Dark Canyon Wilderness, Utah
Dark Canyon’s sheer, redrock walls and narrow slots conjure the Southwest’s most iconic parks. But unlike its higher-profile neighbors, this 47,000-acre wilderness south of Canyonlands and east of Lake Powell remains utterly undeveloped. The premier tour is the 40-mile, five- to seven-day loop of Woodenshoe, Dark, and Peavine Canyons (including four miles of road walking between trailheads). You’ll pass Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, remnants of early Anglo settlers, and natural arches. Find water and good campsites at Woodenshoe Canyon’s confluences with Cherry Canyon and Dark Canyon; six miles up Dark Canyon; and where Kigalia Canyon meets Peavine. Keep an eye out for petroglyphs and a cliff dwelling in Woodenshoe about a mile below Cherry Canyon. Target spring and early fall for comfortable temps and reliable water. Local knowledge While there are cliff dwellings throughout Woodenshoe Canyon, most are quite small (likely used to store grain) and high off the ground in the Cedar Mesa sandstone layer. 6-8 Days
Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon
Eagle Cap’s top trip, a 41-mile loop tucked away in the southeastern part of Oregon’s largest wilderness, deals a royal flush of granite towers and secluded lakeside camping. From East Eagle trailhead, follow Trail 1910 toward Horton Pass; seven miles in, just before climbing the pass, take the unmarked trail 1.8 miles to Hidden Lake, and camp on its lonely shores ringed by spiky peaks. From Horton Pass on day two, make the 90-minute round-trip up trailed 9,572-foot Eagle Cap for its 360-degree vista of the range. Continue on Trail 1910 to descend into the Lakes Basin and pick up Trails 1806 and 1820 to sweeping views of the wilderness from Glacier Pass and Hawkins Pass. Complete the loop via Trail 1816, Cliff Creek Trail 1885 (where the larch foliage pops in early October, as it does along Eagle Creek), and Trail 1945. Local knowledge The wildflowers, lake panoramas, and fall colors make this loop a photographer’s dream. Save space on your memory card for: Mirror Lake reflecting Eagle Cap Peak; Glacier Lake laced by rocky peaks cloaked in snow; and the view down the South Fork Imnaha River Valley from Hawkins Pass. Hit the lakes in the early morning for calm, reflective waters. To see blooming Indian paintbrush, sego lilies, bluebell, and other wildflowers (best at Hawkins Pass and along Cliff Creek), go in July. 6-8 Days
White Cloud Mountains, Idaho
Named for the snow-white rock of several peaks, the range was part of a failed national-park proposal 40 years ago. The result instead was the creation of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area—an outcome that, ironically, helped preserve the obscurity of the White Clouds. The upshot is that you can have mountains that evoke Yellowstone’s Gallatin Range or Absarokas, with elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, black bears, and even gray wolves—almost to yourself. Our choice route: a 32.5-mile, partly off-trail (hiking, no scrambling) loop from Fourth of July Creek trailhead on the west side of the range. 4-5 Days
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