How to Subscribe to or Try High Country News (hcn.org)

Updated

High Country News offers two paths to start reading: a paid subscription and a free trial that gets you two free issues. Both are handled through the same subscribe page at hcn.org/subscribe, and the trial has its own direct link at hcn.org/subscribe/trial. There is also a newsletter option on the homepage if you want updates without committing to a subscription.

Subscription and trial options

Option Where to go What you get
Free trial hcn.org/subscribe/trial Two free issues
Paid subscription hcn.org/subscribe Full subscription access
Newsletters Homepage prompt Email updates from HCN

The homepage carries the line "Try HCN for free" alongside the trial link, and the trial page itself is labeled "Get 2 free issues." The main subscribe page is the central place to manage both the paid subscription and the trial.

What you are signing up for

High Country News covers the American West — its land, politics, identity, and environment. Recent homepage stories include reporting on Forest Service land transfers, Indian education in Montana, hail research in Colorado, bear conflicts in southern Montana, and public lands votes in Wyoming. If that mix of regional politics, environment, and community reporting is what you want, the trial is the low-risk way to test it.

Steps to start

  1. Go to hcn.org/subscribe/trial if you want the two free issues first.
  2. Go to hcn.org/subscribe if you are ready to subscribe.
  3. If you only want headlines and updates, look for the newsletter signup on the homepage instead.

Common snags

  • The trial and the paid subscription are separate links — the trial page is not the same as the main subscribe page.
  • Pricing is not stated on the pages referenced here, so check the subscribe page itself for current rates before committing.
  • The homepage mentions newsletters separately from subscriptions, so signing up for email does not necessarily mean you have a subscription.