"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."— John Muir
John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club and national park advocate, was intimately aware of the restorative powers of wilderness. Delving into the wilderness, whether forest, shoreland or desert, is inspirational. To look out over endless vistas and see only nature, with no signs of human intervention, is no less than a spiritual experience.
Working in the national parks in my twenties, I had lots of opportunities to fully experience wilderness. I can recall sitting on the side of a mountain at Sequoia National Park, not another human in sight, and truly feeling at peace watching the clouds slow dance through the valley.
At Mt. Rainier National Park, just days after arriving, I took a hike in the Cascade range. It was May and a mountain stream was breaking through its frozen state, making music as it traveled over the rocks. At that moment, I felt that I had found heaven on Earth.
I think the word "awesome" was created to describe the wonder of wilderness. I can remember being awed so many times in the national parks — by the immense herds of buffalo and elk at Yellowstone, the giant trees at Sequoia that sprouted in the ages before Christ, and the serene vistas in the ancient Smoky Mountains. But my times spent in national parks weren’t only about solitude and spiritual discovery. They were also days of great fun, meeting outdoorsy and interesting people, and diving off cliffs into swim holes. In Yellowstone, we took baths in nature’s own geothermal jacuzzis. At Sequoia, we took a ride down a natural water slide.
Getting to know our wilderness legacy isn’t possible on a quick drive through a national park. To really get in touch, you need to spend at least a few days camping and hiking in the national parks. Most parks have developed campgrounds and will issue permits for backcountry sites. At most parks, campsites are available on a "first come, first served" basis. However, if you’re planning a trip to the more popular parks, you might need to reserve a campsite.
There are myriad possibilities when planning a wilderness trip; we have fifty-four national parks, from Acadia on the coast of Maine to the Virgin Islands National Park in the Caribbean to Denali National Park and six others in Alaska. There are also more than 300 national seashores, preserves, and other sites managed by the National Park Service. The national park designation refers to large areas of wilderness with a variety of significant natural attributes.
One of the closest national parks is Isle Royale, near Houghton, Michigan, in Lake Superior. Isle Royale is a virtually unspoiled forested wilderness with rugged, scenic shorelines. It is home to one of the largest moose herds in the U.S. as well as wolves and more than 200 species of migrating birds. It’s about a ten-hour drive from Chicago to Houghton, Michigan. In Houghton, park visitors take a boat to the island. There is also boat service from Copper Harbor, Michigan, and Grand Portage, Minnesota. Visitors should be prepared for changeable weather.
West of Isle Royale and about 700 miles from Chicago is Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota. Campers travel by canoe or boat across a landscape dominated by more than thirty glacier-carved lakes. The interior of the park is navigable by water only. Camp anywhere along the shore or at one of a hundred designated campsites. Camping is free and boats can be rented from area outfitters. Eagle watching at Voyageurs is best from June to September. The park is in the heart of the last region of the continental United States where the Eastern Timberwolf survives.
While heavily visited, Great Smoky Mountains National Park makes for an unforgettable adventure and the park is just a half-day’s drive from Chicago. The hazy Appalachian mountain range is one of the oldest on Earth and the park is home to an extraordinarily rich variety of flora and fauna. There are more than 1,500 species of wildflowers, 200 species of birds and 27 kinds of salamanders. Avoid visiting in July and August — the most crowded months — and consider camping in the quieter, northeastern part of the park, near Cosby, Tennessee.
The rugged, western mountain ranges most capture the image we have of national parks. These were the first national parks. Northwest Wyoming’s Yellowstone was designated a national park in 1872; southern California’s Sequoia followed in 1890. Over-traveled though it is, Yellowstone is home to the largest concentration of free roaming wildlife in the lower forty-eight states. It is home to the grizzly bear, moose, and the graceful giant of waterfowl, the trumpeter swan. Seeing the vast herds of buffalo and elk is a surreal experience. Visit Old Faithful and Mammoth Springs, but camp at the quieter Yellowstone Lake or Canyon Village. A hike down to the grand canyon of Yellowstone is a do-able day hike, but remember to save your water supply for the uphill, return trip.
While one can easily spend an entire week exploring Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park is just a short drive south of Yellowstone. Jagged, snow-covered peaks rise above icy blue lakes, the Rocky Mountains’ most photogenic. The Tetons offer challenging hiking; the Jenny Lake campground is a good choice, as it is available for tents only.
Glacier National Park in northern Montana has one million acres of wilderness. It offers lush, green breathtaking scenery as well as a rare, primitive experience, with much of the park inaccessible by car. All thirteen of its campgrounds fill up early in July and August.
In the Sierras of California, there’s the drama of Yosemite — the passion of John Muir’s life and the focus of photographer Ansel Adams’ work.
"I am hopelessly and forever a mountaineer, and I care to live only to entice people to look at Nature’s loveliness," wrote Muir, who didn’t foresee the throngs of people who would come for the revered scenery in Yosemite. The Wawona area, at the park’s southern boundary, is one of the less populous parts of Yosemite, and it has camping available on a "first-come, first served" basis. An even better choice to help relieve the park’s congestion is to camp in adjacent Sierra National Forest or Stanislaus National Forest.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon, also in the Sierras, are among the lesser known national parks. The two parks share borders and present contrasting scenery. If you’re in good physical condition, consider a day hike from the Lodgepole area. The hike to Alta Peak is a fourteen-mile round trip and offers an inspiring and secluded spot overlooking endless wilderness. In mid-summer, rain is virtually non-existent; backcountry campers can sleep under skies dotted with millions of stars.
One of the least known of the western mountain parks, but no less beautiful, is North Cascades National Park, an area of towering, snowcapped mountains and cascading waterfalls in northern Washington. The park is a backpacker’s dream; there are no roads into the park. Access to the park is available by boat, floatplane, or hiking. Once inside, campers can take a shuttlebus on a remote, unconnected road to Stehekin valley campsites — or they can explore the backcountry.
The arid parks of the west, places like Arches in southeast Utah and Death Valley in southern California, are beguiling for their sprawling landscapes filled with mysterious shapes. "What draws us into the desert is the search for something intimate in the remote," wrote Edward Abbey, who fought to preserve Arches and other western desert areas.
Rainwater and melting snow have formed extraordinary geologic features at Arches National Park. There are more than 400 arches in a spectrum of colors. There is only one developed campground in Arches and sites there fill up by mid-day from March to October. For a more moving experience camp in the backcountry — but be prepared to carry a gallon of water for every day you will be there.
Canyonlands National Park, just south of Arches, offers spectacular scenery, including two canyons carved by the Colorado (which also carved out the Grand Canyon) and the Green River. There are two developed campgrounds and fifty-seven backcountry sites.
Exploring the national parks leads to a deep appreciation of the unique beauty and attributes of each. They are national parks because of their outstanding natural features, and while some are more popular than others, it’s difficult to see one as better than another. For information to help you decide what to do and where to go, try the National Park Service’s Web site. It provides information on campsites, hiking destinations, weather and other notable news. Another great, private site is www.gorp.com.
Packing
What you bring with you will depend on whether you intend to camp at developed campgrounds or explore the backcountry. At the top of the list is a tent. Make sure it’s waterproof and strong enough to withstand strong winds. A durable tent really is important. A few years ago, while camping at Painted Lakes National Seashore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a windstorm blew my old tent down. Luckily, we were only about a half-hour drive from a bed and breakfast! Other essentials include a compass, flashlight and extra batteries, raingear, a pocketknife, matches in a waterproof container and firestarter, sunglasses, sunscreen, and insect repellent. While down sleeping bags are luxurious, Polarguard and the other synthetics are waterproof.
Bring natural fabric clothes that can be layered. Wool socks are best because they stay warm when wet. And this is no time to break in a new pair of hiking boots — make sure your boots have seen some miles and are well worn-in. If camping in bear country, avoid toiletries and food with strong odors. Store any food or food containers in the trunk of your car, and if you head to the backcountry, bring a sack and rope to tie your food in a tree.
Of course, when spending time in the great outdoors, it’s important to tread lightly and leave no trace. Leave no sign of your passing, so the experience of wilderness is fresh for those who come after you
Resources
National Parks Service
Great Outdoor Recreation Pages
Uncle Sam’s Guide to the Great Outdoors, by Raphael Sagalyn
The Complete Guide to America’s National Parks, a publication of the National Park Foundation
The National Park Camping Guide, a publication of the National Park Service
America’s Hidden Treasures: Exploring Our Little Know National Parks, a publication of the National Geographic Society