There may be more than 323 million people in the USA, but you don’t need to leave American soil to find vast swathes of remote wilderness, with boundless opportunities to clear your head. Here are 15 incredible places where you can well and truly escape the crowds.

The untamed Ozark Mountains in Arkansas offer pristine rivers, cascading waterfalls, and 75 miles of horse riding trails, plus rafting, kayaking and hiking. Walk the isolated, 36-mile Buffalo River Trail and, if you’re lucky, you might see otters, bobcats, bald eagles and raccoons. 

Rent a remote cedar cabin near the Buffalo National River Wilderness and hire a kayak to navigate the pristine waters, bordered by immense limestone bluffs. Car access here is very limited, so you’re best off exploring by foot or on water. Access the area from south of Boxley Valley, off State Route 21.

A whopping 170 million acres of North America was once covered in prairie, but thanks to urbanisation and ploughing less than 4% is left. To glimpse an unspoiled swathe of grassland, head to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas, where you'll find an immense 11,000-acre expanse.

Fill up on gas in Strong City before taking a slow 15-mile drive into the preserve along a gravel trail. You’ll see a jaw-dropping expanse of grassland, dotted with wildflowers, and vast, open skies. Go more remote by hiking one of the 40 back-country trails – take the route through the Windmill Pasture, where over 2,000 wild bison graze. Visitors can’t camp in the preserve, but there’s accommodation aplenty in Strong City, two miles away.

The 21 Apostle Islands, nestled off Northern Wisconsin’s Bayfield Peninsula in Lake Superior, are wild and rugged. Make larger Madeline Island your base and explore from there, either by kayak, water taxi or sailboat. Visit remote fishing villages, pick wild blueberries in summer and explore the sea caves on Devil’s Island, where only the lighthouse keeper lives. Black bears can be found on the islands too.

Enjoy miles of pristine beaches and, if you’re feeling brave, have a swim in the chilly Lake Superior waters. You can access Madeline Island via a car ferry, which runs from Bayfield between spring and winter, until the lake starts to freeze. With a population of 246, it’s the only island with commercial development. Stay in a cabin or inn, or for a more remote experience you can camp on all but two of the islands (though you’ll need a permit).

This 262,000-acre forest on Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Plateau offers 550 miles of backpacking trails and over 80 miles of horse riding. Explore part of the 85-mile Susquehanna Trail – or all if you have time – and look out for bears, deer, porcupines and bobcats along the way. For a jaw-dropping blaze of colour, go during the fall.

Camp in Cherry Springs State Park, deep inside the forest, where there are 30 basic sites (don’t expect electric hook-ups). It’s considered the best stargazing spot on the east coast and there’s so little light pollution, the Milky Way actually casts your shadow. On a clear night, you’ll see thousands of stars. Bring a coat and blanket to keep you warm.

Voted America’s second most secluded stretch of sand, Carova Beach in North Carolina’s Outer Banks offers miles of uninterrupted coastline, pounded by Atlantic rollers. Wild mustangs roam the seafront here and the only access is by sandy tracks. A 4x4 is a must, unless you want to spend hours digging out your car.

There are no hotels in Carova, just holiday homes, and you’ll be wise to book several months in advance. Spend your days surfing, paddle boarding, and kayaking, then explore the dunes and coastal woodland – keep an eye out for pods of dolphins too. Make sure you bring all your beach provisions with you because there are no shops, although you’ll find groceries in neighbouring Corolla.

One of the least-visited of the US parks, North Cascades National Park offers glassy lakes, peaceful forests, towering mountain peaks and more than 300 glaciers. The area is so remote, central parts of it weren’t mapped until 1989, yet it’s just three hours from Seattle.

 

There are family-friendly walks around glossy green Diablo Lake but, if you’re feeling adventurous, hike the 12-mile trail from Cascade Pass to the Sahale Glacier. There are several good areas for rock climbing too. If you don’t fancy camping, stay in a floating cabin at the Ross Lake Resort, which is accessed via a mile-long hike or via ferry. Take food with you though as there’s no restaurant.

It’s only a 15-minute flight from Honolulu, but Molokai is one of Hawaii’s less developed and least-visited islands. Here there are no traffic lights, no building taller than a palm tree and just one hotel. Powerful surf makes many of the coves too dangerous for swimming, but it’s worth making the effort to reach Kapukahehu Beach on the remote west coast. Here, you can swim and snorkel if the waters are calm, and it’s possible you’ll only have a basking monk seal for company.

Drive the winding, single-track coastal road to the stunning Halawa Valley, which is considered a sacred site for locals. From here you can take a guided hike deep into the valley, then see and swim beneath the plunging Mo’oula Falls. You’ll learn about ancient worship sites along the way.

In North East Minnesota’s vast Boundary Waters canoe area you’ll find over a million square acres of peace and solitude. Hire a canoe in Ely, then leave the crowds far behind as you explore some of the 1,000 lakes and rivers. Keep an eye out for moose and deer as you paddle through the watery wilderness, and listen out for howling wolves.

Here, cars, electricity and running water simply don’t exist, and camping is basic. There are around 2,200 sites, and you’ll need a permit to stay overnight. Make things easier by using one of the experienced outfitters in Ely, who can supply you with all the kit you’ll need, including maps, food and permits.

This stretch of Route 50, connecting Carson City, Nevada, to central Utah, has gained legendary status as The Loneliest Road in America. And for good reason – you’ll see few towns and even fewer people as you motor through miles of sandy desert, flanked by snow-capped mountains.

The beauty here is in the open vistas and enduring solitude, but make a stop at Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area, near Austin, to see the prehistoric rock art. Afterwards, soothe your muscles in the natural geothermal pools at Spencer Hot Springs. There are few services along Route 50 and limited gas stations, so fill up when you get the chance.

It takes the effort of a five-mile hike to get to California’s Wildcat Beach, but once there you’ll find a gloriously secluded stretch of sand. Soak up the expansive views of the Pacific Ocean and admire Alamere Falls, which gush 30 feet down the cliffs onto the beach.

Stay at Wildcat Camp, which sits on a meadow a short walk from the beach. There are pit toilets, charcoal grills and food lockers to safeguard your provisions from the local raccoons. The quickest walk to Wildcat begins from the Palomarin trail head at the southern end of Point Reyes.

Home to the Havasupai Tribe since AD 1300, Supai village and the Havasupai Reservation are hidden deep within the Grand Canyon. Supai is the most remote village in the lower 48 states, so much so that the post arrives by mule. Getting here involves a challenging eight-mile trek beneath the canyon’s rim, either on horseback or by foot, and with summer temperatures over 37°C (100°F), you’ll need water and stamina aplenty.

Supai Village itself has a café and store, but for a truly breathtaking sight head two miles on, to Havasu Falls. Here, vivid blue-green water tumbles 100 feet down a cliff, and you can cool off in some of the quieter pools nearby. There’s a campsite, but reservations are essential and you’ll need to book several months in advance. 

At New Mexico’s White Sands National Monument you can lose yourself in 275 square miles of silky soft, bright white gypsum. Sledge down 30-foot dunes, hike for hours or explore the area on horseback. Make sure you take a map and compass, because the wind can erase your footprints in seconds, so there's no going back on your tracks.

By night, snooze under canvas in one of the simple back-country campsites. You won’t find any toilets or luxuries here, but you will find a breathtaking star-studded night sky. You’ll need to obtain a permit from the visitor centre, which is found off Highway US-70, between Alamogordo and Las Cruces.

This tiny rocky island, 10 miles off the Maine coast, is devoid of cars and paved roads. Instead, it offers 12 miles of hiking trails, complete with magnificent Atlantic views and plenty of blackberries to keep you going. Afterwards, sink your teeth into a lobster roll at Fish House seafood market at Lobster Cove. 

Travel to Monhegan by ferry from Port Clyde, New Harbor or Boothbay Harbor – look out for porpoises and seals en route. At just one square mile, the island can be explored in a day, but there are a handful of B&Bs and cottages to rent.

It may be one of the largest of the US national parks, but Big Bend in Western Texas is also one of the least-visited. Its plunging canyons, vast swathes of the Chihuahuan Desert and the cascading Rio Grande offer limitless opportunity for hiking, kayaking or a horseback adventure.

Explore the steep, rocky trails by horseback and soak up views over the Rio Grande and into Mexico beyond. Fully immerse yourself in Big Bend with a four-night riding adventure, camping in tents overnight or sleeping under the stars. Lajitas Stables, just outside Lajitas town, offer trips lasting from two hours to four days. 

Alaska’s Denali National Park offers six million acres of remote wilderness (that’s about half the size of Switzerland), including the highest peaks in North America, crystalline lakes and brightly-coloured tundra. It’s also home to majestic moose, grizzly bears and wolves. 

A single 92-mile road winds its way through Denali, and while you can drive the first 15 miles yourself, you’ll need to catch a shuttle bus to go any further. Hop off whenever you want and find true solitude by hiking off-trail. There are six basic campsites and four remote lodges or, if you’ve had your fill of isolation, you can base yourself in Fairbanks city, two hours northeast. If you liked this, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more great travel stories.