While America is a country of megacities and densely populated areas, it’s also home to some of the most rural places on earth. Large open spaces of pure wilderness, with not another soul around for miles. Sure, it might take a little extra effort to reach these remote places in the USA, but admit it: It’s pretty cool to say, “You can’t believe where I just went…” when you return home. So welcome to the middle of nowhere…
Most Remote Places in the USA
1. Denali Wilderness, Denali National Park, Alaska
Larger than the entire state of New Jersey, Denali National Park and Preserve is a vast wilderness and must-see space; almost 6 million acres of Denali National Park and Preserve are protected as wilderness. Visitors to the Denali Wilderness have the opportunity to witness plants, animals and birds in their natural habitats.
2. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Yellowstone National Park’s 2 million acres are home to an amazing mix of natural beauty, rugged wilderness, majestic peaks and wildlife, as well as the world’s largest concentration of geysers and thermal features. While iconic spots such as Old Faithful, Lower Falls and Yellowstone Lake might attract plenty of visitors, you’ll feel like you’re exploring other areas of the park all alone.
3. 100-Mile Wilderness, Maine
The 100-Mile Wilderness is the notorious one hundred mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail from Monson, Maine to Katahdin, Maine’s tallest mountain. The Appalachian Trail is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, ranging from Maine to Georgia. This route is among the most challenging and remote and it has the wildest feel of any area of the Trail.
4. Maze District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Imagine endless deep canyons, towering mesas, pinnacles, cliffs, and spires stretching across 527 square miles. This is Canyonlands National Park! The Maze is the least accessible district of Canyonlands. Due to the district’s remoteness and the difficulty of roads and trails, travel to the Maze requires more time, so bring supplies and plan to spend at least three days exploring.
5. Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah
The Bonneville Salt Flats are a huge 30,000 acre expanse of hard, white salt crust on the western edge of the Great Salt Lake basin in Utah. The flats are about 12 miles long and five miles wide, covering about 46 square miles in total. Visitors from all around the world have traveled to see this pristine, otherworldly landscape.
6. Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, Montana
The Great Bear, Bob Marshall, and Scapegoat Wildernesses form the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, an area of more than 1.5 million acres. It’s one of the most completely preserved mountain ecosystems in the world. This is also the last holdout habitat south of Canada for the grizzly bear!
7. Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, Idaho
The Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness area is a wilderness of steep, rugged mountains, deep canyons, and wild, whitewater rivers. It encompasses a total of 2,366,757 acres and is the largest contiguous wilderness in the United States outside of Alaska.
