| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
Also on Backpacker.com
Backpacker Magazine – June 2009
America's Newest Wilderness
A quick guide to the best acres, trails, and views.
-
Tags:
- Oregon |
- Colorado |
- New Mexico |
- California |
- Utah |
- Idaho |
- West Virginia |
- Virginia |
- Michigan |
Virginia
Virginia Ridge and Valley
Land protected 39,105 acres in Jefferson
National Forest
Natural wonder 300-year- old hemlocks
Champion Virginia Wilderness Coalition (vawilderness.org)
See it now Take the steep and seldom-used Stone Mountain Trail from the Cave Spring Campground 5.7 miles through huge boulders and tulip trees.
Info: fs.fed.us/r8/gwj
West Virginia
Wild Monongahela
Land protected 37,771 acres in six areas within Monongahela National Forest
Natural wonder Snowshoe hare
Champion WV Wilderness Coalition (wvwild.com)
See it now Take the Blackbird Knob Trail two miles to link with unnamed trails in the Dolly Sods expansion. Turn right at every junction for a 12-mile loop.
Info: fs.fed.us/r9/mnf
Idaho
Owyhee Public Lands Management
Land protected 517,025 acres in six new wilderness areas
Natural wonder An intersection where five canyons meet
Champion Owyhee Initiative (owyheeinitiative.org)
See it now This long-lost cousin of the Grand Canyon is best seen from a raft ($825, riverdrifters.net). Late spring brings ideal flows in the 1,000-foot-deep canyon.
Info: blm.gov/id
Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter
Reader Rating:
-
My Profile
Join Now
Most recent threads
The Political Arena
Denver Cops Arrest Italian Shotgun Manufacturer
Posted On: May 21, 2013
Submitted By: Marmotstew
Submitted By: Marmotstew
Editors' Choice 2013
412 trail-tested products
Boost Your Apps
Add powerful tools and exclusive maps to your BACKPACKER apps through our partnership with Trimble Outdoors.
Carry the Best Maps
With BACKPACKER PRO Maps, get life-list destinations and local trips on adventure-ready waterproof myTopo paper.
FREE Rocky Mountain Trip Planner
Sign up for a free Rocky Mountain National Park trip planning kit from our sister site MyRockyMountainPark.com.
Get 2 FREE Trial Issues and 3 FREE GIFTS
Survival Skills 101 • Eat BetterThe Best Trails in America
YES! Please send me my FREE trial issues of Backpacker
and my 3 FREE downloadable booklets.
Free trial offer valid for US subscribers only.
Canadian subscriptions |
International subscriptions
and my 3 FREE downloadable booklets.
READERS COMMENTS
Calypso Cascades
The RMNP trail does go by falls and follows a mountain stream. But there are no lakes between the trail head and the cascades. You have to hike another 2-4 miles before you will see a lake. It is a high traffic wilderness area. Nothing like the other parts in the park.
Not true rather
At least not in Idaho/Utah, wilderness does mean all roads closed, and Zero motorized vehicles,period. Been air traffic is restricted. You hardly see anyone a couple miles in, and 20 miles in, forget it, it's wild life. Absolutely true for national parks though, as they make it easy for campers and such.
The best way to protect wildlife habitat is to close all roads and re-plant them. Once it is deemed a wilderness area it is sure to have excessive human visitation.
The best way to protect wildlife habitat is to close all roads and re-plant them. Once it is deemed a wilderness area it is sure to have excessive human visitation.
One of the surest ways I know to increase people in an area is to designate it 'wilderness.'
The correct link for the West Virginia Wilderness Coalition is www.wvwild.org, NOT www.wvwild.com.
ADD A COMMENT