Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

Missoula

Northwest Editor at Backpacker Magazine

Reader. Writer. Outdoor fun-haver. Manager of Adverbs. Rocky Mountain Editor at Backpacker magazine; Contributing Writer at https://t.co/X22L5R5A3Y

Articles

72 Hours in Seattle: Hiker’s Edition

Aug 1, 2024 | territorysupply.com | Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

Discover waterfront trails, skyline views, and mountain escapes—no car necessary. Seattleites won the lottery in the location department. The Emerald City is almost fully surrounded by outdoor playgrounds, including three national parks and two national forests. The only downside? The notorious traffic hassles required to reach any of them. But luckily, hiking trails abound much closer to home.
What to Do in Missoula: Hiker’s Edition

Jul 25, 2024 | territorysupply.com | Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

Pack your weekend adventure with the best eats, sleeps, and trails that Zootown has to offer. Missoula geography 101: This vibrant university city sits at the confluence of five valleys and three rivers, with elevations ranging from 3,200 feet downtown to 9,000-plus in the mountains ringing the city. Translation: Excellent hiking in every direction, much of it just minutes from wherever you are. The sheer number of options can be dizzying, but we’ve got you covered.
A Weekender’s Guide to Yellowstone National Park

May 19, 2024 | territorysupply.com | Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

Overwhelmed with options? This tour of Yellowstone essentials hits geyser basins, wildlife-packed valleys, and the park’s most impressive waterfalls. America’s first national park is the stuff of legends: Bubbling mud, boiling geysers, and enormous waterfalls share space with soaring mountains, high-elevation lakes, and vast river valleys. Here, grizzly and black bears, bison, wolves, elk, and eagles inhabit one of the largest nearly intact temperate-zone ecosystems in the world.
A Weekender’s Guide to Glacier National Park

May 16, 2024 | territorysupply.com | Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

Cruise a super scenic road, hike to glacial lakes, and scope the park’s best views on this weekend-sized itinerary. Welcome to the Crown of the Continent, the most dramatic stretch of the Northern Rockies. Here, glacially sculpted mountains crowd the skyline, trout swim clear rivers and lakes, thick forests meet alpine tundra, and wildlife like grizzly bears, mountain goats, and wolverines make their homes.
The Newest Colorado Adventure Spot Isn’t Sure It Wants You to Visit

Apr 1, 2024 | 5280.com | Alyssa Chutka |Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

If he’s not mountain biking, teaching theater at a local school, or recording his podcast, you’ll probably find Brock Benson at the bike shop he never intended to own. Benson, 49, grew up roaming his family’s cattle ranch, a sprawling 1,000-plus-acre parcel on the Uncompahgre Plateau in what’s known as the West End of Montrose County.
The Newest Colorado Adventure Spot Isn't Sure It Wants You to Visit

Apr 1, 2024 | ourcommunitynow.com | Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan
Two Coal States, Two Very Different Futures

Mar 18, 2024 | sierraclub.org | Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan |Sean F. Boggs

The Colstrip power plant, which Montana's state government is trying to keep open, and Main Street in Nucla, Colorado, which is moving on from its long history with coal. AS THE SUN rose on July 23, 2021, a sudden, sharp crack echoed across the high desert on the outskirts of Nucla, Colorado. Flickers of light snaked up the support beams holding what was left of the Nucla Station power plant's Unit Four. Black clouds poured from the building's base.
Electrifying Parks

Feb 25, 2024 | npca.org | Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

Last year, we brought home our first electric car, a plucky 2012 Nissan Leaf we found on a used-car lot in Spokane, three hours from our house in Missoula, Montana. My husband and I had been drooling over the idea of an electric vehicle for months but couldn’t afford one of the newer models. So we picked up a first-generation Leaf and quickly became EV believers. I love not burning gas (and not paying for it). I love how low-maintenance the car is. It’s smooth, zippy and really fun to drive.
The 101 Best Miles of Hiking in the National Parks

Jan 16, 2024 | backpacker.com | Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app. Editor’s Note: How do you pick the 100 best miles in America’s national parks? We and writer Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan took on that task in 2015, and today, we’re resharing our guide—updated with new permit regulations—to help you plan your best hiking season ever.
Glamping 101: Everything You Need to Know to Start Glamping

Dec 18, 2023 | territorysupply.com | Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

The first time I heard the term “glamping,” I was working for an outdoor recreation magazine dedicated to real roughing it, and—I’ll admit it—I scoffed at the idea. Why pay for a fancy canvas tent and catered s’mores when I could pitch my trusty backpacking tent on public lands for free? Why, exactly, would anyone be interested in that? A lot of reasons, as I’ve come to discover since then. Glamping isn’t exactly camping, but that’s the whole point.