---12+ years of serving the backpacking community---

WELCOME TO

CHUCK'S

BACKPACKING*

BONANZA

*and also paddling, biking, volunteer trail projects, Sierra Club Outings, Elderhostel programs, scenic railroads, and more (and photos of all)

No glitz here -- just 70-plus megs of content without cookies or ads. This website is comprised of over 300 interlinked pages and about 1000 photos and is constantly in the process of revision, so check back often for the newest additions. The main Table of Contents is annotated, explaining exactly what each section contains, or you may use the Quick Links in the sidebar to its left. Enjoy my efforts, and feel free to send comments to the e-mail address located on the bottom of each page.

NEW -- Chuck's Adventures -- a photo blog with my latest adventures

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shattered, over-civilized people
are beginning to find out
that going to the mountains is going home:
that wilderness is a necessity."

--John Muir--

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are backpacker number

to traverse these virtual trails since January 10, 1996

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,

places to play in and pray in,

where Nature may heal and cheer

and give strength to body and soul alike. "

--John Muir--

QUICK LINKS Backpacking: Philosophy of Wilderness Backpack Locations Wildflowers Wildlife Tips about gear Tips about food Tips about backpacking techniques Backpacking Links Distributors Quotations Bibliography of backpacking books Original Poems Mountain Men photos Backpack gear checklist Organizations Gov't Agencies Great Sand Dunes National Park Volunteer Trail Projects 1997 Marshall Wilderness-Flathead NF in MT 1998 Gallatin NF in MT 1999 Manti-LaSal NF in UT 2000 Columbia River Gorge in WA 2001 Colorado Trail 2001 Hiawatha NF in MI 2002 Superstition Wilderness in AZ 2002 Cumberland Trail of TN 2002 Pine Mountain Trail of KY & VA 2002 Buffalo River in AK 2003 Palmetto Trail of SC 2003 Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area of VA 2003 Apache Sitgreaves National Forest in AZ 2004 Florida Trail 2004 Goat Rocks Wilderness in WA 2005 Cape Cod National Seashore 2006 Palmetto Trail in SC 2007 Spring Valley Trail in AZ Elderhostel Active-Outdoor Programs: 2002 Adventure 101 2002 Kayaking the Colorado 2002 Appalachian Hiking and White Water Rafting 2002 Biking the Katy Trail 2003 O'ahu, Maui, and Kaua'i Adventure 2003 Paddling Lakes,Rivers, Swamps of South Carolina 2003 Whitewater Rafting the San Juan River 2003 Houseboating & Kayaking Lake Powell 2004 Okefenokee Swamp Safari 2005 Biking Cape Cod and Nantuckett Island 2005 Acadia National Park: hiking, biking, kayaking 2006 Canoeing Ocala National Forest 2006 KayakingAmelia Island and Okefenokee Swamp 2007 Biking the Border's Wild West 2007 Mexico's Copper Canyon by El Pacifico Railroad 2007 Kayaking Texas Bays and Estuaries 2008 Paddling 3 Florida Rivers 2008 Florida, Suwannee River Kayak, Hike, and Folklore Biking: Anchorage, Alaska area trails Juneau, Alaska trails Arizona's Buena Vista Trail Arizona's Coyote Trail Arizona's Rim View Trail Arkansas' Lake Fayetteville Trail Arkansas' Lake Wedington Trail Arkansas' Kingfisher Trail/Lake Sequoyah Colorado's Glenwood Canyon Trail Colorado's Grand Junction Riverfront Trail Colorado's Salida Trail Florida's Ft. Clinch State Park trail Florida - Gainesville area trails Florida's Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail Florida's Paisley Lake Mountain Bike Trail (Ocala Natl. Forest) Florida's Santos Bike Trails Florida's Withlacoochee Trail State Park Florida's Pinellas Trail Florida's Suncoast Trail Florida's Van Fleet Trail Florida's West Orange Trail Florida's Little Econ Trail Florida's Big Shoals Lands Florida's Guana Tolomato Matanzas Georgia's Jekyll Island Georgia's St. Simons Island Grand Canyon's South Rim Bikeway Idaho/Montana's Hiawatha Trail Idaho's Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes Salina, Kansas' Levee Trail Kansas' Shunga Creek Trail (Topeka) Kentucky - Louisville Riverfront Massachusetts: Cape Cod trails Maine's Acadia Natl. Park Missouri's Katy Trail Montana's River Edge Trail (Great Falls) Seattle's Burke-Gillman Trail South Carolina's Killer 3 Trail Tennessee-Knoxville Trails Virginia's New River Trail State Park Virginia's Creeper Trail Washington's Interurban Trail   Chicagoland Bike Trails: Blackwell Forest Trail Busse Reservoir Bike Trail Centennial Trail Chicago Lakefront Path Danada/Herrick Lake in DuPage County Deer Grove Forest Preserve Des Plaines River Trail in Lake County Des Plaines River Trail in Cook County Fox River Trail Grant Woods Trail Great Western Trail Green Bay Trail Hebron Trail Illinois Prairie Path I & M Canal Trail (Cook County) I & M Canal State Trail (Channahon to LaSalle) McHenry's Prairie Trail Millennium Trail of Lake County Moraine Hills State Park North Branch of the Chicago River Trail North Shore Trail Old Plank Road Trail Palatine Bike Trail Poplar Creek Trail Robert McClory Trail Rock Run Greenway Veteran Acres/Sterne's Woods Virgil Gilman Trail Waterfall Glen Forest Trail More info on bike trails Paddling: Canoeing Arizona's Verde River River Rumble 2003 (Mississippi River) Canoeing Florida's Juniper Run Rafting the Grand Canyon Kayaking the Colorado Appalachian White Water Rafting Maui, and Kaua'i Kayaking Kayaking Florida's Suwannee River Paddling Lakes,Rivers, Swamps of South Carolina Whitewater Rafting and Kayaking the San Juan River Houseboating & Kayaking Lake Powell Kayaking Florida's Canaveral National Seashore Kayaking Alaska's Misty Fjord Rafting Nenana River (Denali NP) Rafting Mendenhall River (Juneau, Alaska) Rafting Alaska's Placer River Kayaking Frenchman Bay (Bar Harbor, Maine) Canoeing Ocala National Forest (FL) Kayaking Amelia Island and Okefenokee Swamp Kayaking Florida's Greatest Rivers and Springs Kayaking Shadows of the Great Smoky Mountains Rafting NC's Nantahala River Rafting WV's New River Gorge Canoeing Utah's Green River Kayaking Texas Gulf Coast Bays and Estuaries Kayaking Texas' Guadalupe River Rafting the Arkansas in Colorado Rafting Wyoming's Snake River Canoeing Montana's Missouri Breaks Canoeing Florida's Suwannee & Ichetucknee Rivers Chicagoland paddling locales: Busse Reservoir Des Plaines River Des Plaines River Canoe Marathon Fox River Independence Grove Skokie Lagoons Sierra Club Outings: Trail project in Superstition Wilderness Kayaking the Suwannee River Backpacking Hoosier NF Kayaking Canaveral National Seashore Alaska Autumn Sampler/backpacking Trail project at Cape Cod Natlional Seashore Kayaking Florida's Great Rivers Kayaking Shadows of the Great Smoky Mountains A Naturalist's Kayak Trip Scenic railroads: Scenic railroads of CO and AZ Alaska's White Pass & Yukon Route Alaska Railroad Colorado's Royal Gorge RR Driving: Million Dollar Highway in Colorado 4WD photos Blue Ridge Parkway The Alaska Highway (AlCan) The Razor's Edge in Colorado Miscellaneous: Vanity Plates Author info Disclaimer Email comments to Chuck CREDITS: All photos copyrighted by Chuck Morlock 1996-2008 Top photo: view across Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park, 1997. Second photo: Author in Great Smoky Mountains National Park; (photo by Len Kortekaas, 1995) Photos taken with a Minolta XGM with 35-120 zoom and macro (until it broke on Isle Royale); then Pentax zoom90WR; then an Olympus Stylus 170 Zoom WR; then an HP 318 digital, then Minolta DiMage Xi, Xt, and X1 digital cameras, and now a Nikon D80. This site created using Adobe PageMill 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 for the Macintosh on a PowerMacintosh desktop 5300/100, then a G3 PowerBook, then an iMac700SE, and now a G5 dual 1.8GHz PowerPC Celebrating 12 years of serving the backpacking community   This site created on January 5, 1996.   Latest revision: March 24, 2008     AWARDS This site is proud to have been chosen as "Cool Site of the Month" for February, 1997, by Stephen Johns' Backcountry Home Page The Camping Fools have bestowed their "Camping Fools Award" declaring this a "Site of Excellence" (April, 1998) Netguide.com named this site one of the "Best of the Web" in its sports category (Fall, 1999) OutdoorPlaces.com declared this site one of the "Best of the Web" in December of 1999 Thanks to all!     To make comments about anything on this web site, just click on the blue, and thanks! CMorHiker@aol.com     Contents copyright 1996-2008 by Chuck Morlock

ANNOTATED TABLE OF CONTENTS Backpacking and hiking: Prologue: Hooray for wilderness! This section chronicles my introduction to the glories of wild places and why I fervently believe they MUST remain as places wild. Though it may seem to be a paradox, designated wilderness areas are vital to civilization, for without these "blank spots" on the map, we are all diminished. Interesting quotes on wilderness are also available on this page (as well as many other pages). My favorite backpacking locations (including photos): I've backpacked these 50 wilderness areas and this section will provide information about them and over 500 photos of them with accompanying trail information. If you desire additional information about any of these backpacking areas, contact me by e-mail and I'll gladly give you more information and answer your questions as best as I can. My address is at the bottom of each page. To help "pay back" to the backpacking community, I have participated in a number of "Volunteer Vacation" trail projects through the auspices of the American Hiking Society and Sierra Club and I am pleased to present photos and comments on each project. --1997 --Bob Marshall Wilderness of the Flathead National Forest in Montana. --1998-- Gallatin National Forest of Montana. --1999 --Manti-LaSal National Forest. of Utah --2000-- Columbia River Gorge (Chinook Trail Conference) in Washington State's Beacon Rock State Park. -- 2001-- The Colorado Trail above Copper Mountain Resort. -- 2001-- Hiawatha National Forest of Michigan --2002 -- a Sierra Club Service Project in the Superstition Wilderness of the Tonto National Forest. -- 2002-- Cumberland Trail Conference in Tennessee. --2002-- Pine Mountain Trail Conference in Virginia and Kentucky. --2002 -- Buffalo National River in Arkansas --2003 --The Palmetto Trail in South Carolina --2003 -- Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area (Jefferson National Forest) in Virginia --2003-- Apache Sitgreaves National Forest on northern Arizona's Mogollon Rim --2004-- The Florida Trail in Osceola National Forest along the Suwanee River --2004-- Goat Rocks Wilderness of the Pinchot National Forest in Washington --2005-- Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts (Sierra Club Trail Project) --2006 --South Carolina's Palmetto Trail in the Francis Marion National Forest --2006 -- Independence Grove of the Forest Preserve District of Lake County (Illinois) --2007 -- Spring Valley Trail in Arizona's Hell's Canyon Wilderness I strongly encourage you to consider volunteering for a project if you can spare the time. (Maybe you'll get to have a supper of deer, elk, and. moose with the crew of the long-running PBS series "This Old House" as we did in '97! See my photo of Steve and Norm.) Mountain men still exist, sort of. While backpacking in the Weminuche Wilderness of Colorado in 1994, we met five mountain men, replete with 1800s gear, clothing, and single shot long rifles. Here are photos and information gleaned from them regarding their unusual variation of our sport. Here is a list of distributors I've used and whom I would highly recommend. They sell quality merchandise, stand behind that merchandise if there is a problem, and have knowledgeable sales staff. Included are addresses, phone numbers, and links to their websites. Links to over 120 quality backpacking websites I've found which can provide you more entertainment, information, and enjoyment. If you know of other sites, let me know. If you maintain a backpacking website of your own, let's link up! Contact me below. Backpacking tips I've accumulated from that masterful instructor called "experience" as well as tips sent to me by others: Tips about Gear Tips about Food Tips about Techniques Annotated Bibliography: Here are lists of my favorite books related to backpacking, with comments about each book included to assist you in choosing which books might be of interest or value to you. How-To" Books (techniques) Philosophical Books ( the "why", not the "how") True Experience Books (actual backpacking adventures.) Need a checklist of items to take while backpacking? Here is my list. I don't take every item on every trip, but this is the starting point to guarantee no necessities are overlooked, so customize this list to your own preferences. Those of us from mountainless areas must acclimate to the altitude before engaging in strenuous backpacking. My favorite place to acclimate is Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve in Colorado. Can you envision 39 square miles of sand dunes, the tallest reaching over 70 stories high, abutting mountains with 14,000 foot peaks towering in the distance? Having trouble imagining this? Then see these photos! We Midwestern "flatlanders" envy those domiciled in proximity to a national forest or a national park. But at least I have ready access to Deer Grove Forest Preserve for hiking and mountain biking just three miles from my house. Magnificent wildflowers are a bonus to any backpacker. Their beauty and tenacity for life make them worthy of inclusion in this website. Here are photos of a dozen or so I've encountered on my backpacks. Wildlife can be the highlight of any backpacking trip, but often luck is involved. Was the camera accessible? Did the critter "pose" long enough for a decent shot to be taken? Did the lighting work out just right? Here are some shots that worked. (The photos are on 3 different pages.) page 1: elk, wild turkey, bison, marmot, butterflies, and mountain goat page 2: deer, fox, baby mergansers, wild burros page 3: alligator, cottonmouth snakes, gull, turtle rand Junction Riverfront Trailpage 4: grizzlies in Denali and Yellowstone National Parks page 5: deer and caribou page 6: sea lions, big horn sheep, buffalo For centuries, poets, authors, philosophers and conservationists have struggled to capture in mere words the spiritual essence and resplendent grandeur of trees and wilderness. The English teacher within me wishes to share these literary endeavors with you, so here are presented over a hundred excerpts from works by the world's greatest authors and thinkers as food for thought. Wilderness is inspirational. Its sights and sounds and scents and scenes have enkindled within me a need to express my thoughts and feelings and backcountry experiences in original poetry. Here is a listing of organizations which foster the use and preservation of the outdoors. All will gladly provide information to you, and if you have a few bucks to spare, send some to one or more of these fine organizations so they can expand upon their vital work. Here is a list of government agencies which manage land suitable for a multitude of outdoor activities. It also includes their snail mail addresses, phone numbers, and links to their websites. Places I'd like more information on: These are locations I hope to backpack in the future. If you've been to any of these locales, I'd appreciate e-mail about them. Thanks! My address is below. Elderhostel Programs: If you enjoy active, outdoor vacations, you will definitely find an Elderhostel program of interest to you. The only requirement is having attained the age of 55 years. A non-profit organization specializing in learning of every sort, it is a sort of college for older folks, offering an astounding array of many thousands of reasonably priced programs (active and classroom) all over the world. If you enjoy doing something or wish to learn something, they have a program covering that area! I have participated in several and have some photos of them. 2002-- In Scottsdale, Arizona: Adventure 101 which involved rappelling, white-water canoeing, canyoneering, hiking, and orienteering. 2002-- From Chloride, Arizona: Kayaking the Colorado River below Hoover Dam in the Lake Mead Recreation Area's Black Canyon. 2002-- From Highlands, North Carolina, Appalachian Hiking and White Water Rafting (class 2, 3 and 4 rapids). 2002-- From St. Charles, Missouri, Bicycling the Katy Trail (140 miles along the Missouri River). 2003-- In Hawai'i, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and surfing with O'ahu, Maui, and Kaua'i Adventure Program. 2003-- In South Carolina, Paddling Lakes, Rivers, and Swamps. 2003-- In Utah, White Water Rafting and Kayaking San Juan River 2003-- In Arizona & Utah, Houseboating and Kayaking on Lake Powell 2004-- In Georgia, Okefenokee Swamp Safari 2005-- in Massachusetts, Biking Cape Cod and Nantuckett Island 2005-- In Maine's Acadia National Park: hiking, biking, and sea kayaking 2006-- In Florida, Canoeing Ocala National Forest 2006-- In Florida, Sea KayakingAmelia Island and Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp 2007-- In Arizona, Biking the Border's Wild West 2007-- From Texas, Mexico's Copper Canyon by El Pacifico Railroad 2007-- In Texas, Kayaking Texas Gulf Coast Bays and Estuaries 2008-- In Florida, Canoeing Three Rivers 2008-- In Florida, Suwannee River: Canoe, Hike, and Folklore Biking: (Rails-To-Trails and other paths I have biked across the USA) Anchorage, Alaska area trails Juneau, Alaska trails Arizona's South Rim Bikeway on the Grand Canyon South Rim Arizona's Rim View Trail which encircles Page, Arizona Arizona's Ghost of the Coyote Mountain Bike Trail in the White Mountains Arizona's Buena Vista Mountain Bike Trail Arkansas' Lake Fayetteville Trail Arkansas' Lake Wedington Trail in the Ozark National Forest Arkansas' Kingfisher Trail at Lake Sequoyah Colorado's Glenwood Canyon Trail Colorado's Grand Junction Riverfront Trail Colorado's Salida Trail Florida's Florida's Ft. Clinch State park trail Florida's Gainesville area trails (Gainesville-Hawthorne, Depot Ave., Waldo Road, and Paynes Prairie Preserve) Florida's Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail Florida's Santos Bike Trails in the Ocala National Forest Florida's Pinellas Trail Florida's Suncoast Trail Florida's Van Fleet Trail Florida's West Orange Trail Florida's Paisley Lake Mountain Bike Trail in the Ocala National Forest Florida's Little Econ Trail Florida's Big Shoals Lands Florida's Guana Tolomato Matanzas Trail Florida's Withlacoochee Trail State Park Georgia's Jekyll Island Georgia's St. Simon's Island Idaho/Montana border: The Hiawatha Trail extending for 13 miles (in 2000) and going through 9 tunnels and over 7 trestles in the magnificent Bitterroot Mountains Idaho's Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes Kansas' Levee Trail in Salina Louisville, Kentucky's Riverfront Trail Maine's Acadia Natl. Park Massachusetts' Trails at Cape Cod, Nantucket Island, and Martha's Vineyard Missouri's Katy Trail traverses 225 miles Montana's River Edge Trail in Great Falls South Carolina's Killer 3 Trail of Manchester State Forest Tennessee's Knoxville Trails Virginia's New River Trail State Park Virginia Creeper Trail in the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area (Jefferson National Forest) Seattle, Washington's Burke-Gillman Trail Bellingham, Washington's Interurban Trail Chicagoland Bike Trails: Blackwell Forest Trail in DuPage County. Busse Reservoir Bike Trail in northwest Chicagoland Centennial Trail of southwest Chicagoland Chicago Lakefront Path Danada/Herrick Lake Trail in DuPage County Deer Grove Forest Preserve of northwestern Chicagoland The northern section of the Des Plaines River Trail in Lake County The southern section of the Des Plaines River Trail in Cook County Fox River Trail in western Chicagoland. Grant Woods Trail in DuPage County Great Western Trail of western Chicagoland. Green Bay Trail of northern Chicagoland Hebron Trail of McHenry County Illinois Prairie Path of western Chicagoland I & M Canal Trail of southern Cook County I & M Canal State Trail (Channahon to LaSalle) McHenry's Prairie Trail of northwestern Chicagoland Millennium Trail of Lake County Moraine Hills State Park in northwest Chicagoland. North Branch of the Chicago River Trail in northern Chicagoland North Shore Trail of northern Chicagoland Old Plank Road Trail of southwest Chicagoland Palatine Bike Trail in northwest Chicagoland. Poplar Creek Forest Preserve Trail in northwest Chicagoland Robert McClory Trail in northern Chicagoland Rock Run Greenway Trail in southwestern Chicagoland Veteran Acres/Sterne's Woods mountain bike trails in Crystal Lake Virgil Gilman Trail in western Chicagoland Waterfall Glen Forest Trail of southwestern Chicagoland More info on paved USA bike paths Paddling: While twice backpacking the Grand Canyon, I longed to experience the entire canyon by raft. In 1999, I finally had the opportunity to raft all 277 miles and 160 rapids of the Canyon. Here are the photos and comments! In Scottsdale, Arizona: Adventure 101 which included white-water canoeing. From Chloride, Arizona: Kayaking the Colorado River below Hoover Dam in the Lake Mead Recreation Area's Black Canyon. Rafting the Arkansas River in Colorado From Highlands, North Carolina, Appalachian White Water Rafting (class 2, 3 and 4 rapids). In Hawai'i, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and surfing with O'ahu, Maui, and Kaua'i Adventure Program. In South Carolina, Paddling Lakes, Rivers, and Swamps. Kayaking the Suwannee River in Florida The Great River Rumble 2003: Paddling 140 miles down the Mississippi River Whitewater rafting Utah's San Juan River Houseboating and kayaking Arizona's Lake Powell Canoeing Florida's Juniper Run in the Ocala National Forest Kayaking Florida's Canaveral National Seashore Kayaking Alaska's Misty Fjord Rafting Nenana River (Denali NP in Alaska) Rafting Mendenhall River (Juneau, Alaska) Rafting Alaska's Placer River (Anchorage area) Kayaking Frenchman Bay in Maine near Acadia National Park In Florida, Canoeing Ocala National Forest In Florida, Sea Kayaking Amelia Island and Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp Kayaking Florida's Greatest Rivers and Springs Kayaking Florida's Little Econ, St. John's, and Wekiva Rivers Canoeing Florida's Hillsborough, S. Withlacoochee, & Weeki Watchee Rivers Canoeing Florida's Suwannee and Ichetucknee Rivers Canoeing Montana's Missouri Breaks In North Carolina, Kayaking in the Shadows of the Great Smoky Mountains In North Carolina, Rafting the Nantahala River In West Virginia, Rafting the New River Gorge In Utah, Canoeing the Green River In Texas, Kayaking Texas Gulf Coast Bays and Estuaries In Texas, Kayaking the Guadalupe River In Wyoming, Rafting the Snake River Chicagoland paddling locales: Busse Reservoir of northwestern Chicagoland. Des Plaines River in northwestern Chicagoland. Des Plaines River Canoe Marathon Fox River in western Chicagoland. Independence Grove of Lake County. Skokie Lagoons of northern Chicagoland. Sierra Club Outings: John Muir, founder of The Sierra Club, strongly believed that America's finest natural areas could best be protected by taking members out into these areas, for after having experienced them, the people would willingly work to preserve and protect these areas. The Sierra Club therefore sponsors a wide variety of outings each year and I have participated in several. 2002 -- a Sierra Club Trail Service Project in the Superstition Wilderness in Arizona's Tonto National Forest 2003 -- Kayaking the Suwannee River in Florida 2003 -- Backpacking Indiana's Hoosier National Forest 2004 -- Kayaking Canaveral National Seashore in Florida 2004 -- Alaska Autumn Sampler (hiking, camping, and backpacking) 2005 -- Trail Service project: Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts 2006: Kayaking Florida's Greatest Rivers and Springs 2006: Kayaking in the Shadows of the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina 2008: A Naturalist's Kayak Trip in Florida Scenic Railroads: Colorado's Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (which can take you to and from one of the greatest backpack destinations in America, the Weminuche Wilderness. Colorado's Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad Colorado's Georgetown Loop Railroad Colorado's Pike's Peak Cog Railway Colorado's Leadville, Colorado, & Southern Railroad Company Colorado's Royal Gorge RR Arizona's Verde Canyon Railroad Alaska's White Pass & Yukon Route Alaska Railway Driving: Want to drive one of the most scenic highways in the world? Try the Million Dollar Highway in southwestern Colorado, running through the San Juan Mountains from Silverton to Ouray. Photos of scenery along the highway are also available, as are photos of two quaint Colorado towns -- Silverton and Ouray -- both of which only have one paved street. If you're ever in the area, don't miss this scenic drive or these two quaint towns. Four wheel drive roads allow access to remote backpack trailheads and also lead to scenic areas not seen by drivers of two wheel drive, low clearance vehicles. Here are a few photos of some areas in Colorado I drove as part of the 2001 "Gathering of Xterras II." The Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina, a linear park i administered by the National Park Service, is often called "America's Favorite Drive" as it wends its way non-stop for 469 miles from Shenandoah National Park down to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Alaska Highway (AlCan) through Canada's Yukon and British Columbia Provinces Skyline Drive (The Razor's Edge) in Canon City, Colorado Miscellaneous: This non-obligatory Disclaimer is an amalgamation of others I've found, combined with my own additions, and totals over 200 different components. It's all in fun! Check it out. Author info Through my travels around town and around the country, I have compiled a list of Vanity License Plates which I have observed. Some relate to backpacking and others relate to a myriad of other things. I have categorized the nearly 5000 license plates for easier reference. Climb the mountains and Get their good tidings. Cares will Drop off like Fall leaves. Nature's peace, storm's energy, Wind's freshness, will flow in you Like sun in tall trees. --John Muir--