Larry Rice

16 wild ways to find backcountry solitude and big-time scenery. All this, and you can bring the ice chest, too.

Roads end in Arizona with tall tales, natural gardens, cacti forests, and shoe scorpions.

A big Midwestern sandpile turned into an otherworldly escape by pounding surf and forests.

Hike up and down oak- and hickory-covered ridgetops, or explore underground.

A pristine prairie river winds through a sea of corn and beans in the shadow of Chicago.

Not your laid-back summer holiday -- canoeing and hiking galore.