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Backcountry gear laid out for trip planning

Planning hub

Plan your trip

Destination planners, gear buying guides, and free trip calculators — plus which of them matters in each season.

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Destination trip planners

Each planner builds a day-by-day itinerary from verified access points, permits, hazards, and agency-sourced route maps for that destination.

See all ten extreme canoe trips on one map

Route finder: match a put-in, take-out and season to a trip

AI trip planner: personalised itinerary from your answers

Compare trips: distance, time, permits, cost and best months

Permits hub: rules, season windows and fees for every trip

Destination guides: photos, local culture and travel tips

Canoe gear by destination: required equipment and packing lists

See the ranked list: 10 Extreme Canoe Trips in the U.S.

Season-by-season planning resources

What changes on the ground each season, and which planner sections, calculators, and gear guides to open before you commit to dates.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

SeasonWhat changesUse the planners forToolsGear guides
SpringMarch – MayIce-out, high and cold water, mud season closures, black flies late in the window, and the spring turkey opener.Open a destination planner for permit windows and access dates before booking — put-ins often open weeks after the calendar says spring.
SummerJune – AugustPeak permit competition, warm nights, afternoon storms, low water on some rivers, and heavy insect pressure in the north.Use the season calendar inside each planner to pick a week, then the route map and itineraries to set daily mileage.
FallSeptember – NovemberCold rain, shorter days, first hard freezes, hunting seasons overlapping backcountry travel, and thinning services near trailheads.Check the planner's hazard and conditions sections — late-fall water is survivable only with the right layers and a short daily distance.
WinterDecember – FebruarySnow-closed access roads, frozen water sources, short daylight, and travel that depends on ice and avalanche conditions rather than trail mileage.Most planners mark winter as access-limited. Read the access and emergency sections first, and plan around the road closure, not the route.
“Keep close to Nature's heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods.”
— John Muir