X Marks the Spot
Do you like to stake your tent near a tumbling river? On a secluded beach? Far, far, far from the exhaust-belching crowd? Good thing we've done the scouting for you.

By Stephanie Gregory

Camp Lakefront: Philip Edward Island, Ontario, Canada
The Spot: Ground zero for the privacy-seeking northland paddler. Along Philip Edward's south shoreline of wind-warped pines and granite cliffs, this cove offers both respite from Georgian Bay breezes and instant access to the Fox Archipelago ù part of an offshore Crown Land parcel that stretches from Lake Huron's McGregor Bay south to Parry Sound.

The Stuff: Paddle a few strokes to begin exploring the coves and coasts of the archipelago. As your lats begin to falter, pull ashore on any sizable island and climb up for across-the-bay views of the quartzite La Cloche Mountains. And while you won't be reeling in any trophy lake trout ù thanks to years of excessive recreational fishing ù these waters do yield five-pound walleye, bass, and pike. You can rent a sea kayak ($20-$35 per day) or arrange a guided paddling tour ($34-$490 for one to six days) from Killarney Outfitters and Mountain Lodge (800-461-1117) in the village of Killarney, on the mainland 11 miles from Philip Edward. Sailors head west of town to the well-protected North Channel, but you'll have to haul your own craft across the border, as no local outfitters rent sailboats.

The Specs: From Toronto, it's a 285-mile drive to Philip Edward Island. Head north on Interprovincial Highway 400 and Canada 69, and then take Ontario 637 west until it enters Killarney, ending conveniently at the put-in. (Be sure to stop by Killarney Mountain Outfitters to pick up charts before you set out; the site is tough to pinpoint without them.) You'll paddle east among countless islands before reaching, about seven hours later, the northeast side of the large, unnamed isle just east of Lowe Island. Now head north across the 40-yard channel and round the point to find a nicely protected cove with a flat stretch of granite for your tent. You'll know you're in the right spot if you look northwest and see West Desjardin Bay stretching inland.

Next Time Try:
Alice Lake, Sawtooth Wilderness, Idaho
The granite face of El Capitan ù no, not that El Cap ù looms to the northeast; above your spot on Alice's southeastern shore (above) are the jagged peaks for which the wilderness is named.

Location: 45 miles north of Ketchum
Details: three sites; no fees
Prime Time: early September-early October
Contact: 208-727-5000

Forked Lake Campground, Adirondack Park, New York
In just 300 paddle strokes you've got your very own Adirondack isle, skirted by rocky, cedar- and pine-shaded lakeshore and miles of cold, clear swimming and canoeing.

Location: 135 miles northwest of Albany
Details: $9 per night
Prime Time: June-early September
Contact: 518-648-5616

Camp Riverine: Nankoweap, Marble Canyon, Arizona
The Spot: Geological perfection with an archaeological twist. At Nankoweap, where narrow Marble Canyon suddenly opens into the three-mile-wide fissure of the Grand Canyon, you'll sleep on a commodious outfanning of white sand beach, gaze up at 2,000-foot-high red canyon walls, and whisper to your tentmate above the whoosh of the Colorado. But the most memorable touch may be the Anasazi ruins perched a mere 40-minute hike upslope. Three days into America's most classic raft trip, this campsite isn't exactly undiscovered, which means that two other groups will likely be camped nearby. Don't fret ù strategically placed dunes and willows keep privacy intact.

The Stuff: While your party's cook is prepping Dutch-oven surprise, hike 800 feet up behind the site to the 1,000-year-old granary built into the steep cliff face. Thanks to a natural overhang, this vantage point is an especially good place to sit out late-summer afternoon downpours; stay till sunset for perhaps the quintessential Grand Canyon vista. To raft on your own, get your name on the lengthy waiting list for a permit or, better, call the Grand Canyon Colorado River office (800-959-9164) in hopes of scoring a cancellation (available more frequently than you might think). To ensure that you'll get on the river even more quickly ù and for the most authentic Powellesque experience ù book a trip with the venerable Grand Canyon Dories (seven-day trips, $1,864; 800-877-3679).

The Way There: Rafts put in at Lees Ferry, 120 miles north of Flagstaff on U.S. 89. For the strong-kneed, there's also the two-day hike down the North Rim's Nankoweap Trail. Camping fees are $20 per group plus $4 per person per night. For information, call the Grand Canyon backcountry office at 520-638-7875.

Next Time Try:
Virginia Falls, South Nahanni River, Nahanni National Park Reserve, Northwest Territories
Lay your bag on the western banks of the South Nahanni and fall asleep beneath swaying willows to the rush of Virginia Falls ù if you can: This cascade is nearly twice the height of Niagara.

Location: 340 miles east of Whitehorse
Details: 30 sites; entrance fee $65 per person
Prime Time: July-August
Contact: 867-695-3151

Cedar Ridge, Desolation Canyon, Utah
Put in at Sand Wash for a 50-mile Class II-III run to this swath of shoreline on the Green River (right) ù a cottonwood grove with a beach wide enough for a touch football game and conveniently littered with firewood.

Location: 85 miles northwest of Grand Junction, Colorado
Details: rafting permit, $18; no camping fees
Prime Time: May-August
Contact: 435-636-3600

Camp Surfside: Stafford Beach, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia
The Spot: Welcome to the un-Hamptons. At Stafford Beach, only a shifting dune separates your live-oak-shaded encampment from an utterly uninhabited 18-mile sugar-sand beach. With the exception of one quiet inn, a few grandfathered private residences, and of course the brief media invasion that followed John-John Kennedy's nuptials, Cumberland Island remains a surprisingly wild place: Diamondback rattlers guard plantation ruins, feral horses graze sand dunes, and alligators patrol saltwater marshes. Now poised for an 1,100-acre expansion, the 36,500-acre national seashore allows only 60 people at a time in its four backcountry campgrounds, which means Stafford, three miles from the ferry dock, is never crowded.

The Stuff: Since cars and bikes are generally not allowed, you'll be doing your exploring on foot. Head south through cactus-studded dunes and then inland among the palmettos, violets, and oxalis. Or walk north along the beach, where loggerhead turtles nest from April through August. Either way, set out early to avoid the heat and bugs, leaving the afternoon for bodysurfing. Since the ferry will not transport kayaks, paddlers must embark from Crooked River State Park, six miles west on the mainland (put in at high tide to avoid getting marooned). Rent kayaks from Up the Creek ($30-$40 per day; 912-882-0911), seven miles south of the park in the town of St. Marys.

The Specs: From Jacksonville, Florida, drive 60 miles north on I-95 and then east on Georgia 40 until it ends at the St. Marys ferry dock. The Cumberland Queen departs daily at 9 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. from April through September, returning at 10:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. ($10 round-trip; 912-882-4335). Park fees are $4 per person per day, plus $2 per person per day for a camping permit. For reservations, call the Dungeness visitor center (912-882-4335) a few months in advance.

Next Time Try:
Randall Creek, California
Begin at Mattole Recreation Site, traipsing south along the Lost Coast (below) for eight miles before arriving at the mouth of Randall Creek. Here you can dodge winds in a driftwood shelter, keeping an eye on rising tides and the 4,000-foot King range to the east.

Location: 260 miles north of San Francisco
Details: free campfire/stove permit required
Prime Time: April, September, October
Contact: 707-825-2300

Puntas Cabres, Baja California, Mexico
Drive south on Mexico 1 two hours from Ensenada. Pass a gas station, and then a tiny white church on the left. Hang a right. Make a beeline for the Pacific. Camp on the low red bluffs above endlessly south-curving beaches. Surf by morning, windsurf by afternoon. Repeat.

Location: about 120 miles south of Ensenada
Details: camp anywhere; no fees
Prime Time: April-July
Contact: none

Camp Out There: McKeen Brook, Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Maine
The Spot: The high point of a weeklong canoe trip along the 92-mile waterway, three miles below the thundering crash of Allagash Falls. The fir-shaded campsite comes complete with a fire pit, a primitive table, and ù to help you make optimal use of these rustic amenities ù its very own brook brimming with trout and salmon. Best of all, the nearest neighboring campsite is almost a mile off.

The Stuff: Instead of putting in at crowded Chamberlain Lake, launch your journey at less-visited Allagash Lake. During prime season (April through early June) you'll catch plenty of fat brookies ù and return most of them because of an 18-inch minimum-size regulation. (Fishing permits cost $8 to $71, depending on age and number of days; 207-287-2871.) You can bang up the canoe on the 3.5 miles of Class II rapids below Churchill Dam. Farther downriver at Round Pond, moose sightings are virtually guaranteed. Allagash Outfitters in Allagash (207-398-3277) rents canoes for $12 per day and offers guide and shuttle services (prices vary with group size). A seven-day trip with Allagash Guide Inc. costs $600 per person (207-634-3748).

The Specs: Allagash Wilderness Waterway begins 125 miles north of Bangor. Drive 63 miles north on I-95 to East Millinocket, and then take Maine 157 west to Millinocket. Turn north on Baxter State Park Road, then west onto Golden Road, and north again onto Telos Road. You'll pass a gatehouse where the North Maine Woods Organization collects a road fee ($7) and camping fee ($5.35 per person per night). At the Chamberlain Bridge Ranger Station, ask for directions to the put-in at Little Allagash Stream, 65 miles northwest. On your six-day trip downriver, you'll pass through a succession of lakes (including Chamberlain and Eagle) before hitting the dam and the main section of the Allagash. There's a third-of-a-mile portage around the falls; the site lies three miles farther, where McKeen Brook joins the river. Call the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands at 207-941-4014 for more information.

Next Time Try:
Jap Lake, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota
The northwest shore's mosquito-free site is well worth the grueling mile-long portage. Its rocky cliffs and protruding granite slabs provide cannonball-launching-pad perfection.

Location: 220 miles north of Duluth
Details: camping permit, $19; advance reservations required
Prime Time: early June, late August, September
Contact: 218-387-1750

Lower Blue Lake, Mount Sneffles Wilderness, Colorado
A 3.5-mile trek from the East Dallas Creek Trailhead puts you at Lower Blue and within striking distance of five 13,000-foot-plus peaks, topped by 14,150-foot Mount Sneffles (below). After you've hiked your fill, do your collapsing ù per wilderness rules ù at least 100 feet from the lake.

Location: 35 miles north of Telluride
Details: no permits or fees required
Prime Time: late July-early August
Contact: 970-240-5300

Camp Vantage: Lake Kulik Wood-Tikchik State Park, Alaska
The Spot: Come mid-June, when the snow has receded to distant peaks, you can camp anywhere in this 1.6-million-acre roadless wilderness spliced by 12 major lakes. But the park's sole ranger recommends the west end of 21-mile-long Lake Kulik, the entry point for the kayak-friendly Wood River chain of six lakes connected by rivers. Pitch your tent on the gravelly shoreline at the base of the Wood River Mountains, which rise steeply from grassy hills and tundra to snowy valleys and pencil-sharp spires.

The Stuff: Kayak eastward to a 1,000-foot waterfall that each summer carves a giant ice cave through avalanche debris on Kulik's south shore. Then run the gentle Class II rapids of the Wind River, which flows into Mikchalk Lake. From here, a 2.5-mile river leads to Lake Beverley, another good place to overnight. If you have at least a week, continue paddling 20 miles to the Agulukpak River, which hosts as many as 2,000 rainbow trout per mile. (They're catch-and-release only, but you can keep the even more plentiful sockeye salmon.) For fishing permits ($10-$100, depending on the number of days), call the Alaska Department of Fish and Game at 907-269-8698. Tikchik State Park Tours offers six-day guided trips (about $1,500 per person, including airfare from Anchorage; 888-345-2445).

The Specs: To get from Anchorage to Lake Kulik, 300 miles west, fly to Dillingham on Peninsula Air ($400 round-trip; 800-448-4226) and hook up with charter operator Bay Air (907-842-2570), which will drop your party at Lake Kulik and retrieve you in Aleknagik, at the end of the Wood River chain, for about $525 per person. For more information, call the park ranger (907-269-8968 from October-May 15, 907-842-2375 from May 16-September 30).

Next Time Try:
Top of El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California
The two-day hike to the summit of El Cap (inset) is admittedly less glamorous than free-climbing the Nose, but the payoff's quite the same: views of Yosemite Valley's granite walls, Half Dome, and the meandering Merced River.

Location: 209 miles east of San Francisco
Details: free backcountry permit required; $20-per-car park entrance fee
Prime Time: mid-September to mid-October
Contact: 209-372-0200

Cheoh Bald, Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina
Bed down in this 5,062-foot-high meadow and you'll be treated to panoramic views of the Great Smokies and sunrises over 2,000-foot-deep Nantahala River Gorge. The sites are just ten paces from the Appalachian Trail and eight miles via same from the renowned Nantahala Outdoor Center.

Location: 80 miles southwest of Asheville
Details: three sites; no fees
Prime Time: May, October
Contact: 828-479-6431

Camp Alpine: Trappers Notch, Flat Tops Wilderness Area, Colorado
The Spot: A blissful 80 miles away from anything resembling Summit County sprawl. The site sits high atop the glacier-formed plateaus of a set of strikingly atypical Rocky Mountains, in a pond-dotted expanse of tundra and meadows, with pockets of 60-foot spruce firs. Above you looms the basalt summit of 12,000-foot Trappers Peak; down the trail lies the concave-faced Amphitheater, Trappers Lake, Scotts Lake, and four campgrounds crowded with recreators who can't manage the four-hour hike in.

The Stuff: Since 235,230-acre Flat Tops is designated wilderness, low-tech pursuits reign, namely fishing, hiking, and napping. Skip Trappers Lake's regulated cutthroat fishery in favor of Wall Lake or several smaller lakes grouped a half-mile north of your camp. Or try the White River's south fork, a half-mile south. You can keep up to six trout ù and grill them, since fires are allowed. Before you hike in, stop at Trappers Lake Lodge (970-878-3336) to buy a five-day fishing permit ($18.25). For a great hike from the site (and expansive views of the jagged Gore Range), follow Trail 1842 for 3.5 miles to the Island Lakes, perched at the plateau's edge.

The Specs: Trappers Notch is 150 miles northeast of Grand Junction. Drive east on I-70, and then north on Colorado 13. Two miles past the town of Meeker, turn east on Rio Blanco County Road 8 and follow it for 39 miles to Forest Road 205. Drive ten miles on FR 205, and park at the Wall Lake trailhead. You'll hike 5.5 miles and gain 1,300 feet in elevation before reaching the lake. Continue another half-mile to pitch your tent near the ponds beside Trappers Peak. For more information, call the White River National Forest's Blanco Ranger District at 970-878-4039.

Next Time Try:
Lake Ann, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington
A mile below the summit of 9,127-foot Mount Shuksan, thickets of mountain hemlock and Pacific silver fir encircle Lake Ann's six frigid acres. Dip your toe and pitch your tent at the west end.

Location: 130 miles northeast of Seattle
Details: five sites; $5 parking permit required
Prime Time: June-September
Contact: 360-856-5700

Davis Pond, Baxter State Park, Maine
The 12.8-mile trek to Davis (right) is so arduous that rangers insist you overnight midway. Your terminus, however, is worth it: a glacial-cirque pond with hundred-foot waterfalls.

Location: 80 miles north of Bangor
Details: one Adirondack shelter; pit toilet; $8 park entrance fee; permit required, $6 per person per night
Prime Time: late September
Contact: 207-723-9616

Camp Convenient: Sawmill Lake, High Point State Park, New Jersey
The Spot: Hike-in privacy, waterfront property, and ù the best part ù less than 60 miles from the Times Square IRT station. While admittedly not deep wilderness, High Point comes surprisingly close. It offers 14,218 acres of dense hardwood forest, easy access to the Appalachian Trail, and the tallest peak in Jersey (though, granted, it's only 1,803 feet high). And quiet reigns, even on holiday weekends, thanks to strict noise-regulation enforcement. Of Sawmill Lake's 50 sites, numbers 24-26 and 34-41 are the most coveted, the former for their prime north-shore location and the latter for their seclusion.

The Stuff: To get the complete I-can't-believe-this-is-Jersey effect, hike from the visitor center to High Point Monument, a 220-foot war veterans' memorial with the following 360-degree view: Poconos to the west, Catskills to the north, Delaware Water Gap to the southwest. A peaceful 7.5-mile loop starts east of the visitor center on the AT and winds south through the forest to Iris Trail, which overlooks Lake Rutherford. (Iris is also open to bikes, as are several well-maintained paths in the park's 18-mile network.) You can cast for trout in stocked Sawmill or for a natural selection of bass and catfish in Lakes Marcia and Steenykill. Pick up a seven-day fishing license ($16.50, plus $15.50 to keep trout) and rent a canoe at High Point Trading Post, eight miles southeast of the park in Sussex ($25 per day; 973-702-7672).

The Specs: The drive from Manhattan to High Point State Park takes about 90 minutes. Follow I-80 over the George Washington Bridge to the town of Totowa, and turn north on New Jersey 23, which bisects the park. Campsites cost $10 per night. Call 973-875-4800 for park information.

Next Time Try:
Whitewater Campground, Kettle Moraine State Forest, Wisconsin

Kettle Moraine's 25-mile network of mountain-bike trails, rife with namesake glacial obstacles and accessible from Whitewater, make this a top destination for urbanites looking for a Windy City reprieve. There is, after all, a reason that its fans call it the Moab of the Midwest.

Location: 65 miles north of Chicago
Details: 63 sites; pit toilets; $11 per night, plus $4 reservation fee and $7 vehicle permit
Prime Time: June to mid-October
Contact: 414-594-6200

Angel Island State Park, San Francisco Bay, California
Alcatraz views, minus the claustrophobia. For the lights of Fisherman's Wharf, request a site on the south side; to catch sunrise over the Berkeley hills, grab the east side. And to forget city life entirely, stick with the island's three shaded interior sites.

Location: five miles north of San Francisco
Details: nine campsites; pit toilet; $12 per night, plus $7.50 reservation fee
Prime Time: April-October
Contact: 415-435-1563

Camp Marooned: East Anacapa Islet, Channel Islands National Park, California
The Spot: A remote perch atop a wind-scoured rib of igneous rock that's five miles long, a quarter-mile wide, and a stone's throw from southern California's busy coast. From the drop-off point at Landing Cove, the seven-pad campground (the only place you're allowed to sleep on Anacapa's three islets) is 154 stair steps up and a half-mile hike in. And while the view from your tent is sure to please, East Anacapa's panoramic piˆce de r‰sistance is the sunset, viewed from Inspiration Point, a 15-minute walk to the west.

The Stuff: Prowl the islet's 1.5-mile loop trail to scope out the local residents ù Anacapa hosts the world's largest colony of endangered California brown pelicans, not to mention amorous sea lions, harbor seals, and, from April to August, migrating blue whales. From Landing Cove, don a mask and fins to navigate the Channel Islands' famous kelp forests; add scuba gear to explore the Winfield Scott, a steamer that went down in 1853. Circumnavigation via kayak is the best way to check out the island's arches, lava tubes, and sea caves (but don't enter the caves unless you have appropriate experience, as the currents are quite tricky). Ventura-based OAARS (805-642-2912) rents kayaks for $40 per day; guide services run $135 per day.

The Specs: Anacapa Island is 60 miles west of Los Angeles. Head north on U.S. 101 to Ventura, and then take a 77-minute Island Packers ferry ride ($48 round-trip; 805-642-1393). To reserve a site ($2.50), call the National Park Reservation Service (800-365-2267) at least a month in advance. For park information, call 805-658-5700.

Next Time Try:
Little Tybee Island, Georgia
Avoid the mucky salt-marsh interior of this 7,700-acre isle, pitching your tent instead beneath the wind-bent cabbage palms along its empty sands. Bring your binoculars for glimpses of buntings, tanagers, and northern parulas.

Location: 25 miles east of Savannah
Details: camp on the southern tip of the island; no fees
Prime Time: October-March
Contact: 912-262-3173

Tooker's Island, Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Paddle ashore and head for the central clearing in this conifer-forested nubbin of rock off Isle Royale's southeast coast. Settle down in either of its shelters before striking out to explore the waters of nearby Raspberry and Caribou Islands.

Location: 30 miles southeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario
Details: two Adirondack shelters; park fee, $4 per person per day; free camping permit required
Prime Time: June-September
Contact: 906-482-0984

Camp Drive-In: Gooseberry Falls Campground, Gooseberry Falls State Park, Minnesota
The Spot: Prime real estate ù so prime, in fact, that wilderness buffs who normally scoff at camping within sight of their Subarus make reservations in February to secure relatively bug-free, breezy August nights around a Gooseberry campfire. Sheltered by an evergreen forest 100 yards west of Lake Superior's basalt-cliff-lined north shore, this 70-site, restroom-equipped campground hugs the pebbly mouth of Gooseberry River. There's also a riverside site for kayak-borne campers.

The Stuff: Cool off in the spray of the five-story-high, three-tiered lower falls, located about a mile's walk upstream. A few hundred yards farther, past the 30-foot upper falls, you'll find a footbridge that links up with the Superior Hiking Trail. Follow its 3.5-mile traverse of the 1,641-acre park and continue as far as feasible along its 220-mile route. From the campground, bikers should follow the road to Minnesota 61 and cross the bridge; the trails north of the river furnish short yet steep hills aplenty. Along the Superior shoreline you can kayak, cast for trout, and jump right in (though the 40-degree summer water will have you scrambling ashore awfully fast).

The Specs: Gooseberry Falls is 200 miles north of Minneapolis. Take I-35 through Duluth and then follow Minnesota 61 north through Two Harbors. Thirteen miles farther you'll find the park entrance; follow signs to the campground. Sites cost $12 per night, plus $4 for a vehicle permit. Call the Minnesota State Parks reservation line (800-246-2267) at least 90 days in advance. For general information, call park headquarters at 218-834-3855.

Next Time Try:
Jenny Lake Campground, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
The tent-only area near the lake's southeast shore fills up by 9 a.m. in summer months. So arrive early and be pushy. Then hop a ferry across the lake and pick up the Paintbrush Canyon Trail loop, where for 19.5 miles it'll be just you, 2,000-foot granite canyon walls, and a black bear here and there.

Location: 20 miles north of Jackson
Details: 49 sites; pit toilets; $12 per night
Prime Time: September
Contact: 307-739-3399

Site 23, Wheeler Peak Campground, Great Basin National Park, Nevada

A welcome diversion from U.S. 50 (aka the Loneliest Road in America) is Site 23. At 9,950 feet, it's nestled on the edge of a meadow with 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, Nevada's second highest, looming just 4.5 miles away and stands of 4,000-year-old bristlecone pine nearby.

Location: 245 miles north of Las Vegas
Details: pit toilets; $7 per night
Prime Time: late June-September
Contact: 775-234-7331

Camp Phenomenon: Apua Point Campground, Hawaii
The Spot: A black-sand oasis on the south coast of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Apua Point is a mere ten miles from Kilauea, the world's most active volcano ù and thus one of the only campgrounds in the country where you're likely to see bona fide eruption activity. Limited to 12 campers, the primitive site requires a three-hour hike over undulating pahoehoe lava and is lapped by a swim-nixing undercurrent. But after a hot day of climbing around Ma Nature's version of asphalt, the ocean breezes offer restoration and the regular crash of waves encourages deep sleep ù reason enough, apparently, for green turtles to crawl ashore and nap on the beach with you.

The Stuff: Lace up your day hikers for the ultimate geological field trip. Three hundred yards from the end of Chain of Craters Road is the ranger-approved spot for viewing the fireworks. To get closer to the action ù but not too close ù set out early, bring sunscreen and water, and hike 3.5 miles farther, to where Kilauea pumps 130,000 gallons of lava per minute into the Pacific via an underground tube. When the liquid-hot magma hits the sea, steam billows and toaster-size rocks explode skyward. Give the eruption zone a wide berth and always stay a quarter-mile inland ù newly formed land can collapse without warning. (The kayaking here is also for the brave and/or foolhardy.) To explore more of the 230,000-acre park's otherworldly landscape, hike the half-mile Pu'u Loa Trail, which leads to 25,000 petroglyphs, or the Pu'u Huluhulu, an hour's walk to the summit of a prehistoric cinder cone.

The Specs: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is 30 miles southwest of Hilo on the Big Island. Take Hawaii 11 to the visitor center near the park entrance, where you can pick up a seven-day vehicle permit ($10) and backcountry permit (free, available no more than one day in advance). Then follow Crater Rim Drive to Chain of Craters Road and the Pu'u Loa parking lot. From there the Puna Coast Trail winds 6.6 miles to Apua Point. For more information, call park headquarters at 808-985-6000.

Next Time Try:
Fort Kearney State Recreation Area, Nebraska

Claim a site in the secluded far west corner of the park amid stands of cottonwood and green ash. Come equipped with earmuffs, both for warmth and to muffle the racket of hundreds of thousands of honking sandhill cranes launching from the banks of the Platte River ù at sunrise, no less.

Location: 170 miles west of Omaha
Details: 110 sites (80 with hookups); pit toilets; $2.50 per night
Prime Time: March-early April
Contact: 800-227-8340

Site 34, Bowron Lakes Provincial Park, British Columbia
Why risk frostbite to view the aurora borealis (above) when you can see it ù atmospheric conditions willing ù from relatively balmy climes at 53 degrees north latitude? Namely this spruce-sheltered site on the fjordlike shore of Lanezi Lake, three days' paddle from the park visitor center.

Location: 150 miles north of Kamloops
Details: pit toilet; $40 to canoe any part of the park's 75-mile circuit; $12 site reservation fee
Prime Time: September
Contact: 250-398-4414