshua Tree national park – in pictures

Robert Hull explores the Mojave desert at its wild and weird best via Instagram

How to hike the Grand Canyon

With the US’s natural wonders facing an uncertain future, now is the time to visit the greatest of them all. Our writer tackles the 23-mile Rim-to-Rim trail in a single, muscle-grinding day, but offers tips for walking the route at a gentler pace

Patagonia’s controversial new national park

The creation of the Parque Patagonia conservation area – the brainchild of a billionaire US couple – is a step to creating one of the world’s largest national parks. But what’s the hiking like?

Running the South Downs Way

Jogging from Winchester to Eastbourne seemed the perfect way to enjoy one of England’s oldest trails for Martin Love. But then he ran out of steam

Wales’ perfect new wave: Snowdonia’s inland surfing lake

What’s so great about surfing in the sea anyway? There’s waiting for waves, the tiring wading out bit and, well, sewage sometimes. Surf Snowdonia, which opens today, is offering a striking new inland alternative