Where is the remotest spot in the United States?

[somers515]

yep, that place is way out there.... Cool little hike though. Black mesa is in the only county in the USA that touches 5 states. OK, CO, TX, NM and KS.

What interests me the most is the place in the USA that has the darkest sky.. I believe this place is in Utah.

I share your thoughts colorado_rob. Remote to me has to factor in the darkness of the sky.

When I visited Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah I believe there was some educational material on it being a dark sky location, the materials possibly even suggested it was one of the darkest spots in the lower 48.

You might find this website helpful: http://darksitefinder.com/maps/world.html

Studying this map and when there was a new moon allowed me to see the milky way with my own eyes for the first time during my LT hike.

As you can see for us mid-atlantic folk there isn't a lot of dark sky nearby, the Adirondacks are good, and there are some spots in western PA and WV, but for real dark skies we need to go west!

There are people who try to encourage others to think about ways we can all try to reduce light pollution and it's not something I personally had given a lot of thought about until I got older and wiser.

[Odd Man Out]

Here's a guy who used on line mapping to determine the McFurthest spot, the place in the 48 states furthest from a McDonalds.

http://www.datapointed.net/2010/09/d...lds-sept-2010/

[Another Kevin]

Having spent many many years hiking and climbing in the DAKs, and hiking the NPT, the most remote point was pretty much in the vicinity where I figured it was and these folks found it. https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2...at-remote.html

I've been to Ouluska Pass, also. The 'just five miles from the nearest road' is horse hockey. It's five miles from the Ward Brook and Calkins Creek truck trails. Those show up as roads on a lot of maps, but nobody's driven on them in fifty years and they're grown to trees. It's more like eighteen miles from Averyville, Henderson Lake, Corey's Carry or Long Lake and a road that someone could drive on without a bulldozer today.

[Venchka]

I've been to Ouluska Pass, also. The 'just five miles from the nearest road' is horse hockey. It's five miles from the Ward Brook and Calkins Creek truck trails. Those show up as roads on a lot of maps, but nobody's driven on them in fifty years and they're grown to trees. It's more like eighteen miles from Averyville, Henderson Lake, Corey's Carry or Long Lake and a road that someone could drive on without a bulldozer today.

Thanks Kevin!
That’s the type of local knowledge that the couple who are “discovering” the remote spots need to incorporate into their data. 18 miles would place this spot very close to the distance from roads of the location in Wyoming mentioned in several articles online.
Wayne

[George]

as hikers, I think the real question would be the most remote as far as accessible to foot traffic only

- so not practical for off road vehicles, water landings, or even say too rough/ wooded to be practical for helicopter

[The Old Chief]

Don't know if it's the most remote but what about the so called "Zone of Death" in Yellowstone Park where there's a good argument that you can commit any crime and not be punished?

[Bronk]

Logger's Lake Missouri is one of the darkest places in the United States. Star gazers drive from all over the midwest to camp there because there is so little light pollution.

[The Kisco Kid]

I can confirm that the stars are very very bright (and the sky extremely dark) in Big Bend and surrounding areas!

[colorado_rob]

I can confirm that the stars are very very bright (and the sky extremely dark) in Big Bend and surrounding areas!

Yep, we just spent a week down there with clear skies the entire time....

Here is a great interactive map of the entire world, zoom around and play with the contrast slider... Sorry you USA easterners! And the poor Europeans.... Of course, my immediate city is no better....

http://darksitefinder.com/maps/world.html

[Venchka]

Don't know if it's the most remote but what about the so called "Zone of Death" in Yellowstone Park where there's a good argument that you can commit any crime and not be punished?

I’m having a hard time making sense out of that.
Technically, every square inch of a National Park is subject to Federal Law.
Internet myth and legend? Old wive’s tale? I’m confused as usual.
Wayne

[JJ505]

You have me all intrigued re: the Zone of Death. What I was reading though is that it's not only because it's so remote, but that it is in a legal no man's land. It's in Idaho where no one lives, that's the remote part , but they couldn't try the case in Wyoming which is the federal district because you have to try the case where the crime was committed.

[The Old Chief]

I’m having a hard time making sense out of that.
Technically, every square inch of a National Park is subject to Federal Law.
Internet myth and legend? Old wive’s tale? I’m confused as usual.
Wayne

Evidently it's been debated a lot by legal people over the years and there have been several unsuccessful attempts in Congress to pass a law to cover this area. A good book to read is "Free Fire" by C.J. Box about Yellowstone and this 50 square miles of parkland.

[Venchka]

Ok. I think I get it now.
The Yellowstone NP boundary includes Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Apparently there is a Federal-State tug of war over jurisdiction, etc.
The remote point and surrounding access paths lie entirely within Wyoming. Illegal hunting practices seem to be the major problem. The Grizz don’t mind and aren’t talking.
Wayne

[Venchka]

I was right and wrong about Federal jurisdiction in Yellowstone. Sorry about that.
I did answer a question I had: Yellowstone NP is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
I thought Congress worked slow. The Yellowstone jurisdictional mess is over 120 years old and Congress has yet to fix it.
Go figure.
Wayne

[JJ505]

I was right and wrong about Federal jurisdiction in Yellowstone. Sorry about that.
I did answer a question I had: Yellowstone NP is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
I thought Congress worked slow. The Yellowstone jurisdictional mess is over 120 years old and Congress has yet to fix it.
Go figure.
Wayne

Its what I would have thought, Wayne. I suppose it would take a real violent crime that someone got away with. There have been no incidents (as far as I read anyway, except for the odd elk pouching). I'm gathering most people don't go there to commit murder?

[ScareBear]

All of southern Utah is frigging remote. Bryce Canyon is remote as hell. Cedar Breaks is even more remote. If you think about it, Brian Head is the most remote public ski area in the US. The drive west of Grand Junction on I-70 is pretty damn remote as well....106 miles between services....that's 106 miles of essentially absolutely NOTHING...I-80 in west UT...40 miles between EXITS...yikes....for sure NOTHING in those 40 miles...

[jjozgrunt]

Bugger stop posting up more NPs. BBNP now added to our Texas trip. Going to need 3 months just to do that state.

[colorado_rob]

Bugger stop posting up more NPs. BBNP now added to our Texas trip. Going to need 3 months just to do that state.

Well, since it's "on your way" (from Aus to USA), some day if you haven't already, hike up to the top of Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii. There is a summit cabin up there you can sleeping (bring warm sleeping bag). I cannot remember if it costs anything, you reserve it with Volcano NP because it is in the NP. LONG hike if you start in VNP, but easy-peasy hike from the saddle road, something like 15 miles roundtrip.

As dark of sky as you can get basically, and besides that the air is extremely steady, which is why there are a gazillion huge observatories on top of neighboring Mauna Kea.

On the inside of the entry door of the "summit cabin* ", someone wrote: "My God, it's full of stars !" (Does anyone know where that line was from?)

(* the actual true summit of Mauna Loa is actually a 4 mile or so walk around the summit crater from the summit cabin, if one cares about such things. And the actual high point of HAwaii is neighboring Mauna Kea. Both peaks are well up into the 13K feet in elevation)

[TX Aggie]

The remotest spot in the US?

Washington, DC. Because everyone there is completely remote from the rest of the US.

[Venchka]

The remotest spot in the US?

Washington, DC. Because everyone there is completely remote from the rest of the US.

Perfect! Well done!
Wayne