Born in the Mountains Journal

Best Botanical Gardens in the U.S.

In the shadow of celebrated giants like the New York Botanical Garden and Chicago Botanic Garden, a quiet sanctuary in Elkhart, Indiana, has emerged as America’s most beloved botanical garden. A sweeping new analysis of visitor reviews from 407 public gardens across the country exposes this gap...

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By Ivan Slovic · 11 min read

The Most Adventure-Friendly States in America

For years, outdoor culture in the U.S. has revolved around one assumption: if you want the best access to nature, you go to Colorado. Big mountains. Endless public land. Iconic hikes. Intuitively, it made sense. But we’ve been confusing scenery with actual usability. A new analysis of outdoor...

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By Ivan Slovic · 7 min read

America’s Best National Parks for Introverts

The moment when we reached the viewing plateau at the base of Bridalveil Fall felt like stepping through a screen into one of Yosemite’s most photographed waterfalls. That midday was comfortably cold, as expected from early spring. Patches of snow still clinging to the rocky edges. We hiked among...

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By Ivan Slovic · 10 min read

National Parks "Paris Syndrome" Report 2026

Scrolling through social media feeds, we often land on breathtaking videos of adventurers exploring America’s national parks: unfiltered, raw wilderness perfectly framed to immerse us and spark daydreams about our next big escape. One photo of a mountain overlooking a pine forest at dawn, taken from...

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By Ivan Slovic · 10 min read

Which States Want to Ski the Most and Where

The first snowfall of 2025 already powdered the Winter Park Resort in Colorado on September 10th, prompting millions of Americans to begin preparing their next high-altitude adventure. Resorts are tuning their groomers, boots are coming out of closets, and lift-ticket searches are quietly spiking...

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By Ivan Slovic · 7 min read

The Best Trail in Every State for That Halloween Atmosphere

Every fall, around the time when the leaves start yellowing the sides of the driveway and pumpkin spice lattes return to the menus of their local coffee shop habitats, many folks turn windward in search of the perfect October trail to kickstart the sweater-weather season. But October has a darker...

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By Ivan Slovic · 12 min read

The Best U.S. States for Hiking, Based on Trails, Climate, and Safety

Hiking has become one of the most popular ways Americans connect with the outdoors and the interest is only growing. In 2022, 59.6 million people in the United States went hiking, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. What do you think, which U.S. state is the best for hiking? Stick around...

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By Ivan Slovic · 12 min read

Graphene - A New Frontier in Outdoor Apparel

Graphene, discovered in 2003 at the University of Manchester, is a groundbreaking material that’s reshaping multiple industries, most recently, outdoor apparel. This single layer of carbon atoms is 200 times stronger than steel, flexible, nearly transparent, and an excellent conductor of heat and...

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By Ivan Slovic · 6 min read

Meadow Lark Farms - Farm to Table

Lena Miller is the owner and operator of Meadow Lark Farm Dinners, a farm to table business specializing in connecting local communities with their farmers in Boulder, Colorado via shared meals. Lena and her team host weekly dinners for up to forty people on the farms that provide the produce. This...

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By Sam Brown · 5 min read

Raw Creative - Design and Fabrication Studio

Raw Creative is a design and fabrication studio based in Denver, Colorado. Owners Mike and Breton blend a craftsman aesthetic with state-of-the-art digital tooling and automation to bring their complex wood, concrete and steel creations to life.  Raw Creative In a modern age where almost everyone...

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By Sam Brown · 3 min read

Igneous Skis: To the Mountains and Back

How does someone testing robots in Antarctica to locate meteorites start making custom skis in Wyoming? It began on the ski hill.

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By Sam Brown · 6 min read

Food, Fire, Freedom

Carlin is a dietician and passionate cook. Her husband, Claudio, is a talented photographer. Together they form a dynamic duo nourished by the freedom of the outdoors — surfing rivers, chasing powder and riding trails in their Canadian playground. Carlin’s food and Claudio’s photos both capture the...

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By Sam Brown · 4 min read

An Ethic That's Earned

Meet Christy Sing Robertson the owner of Sing Hat Company, a custom hat company based in Jackson, Wyoming.

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By Sam Brown · 5 min read

U.S. National Parks Safety Index (2024)

Dear outdoor enthusiasts, last year we conducted an in-depth safety analysis of our beloved national parks to identify the safest and the “most dangerous” ones. Now, with 2024 coming to a close and new data now available, it’s time to see if the rankings have changed. The goal of our research is to...

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By Ivan Slovic · 18 min read

The Power of Wax

WAXED COATED PERFORMANCE Whether an outdoor enthusiast or city commuter, experience a whole new level of comfort with the natural performance of waxed apparel. This timeless technology sheds wind and water with ease, increases overall durability, and echoes every experience from the first wear to...

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By Emily Leikam · 4 min read

Homemade Electrolyte Drink - KÜHL’s Guide to DIY Beverage

Homemade electrolyte drinks are the unsung hero of today's fitness-conscious and health-centric society. These DIY drinks can deliver much-needed minerals and hydration right when your body needs them the most. Be it an intense workout session, a strenuous hike or just a way to beat the summer heat...

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By Emily Leikam · 13 min read

RECENT POSTS

Best Things to Do in Great Sand Dunes National Park

North America's tallest dunes sitting directly beneath the jagged, snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains create a landscape that almost feels surreal...

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Best Botanical Gardens in the U.S.

In the shadow of celebrated giants like the New York Botanical Garden and Chicago Botanic Garden, a quiet sanctuary in Elkhart, Indiana, has emerged...

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Best Things to Do at Voyageurs National Park

When people ask what they should do at Voyageurs National Park, they usually picture a standard drive-through experience. But Voyageurs is...

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The Ultimate Guide to Things to Do in Pinnacles National Park

Pinnacles National Park doesn’t feel like a typical Central California park. The landscape is sharp, dry, and rugged, with towering volcanic spires...

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The Ultimate Guide to Things to Do in Haleakala National Park

Haleakalā National Park is one of the most unique places in Hawaii. At the summit, the landscape feels almost otherworldly. Volcanic cinder cones...

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15 Best Things to Do in Canyonlands National Park: The Ultimate Adventure Guide

At more than 337,000 acres, Canyonlands is Utah’s largest yet less-frequently visited national park. Very nearby, Arches National Park draws larger...

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Tips and Ticks: Tick Bites, Safety, and Prevention for Humans and Dogs

A long trail run, a slow afternoon by the river, a weekend camping trip with your dog sprawled out in the dirt. In the grasses and leaf litter around...

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15 Best Things to Do in North Cascades National Park (The Ultimate Guide)

North Cascades National Park is one of the most rugged and least visited parks in the Lower 48. More than 300 glaciers carve through its peaks, which...

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The Best Things to Do in Biscayne National Park: A Complete Guide

Most national parks are defined by their granite peaks or deep canyons, but Biscayne National Park is different. It's 95% water, so you cannot just...

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Badlands National Park Animals: The Complete Wildlife Spotting Guide

You have not really experienced the Badlands until you have locked eyes with a wild bison at sunrise or watched a bighorn sheep pick its way across a...

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The Ultimate Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park Animals

Great Smoky Mountains National Park holds a distinction no other U.S. park can match. It is the most biologically diverse national park in the system...

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The Most Adventure-Friendly States in America

For years, outdoor culture in the U.S. has revolved around one assumption: if you want the best access to nature, you go to Colorado. Big mountains...

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Travel

Adventures in Asia: 3 Weeks, 5 Countries

by Ryan Rivera and Maggie Chan.

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LOCATION GUIDES

Explore the Wonders of Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park FI

Nature's Steaming Wonder: Yellowstone's Hot Springs

Yellowstone National Park, a natural treasure spanning over 3,500 square miles and spreading across the states of Wyoming, Montana...

Mountain Culture®

Mountain Culture

Wellness

How To Grow Herbs Indoors at Home: Easy Tips for Basil, Mint and More

Learning how to grow herbs indoors is one of the easiest ways to keep fresh, well, herbs, at arms reach. An indoor herb garden not only saves you money at the grocery store but also ensures you always have healthy, and (hopefully) chemical-free ingredients on hand. The classic indoor staple herbs...

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How To Grow Herbs Indoors at Home: Easy Tips for Basil, Mint and More fi

LODGING & CAMPING

Trees and Treehouse Lodging Cabins in USA

Zzz's in the Trees - 4 Epic Treehouse Lodgings

Forget what you think you know about treehouses. These aren't the rickety playhouses of your childhood; they're upscale, up in the trees, and out of...