8 Dream Trips Guaranteed to Forge Friendships
Raft the Grand Canyon Descend into a sandstone wonderland for three weeks with your favorite people. Between the rapids, the beach camping, and the side canyon hikes, the most-favored-partner status will reach a new level.
Top a Via Ferrata in the Dolomites Explore northern Italy’s toothy limestone spires on a traditional cables-and-ladders route—a great way to get serious exposure without technical experience. Options abound, but the Giro Del Sorapiss loop offers some of the best views, plus options for alpine hut stays.
Swim Mexico’s Cenotes The Yucatan Peninsula is dotted with azure freshwater springs hidden amid tropical forest. Swim Cenote Azul or Kantun Chi with your buds, then head to Playa Carmen for tacos.
Backpack Denali National Park Trace braided rivers and keep your eyes peeled for grizzlies, moose, and Dall sheep in Denali National Park, one of the largest swaths of trail-free wilderness in the United States. Bonus: No reservations are allowed, so your first team challenge is planning a route once you get permits and are assigned a backcountry zone.
Bikepack Montana Roll deep on a party ride through the forests of northern Montana. The zone around Polebridge—a rustic outpost with legendary pastries—is laced with gravel roads and wild singletrack. The Whitefish Tamarack Forest Loop offers a full sampler of northcountry views.
Paddle the Calanques Escape to southern France and ply the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean at Calanques National Park. Rent SUPs or kayaks for the day, then stay in nearby Cassis.
Summit Mount Rainier A life-list peak that’s well worth the hype, this glacier-encrusted volcano is best summitted as a rope team. Gather the troops for a guided trip, or learn glacier travel skills together and ascend on your own.
Surf Morocco A beach getaway that’s farther afield can double the memories, not to mention the waves, with fewer crowds and more enriching experiences off the water. Target the town of Taghazout for affordable surf schools and lodging, plus a diversity of breaks for every surfer in your crew.
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Responsive and Ready
Frontier’s beefy direct-injection, 3.8-liter V6 comes standard with a nine-speed automatic transmission that offers serious horsepower (310) and reliable torque (281 lb-ft) to haul a heavy load load, tow your toys, or hit a remote trail.
Rock Climbing with Andrew King and Dominique Barry
Andrew King excels at a number of outdoor pursuits, from surfing big waves to climbing exposed peaks. But it wasn’t until after meeting Dominique Barry—a fellow surfer, accomplished rock climber, and runner-up in Max’s inaugural season of the reality competition The Climb—that his skill and love for sport climbing grew to new heights.
“We’ve come so far working together,” says King, who’s originally from Detroit. “And now I sport-climb in all parts of the world. I’ve done things I didn’t think I could have done.”
Both King and Barry are drawn to aesthetically beautiful climbs, which they find on the Shark’s Fin Arete in California’s Alabama Hills wilderness. They’re reminded that being a solid climbing partner goes beyond the obvious belayer-climber dynamic that’s inherent to climbing. It’s knowing exactly what to say and when to say it—or saying nothing at all—and ultimately bringing each other home safely.
“It’s nice to be able to see these things on your own, but when you get to bring people you care about into these spaces and see how it affects them, it just makes it that much better and that much more profound,” Barry adds, noting a shared desire with King to inspire the next generation of climbers.
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THE TRUCK
THE FUN
THE FRIENDS
THE FILMS
WATCH
PRESENTED BY
PARTNERS IN THE
YOUR NEW OUTDOOR PARTNER
PARTNERS THAT LAST
FRIENDS FOR LIFE
OUTDOORS
Build new traditions, inside jokes, and lore-worthy memories on these must-do group trips
8 Dream Trips Guaranteed to Forge Friendships
MEET THE DRIVERS
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How to Raise a True Outdoor Partner
Want to share powerful experiences with your children, build a foundation for lifelong adventures, and foster a love of nature? Follow these experts’ parenting tips.
6 Outdoor Date Ideas Guaranteed to Spark a Fire
Impress your adventure partner (or entertain a prospective one) on one of these foolproof outdoor dates
The World’s Greatest Rallies
You’ve already got the dream team—all you need is a starting line. Register your crew for one of these ultimate group adventure races.
Learn a New Sport with Your Significant Other
Power couple and record-setting hiking team Andrea Sansone and Andrew Hamilton share their tips for navigating a new pursuit as a couple—and emerging stronger for it
The Relationships We Owe to the Outdoors
Without the outdoors, many of us would be down a partner, a friend, a crew, a purpose. Here, our staffers reflect on the most powerful relationships and lasting connections made outside.
READ
Gaining serious ground? Hill Start Assist keeps you from rolling backward, while Hill Descent Control automatically maintains speed and brake pressure to help provide a controlled descent thanks to Active Brake Limited Slip.
Steady Steeps
Extend your 4x4 capabilities with the added style and engineering packed into the PRO-4X upgrade that’s headlined by an electronic locking differential, delivering equal traction-boosting power to both rear wheels.
Off-Road Extras
¹ Up to 7,150 lbs towing for 2025 Frontier S 4x2. Towing capacity varies by configuration. See Nissan Towing Guide and Owner’s Manual for additional information. Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution. Always secure cargo.
² Apple CarPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc.
³ Android Auto is a trademark of Google LLC. 4 Intelligent Around View Monitor with Off-Road Mode cannot eliminate blind spots and may not detect every object. Driver should always turn and check surroundings before driving. See Owner’s Manual for safety information.
The PRO-4X adds available 17-inch wheels with aggressively treaded Hankook Dynapro AT2 all-terrain tires. Underbody skid plates, Bilstein off-road suspension components, over-fenders, and tow hooks answer the demands of tricky trails.
Terrain Reigned
Frontier’s smart towing tech and fully boxed ladder frame benefit from a towing increase of 500 pounds on all grades and configurations, improving trailering capacity up to 7,150 pounds max.¹
Tow with the Flow
The five-foot bed* features a Utili-Track system with three available channels for positioning slidable tie-down cleats, plus an available 120-volt AC power outlet that turns your truck into your mobile office. (*Longer-wheelbase six-foot option available.)
Secured Loads
Six different driver-assistance technologies highlight the standard Safety Shield 360 suite of features, while the available ten-speaker Fender Premium Audio System keeps drivers ever alert, informed, and entertained.
Safe and Sound
See more of the trail using the available Intelligent Around View® Monitor with Off-Road Mode4 to navigate obstacles. Additional gauges that display pitch, roll, and key off-road functions (like 4x4 engagement and differential lock status) boost trail confidence.
Greater Guidance
Stay connected, informed, and entertained with an available 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system that displays music, navigation, and towing info with available Wireless Apple CarPlay² and Android Auto³ compatibility.
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Your guide to forging outdoor community bonds and adventure partnerships
Build new traditions, inside jokes, and lore-worthy memories on these must-do group trips
Welcome to the new 2025 Nissan Frontier, the updated third-generation midsize truck famed for its well-engineered combo of off-road fun and practical dependability. Explore the performance features, utility improvements, and tech upgrades that make it the ultimate adventure partner.
The Experts: Dr. Scott D. Sampson, executive director at the California Academy of Sciences, and author of How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature.
Shanti Sosienski Hodges, founder of the kid-friendly hiking community Outgrown and author of Hike It Baby: 100 Awesome Outdoor Adventures with Babies and Toddlers.
The Advice: Start them young. “It’s best to introduce your kid to the outdoors basically from birth,” says Sampson. “Connection to science and nature can happen at any age, but it’s easier when kids are younger and their brains are still open to awe and wonder in a big way.”
Involve them at every step. “Let them pick out their hiking shoes and clothes,” suggests Sosienski Hodges. “Or set a goal to hike once per week and let them put stickers on a calendar to mark those days. Let them be part of the process.”
Ask provocative questions. “You don’t have to know a lot about science to connect your kid to nature,” says Sampson. “Instead, ask questions: ‘Why is that bird so big? Why do you think it’s that color?’ Questions are way more powerful than answers in terms of sparking curiosity.”
Let your toddler set the pace. “A kid hike looks different from an adult hike, especially when they’re little,” says Sosienksi Hodges. “It might be a paved walking path, and you might stop every five minutes to look at something in the dirt. That’s OK.”
Give your middle schooler a challenge. “It could be hiking, skiing, birding—you name it,” says Sampson. “Give them an opportunity to demonstrate a skill they’ve accomplished outside, preferably with kids their own age.”
Let your teen embark on their own. “Parents are often exactly the wrong people to connect their teens with nature,” says Sampson. “Teens want to be around other teens. That’s where programs like Outward Bound and Big City Mountaineers are great—they get young people into wild places and help them grow.”
Drop your expectations. “Don’t get caught up in how your child is going to be this badass snowboarder or mountain biker with you,” says Sosienski Hodges. “Don’t push them. Instead, listen to their cues and let them guide you to what they like to do.”
Revel in the process. “Being a nature mentor is one of the greatest gifts we can ever give a child,” says Sampson. “It’s a great honor. And it’s powerful. It increases the odds that they will grow up to be a human who treats nature in a reciprocal way. The world needs that right now.”Taghazout for affordable surf schools and lodging, plus a diversity of breaks for every surfer in your crew.
Want to share powerful experiences with your children, build a foundation for lifelong adventures, and foster a love of nature? Follow these experts’ parenting tips.
How to Raise a True Outdoor Partner
Go Pond Skating kip the rink, grab some skates, and proceed safely—test the ice thickness once there’s at least four inches of new, clear ice—for profoundly serene winter fun.
A Sunrise Sip Mix up the routine with a headlamp-lit hike to your favorite lookout for a dawn-patrol toast over fresh-brewed coffee.
Then Bike to Dip Dust off that cruiser and map a mellow ride to your local swimming hole. Reheat on the ride back to a café or bakery with warm pastry goods.
SUP the Sunset Grab a pair of paddleboards for an evening cruise in glassy waters where the horizon glows best.
Frisky Forage Set up a hike geared to picking fresh huckleberries or blueberries, and then craft a recipe with your loot.
Gourmet S’mores Snag a fire pit with a gorgeous view, then level up your roast treats with simple swaps: cookies for crackers, easy-melting Ghirardelli for Hershey’s, plus extras like hazelnut spreads and jams (or leftover berries).
Impress your partner (or entertain a prospective one) on one of these foolproof outdoor dates
6 Outdoor Date Ideas Guaranteed to Spark a Fire
Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race, Canada Paddle, mountain bike, and hike through temperate rainforest and sky-tickling ridgelines on Vancouver Island. You can compete solo (boring) or in a team of two or four.
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Power of Four Ski Mountaineering Race, CO This 24-mile course transports skiers through some of Colorado’s most stunning winter terrain as it spans the Elk Mountains between Snowmass and Aspen.
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Hood to Coast Relay, OR You’ll need eight to 12 people to conquer this 200-mile relay from the summit of Mount Hood to the Pacific coast. The good news? It’s all downhill.
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Patagonian Expedition Race, Chile Four-person teams have up to ten days to navigate the rugged off-trail wilderness of Southern Chile via kayak, mountain bike, and foot.
Learn More >
Coast to Coast, New Zealand This 40-year-old multisport challenge carries racers through the southern Alps and across New Zealand’s Continental Divide. Bring one or two buddies—and a whole lot of calories.
Learn More >
Texas Water Safari Billed as “the world’s toughest boat race,” this long-running four-day endurance haul tests teams of up to six paddlers, who cover 260 miles of twisting Texas waterways and tricky portages from San Marcos to the Gulf.
Learn More >
You’ve already got the dream team—all you need is a starting line. Register your crew for one of these ultimate group adventure races.
The World’s Greatest Rallies
It takes a lot to push yourself to your physical limit alongside a significant other. It takes even more to do so for 12 straight days in some of the country’s most unforgiving terrain. And yet that’s what Andrew Hamilton and Andrea Sansone did in July 2024, when they set the couple’s record for hiking all 58 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks in a single, grueling push.
When Hamilton and Sansone first met on the top of South Maroon Peak in 2012, Hamilton was already a record-setting hiker, while Sansone was relatively new to high-altitude peak bagging. For years, he acted as her mentor. That kind of dynamic would spell disaster for some couples, but in Hamilton and Sansone’s case, the relationship thrived. Since then, the two have picked up a number of sports together, from mountain biking to pickleball. Here are their tips for navigating learning curves and skill gaps, and using a new sport to strengthen your relationship.
Ease off the pressure In his first marriage, Hamilton over-encouraged his road-biking ex-wife to try technical downhill mountain biking. “You want to encourage, but you don’t want to push them and turn them off,” he says. “Everyone goes through their own growth.”
Learn at your own pace Few partners learn at the exact same pace. One party will almost always be slower at building strength, developing skill, or overcoming certain fears, Sansone says. (That dynamic can also flip-flop over time as injuries or skill plateaus set in.) Be patient with your partner’s progress.
Be open to tips Some couples get chippy when one partner offers advice. While the adviser needs to be kind and gentle with their delivery, the advisee also needs to be open to tips that can help you both grow, Sansone says: “It takes an open mind and excitement about improving and learning together.”
Communicate early and often If your partner is doing something that annoys you—whether it’s complaining, moving too fast, or leaving you behind—tell them ASAP, Hamilton says. The earlier you address it, the faster you’ll find a system that works seamlessly for both of you.
Remember your why Learning alongside a significant other can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding. “Remember why you want to do this together: Because it’s fun and exciting and something new that keeps your relationship alive,” Sansone says. “Keep that why at the forefront.”
Power couple and record-setting hiking team Andrea Sansone and Andrew Hamilton share their tips for navigating a new pursuit as a couple—and emerging stronger for it
Learn a New Sport with Your Significant Other
Well-Aged Perspective “Making friends as an adult can be challenging. Every lasting friendship I forged in my twenties started at the base of a climbing route. Some of those friends were at my wedding; some have traveled around the country and world with me; some aren’t around anymore. The ones who are, I value more every year.”
— Backpacker editor in chief Adam Roy, on the challenges of making friends as an adult
Without the outdoors, many of us would be down a partner, a friend, a crew, a purpose. Outside’s writers and editors have fallen in love, gotten married, overcome grief, reconnected with parents, and met lifelong friends, all outdoors. Here, our staffers reflect on the most powerful relationships and lasting connections made outside.
The Relationships We Owe to the Outdoors
Fierce Female Friendships “I never had a strong group of lady friends. Then, a few years ago, I fell in with a group of women who scrambled Boulder's Flatirons before work most mornings. Those scrambles have become my lifeline—a way for us women to catch up, belly-laugh, and support one another through big life transitions. I’d be a different woman without them.”
— Outside interim editor Corey Buhay
Finding Your Person “I realized my partner was the one for me on a hike up Half Dome last year. In moments where we were both in physical and emotional distress, there was still care. That’s when I realized that, as tough as that hike was, I wouldn't have wanted to be there with anyone else.”
— Backpacker associate editor Emma Veidt
Turning Parents into Friends “My parents, in an incredible show of patience, taught me to ski, bike, and navigate the backcountry as a kid. Now, as an adult, I get to open the occasional door for them—planning a backpacking trip with my mom, or showing my dad my favorite kick-turn tricks on a ski tour. These days, there's nobody I would rather tap for an adventure.”
— Outside Senior Editor Abigail Barronian
Forging Family Traditions “My husband proposed to me on a backpacking trip to a remote lake in northern New Mexico, and a couple years later we hauled our baby up there. Now, I’m pregnant again and we’re already planning a visit to the lake with our newest family member in tow. I love that the outdoors has helped our growing family build a tradition that’s totally unique to us.”
— Outside digital director Abigail Wise
Community Connection “I used to consider rock climbing a personal calling of the almost religious variety. Lately, however, what I value has changed: The hours I spend at the cliffs or boulders have become a way to share time and purpose with my community—and my understanding of ‘success’ has become less about individual wins and more about connection.”
— Climbing Digital Editor Steve Potter
Rites of Passage “I have three sons, and as they were growing up, the outdoors was where we marked important milestones. One planned and led a backpacking trip as a fifth grader. As newly minted teens, they did fundraising mountain climbing trips for Big City Mountaineers, a nonprofit that provides wilderness experiences for disinvested youth. And as they transitioned to young adults, they joined me in Nepal, on a combined service project/trek, where they learned the transformative power of adventure travel at its best.”
— Outside content director Dennis Lewon
¹ Up to 7,150 lbs towing for 2025 Frontier S 4x2. Towing capacity varies by configuration. See Nissan Towing Guide and Owner’s Manual for additional information. Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution. Always secure cargo.
² Apple CarPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc.
³ Android Auto is a trademark of Google LLC. 4 Intelligent Around View Monitor with Off-Road Mode cannot eliminate blind spots and may not detect every object. Driver should always turn and check surroundings before driving. See Owner’s Manual for safety information.
¹ Up to 7,150 lbs towing for 2025 Frontier S 4x2. Towing capacity varies by configuration. See Nissan Towing Guide and Owner’s Manual for additional information. Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution. Always secure cargo.
² Apple CarPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc.
³ Android Auto is a trademark of Google LLC. 4 Intelligent Around View Monitor with Off-Road Mode cannot eliminate blind spots and may not detect every object. Driver should always turn and check surroundings before driving. See Owner’s Manual for safety information.
Uplifting Energy “Skiing with the incredible group of women in my life has made me not only a better outdoorswoman, but a more resilient, grounded, and confident person. That shared time outdoors reminds me of the power we gain—even beyond the mountains and back at work—by lifting each other up and cheering each other on. Because there’s always more than enough room for us all at the top.”
— SKI editor in chief Sierra Shafer
Dominique Barry
Andrew King
coming soon
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Texas Water Safari | Flickr/jeannene_h
Flickr/Gord Webster
When he was 18 years old, Austin Leonard had a friend who gifted him his first fly rod. He’s been hooked ever since. Now, the Bend, Oregon–based angler is paying it forward by introducing his favorite pastime to roommate and friend Joey Pasternak. A college student by day and DJ by night, Pasternak rarely gets time to spend in the great outdoors. It doesn’t take much convincing to lure him on a fishing trip to the Owens River, which snakes along the majestic foot of the Eastern Sierra.
While the escape from daily stressors is one thing, fishing together in such grandeur is another. Braving the elements, encouraging one another, and celebrating each other’s success makes this often solitary pursuit into a team sport, which adds a new dimension to their friendship.
“We get to bond in a new way,” Leonard says. “And it’s not like we’re bonding over music or something else. It’s something I’m truly passionate about and get to share with him.”
For Pasternak, the experience reignites a love for nature—one he plans to prioritize more frequently—while echoing Leonard’s perspective on a day that helps the duo “slow things down a little while, just get on the water and take a breath of fresh air.”
Fly-Fishing with Austin Leonard and Joey Pasternak
Austin Leonard
Joey Pasternak
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Andrew King excels at a number of outdoor pursuits, from surfing big waves to climbing exposed peaks. But it wasn’t until after meeting Dominique Barry—a fellow surfer, accomplished rock climber, and runner-up in Max’s inaugural season of the reality competition The Climb—that his skill and love for sport climbing grew to new heights.
“We’ve come so far working together,” says King, who’s originally from Detroit. “And now I sport-climb in all parts of the world. I’ve done things I didn’t think I could have done.”
Both King and Barry are drawn to aesthetically beautiful climbs, which they find on the Shark’s Fin Arete in California’s Alabama Hills wilderness. They’re reminded that being a solid climbing partner goes beyond the obvious belayer-climber dynamic that’s inherent to climbing. It’s knowing exactly what to say and when to say it—or saying nothing at all—and ultimately bringing each other home safely.
“It’s nice to be able to see these things on your own, but when you get to bring people you care about into these spaces and see how it affects them, it just makes it that much better and that much more profound,” Barry adds, noting a shared desire with King to inspire the next generation of climbers.
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¹ Up to 7,150 lbs towing for 2025 Frontier S 4x2. Towing capacity varies by configuration. See Nissan Towing Guide and Owner’s Manual for additional information. Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution. Always secure cargo.
² Apple CarPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc.
³ Android Auto is a trademark of Google LLC 4 Intelligent Around View Monitor with Off-Road Mode cannot eliminate blind spots and may not detect every object. Driver should always turn and check surroundings before driving. See Owner’s Manual for safety information.
¹ Up to 7,150 lbs towing for 2025 Frontier S 4x2. Towing capacity varies by configuration. See Nissan Towing Guide and Owner’s Manual for additional information. Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution. Always secure cargo.
² Apple CarPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc.
³ Android Auto is a trademark of Google LLC 4 Intelligent Around View Monitor with Off-Road Mode cannot eliminate blind spots and may not detect every object. Driver should always turn and check surroundings before driving. See Owner’s Manual for safety information.
¹ Up to 7,150 lbs towing for 2025 Frontier S 4x2. Towing capacity varies by configuration. See Nissan Towing Guide and Owner’s Manual for additional information. Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution. Always secure cargo.
² Apple CarPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc.
³ Android Auto is a trademark of Google LLC 4 Intelligent Around View Monitor with Off-Road Mode cannot eliminate blind spots and may not detect every object. Driver should always turn and check surroundings before driving. See Owner’s Manual for safety information.
Climbing with Andrew and Dominique
Fly-Fishing with Austin & Joey
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Turning Parents into Friends “My parents, in an incredible show of patience, taught me to ski, bike, and navigate the backcountry as a kid. Now, as an adult, I get to open the occasional door for them—planning a backpacking trip with my mom or showing my dad my favorite kick-turn tricks on a ski tour. These days, there’s nobody I would rather tap for an adventure.”
— Outside senior editor Abigail Barronian
Community Connection “I used to consider rock climbing a personal calling of the almost religious variety. Lately, however, what I value has changed: The hours I spend at the cliffs or boulders have become a way to share time and purpose with my community—and my understanding of ‘success’ has become less about individual wins and more about connection.”
— Climbing digital editor Steve Potter
Mariah Coley
Forging Family Traditions “My husband proposed to me on a backpacking trip to a remote lake in northern New Mexico, and a couple years later we hauled our baby up there. Now, I’m pregnant again and we’re already planning a visit to the lake with our newest family member in tow. I love that the outdoors has helped our growing family build a tradition that’s totally unique to us.”
— Outside digital director Abigail Wise
Uplifting Energy “Skiing with the incredible group of women in my life has made me not only a better outdoorswoman, but a more resilient, grounded, and confident person. That shared time outdoors reminds me of the power we gain—even beyond the mountains and back at work—by lifting each other up and cheering each other on. Because there’s always more than enough room for us all at the top.”
— SKI editor in chief Sierra Shafer