Untamed Uncrowded Unforgettable

Sunset, May, 2001

GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK, Baker, NV

It's easy to understand why Great Basin National Park is one of the country's least-visited natural treasures: Just off U.S. 50, the Loneliest Road in America, it's not near much except the Nevada-Utah border. Those who do make the effort to explore the park will find exquisitely formed caverns, 4,000-year-old bristlecone pines, and the continent's southernmost glacier.

At Lehman Caves, sign up early for one of the guided tours through an otherworldly half mile of stalactites, stalagmites, and twisting, straw-shaped helictites. Bring a sweatshirt, as the cave is a constant 50[degrees].

Afterward, drive 12 steep, curvy miles to the top of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, where there are a variety of hikes to suit all abilities.

The Alpine lakes Trail leads 2.6 miles to Stella and Teresa Lakes, which would appear more at home in the Rocky Mountains. Hike the Bristlecone-Glacier Trail, and within 2 miles you'll reach a grove of bristlecone pines, among the oldest living trees on Earth. Between 3,000 and 5,000 years old, these trees are testimony to spartan living under harsh conditions. A mile farther up, the trail is surrounded by the 1,500-foot-tall walls of 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak.

WHERE: On U.S. 50 near the Nevada-Utah border, turn south 5 miles on State 487; at Baker head west 5 miles on State 488 to the park.

WHEN: Visitor center, Lower Lehman Campground, and Lehman Caves open year-round; high country open May into October.

COST: Free.

SERVICES: Camping in the park's 104 sites costs $10 per night. Baker offers basic supplies (no gas) and a motel.

ACTIVITIES: Caves are next to the visitor center; tours take 30, 60, or 90 minutes and start at $2.

FYI: Wheeler Peak Scenic Dr. is too steep and curvy for most RVs.

NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK, near Sedro-Woolley, WA

The North Cascades National Park Service Complex, the only such designation in the system, is made up of three parts: the Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas and the North Cascades National Park--684,313 acres in all. It is connected to a jigsaw puzzle of other wild areas that add up to some 1 1/2 million acres of pristine land. On the west side of the park is lush rain forest. The east side is dry ponderosa and lodgepole pine country.

WHERE: North Cascades is 52 miles east of Interstate 5 along State 20.

WHEN: Open year-round. State 20, however, is closed in winter at milepost 134 near the park's eastern boundary; it's usually open from mid-April until mid-November. The road is busiest July through September.

COST: Free. You. need a Northwest Forest Pass (check at the visitor center) to park at some trailheads.

SERVICES: Visitor center is just off State 20 on the west edge of the village of Newhalem at milepost 120.

There's camping near Newhalem at Goodell Creek Campground ($10) and Newhalem Creek Campground (812). Up on Diablo Lake, there's Colonial Creek Campground ($12).

There are two resorts within the park: North Cascades Stehekin Lodge (509/682-4494 or www.stehekin.com) and Ross Lake Resort (206/386-4437 or www.rosslakeresort.com); both are only accessible by boat or foot. Lodging and dining are plentiful in Sedro-Woolley and Marblemount on the west side and Winthrop on the east.