If you were going on a non-hunting/fishing backcountry trip, where would you go?

[P dog]

Id give the Snake River in ID a try. Beautiful country!

 

[Mallardsx2]

In times like these, it certainly wouldn't be anywhere outside of CONUS.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Red light district Amsterdam. Back country. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Some excellent tips on this thread. I'll pass them along to my daughter.

I seen that!

 

[bullbugle307]

If I had to rule out hunting and fishing, I’d go with a good car camping trip in the Red Desert. There’s so much cool stuff to see out there, and hardly any people.

 

[mrcowboy]

SE Utah. Cedar Mesa/Kane Gulch.

 

[Marshian]

Napali coast hike and camp on the west side of Kauai, Hawaii. One of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever been blessed enough to view.

 

[sccritterkiller]

Float trip down South Nahanni River.

 

[cedahm]

In times like these, it certainly wouldn't be anywhere outside of CONUS.

"In times like these"? Not to derail a good thread, but objectively this doesn't compute.

These Times where: Transportation from anywhere in the US is unprecedented (both price and availability), strong spending power of the USD (Euro at .92, Pound Sterling @ 0.8, CAD 1.4), many interesting places to visit that are actively promoting visitation and tourism, travel mechanics that are smoother than ever with instant access to information, transit, language apps, maps, etc from your phone (which with most US carriers work anywhere in the world with $0 or low usage fees). NTM it's 'shoulder season' in both hemispheres so less crowds and lower prices. I mean, I'd skip Culiacan, Kabul and Kyiv for the time being, but this is an odd statement.

 

[WesternWyoming]

If you were going on a backcountry or road camping/hiking trip with no tags or hunting/fishing goals, where would you go?

There are a lot of cool landscapes out there to get lost in. Which are your favorites or on your bucket list?

Pictures and stories welcome! This post largely inspired by the Wilderness Area Montage thread.... It always gets me dreaming.

Why? Why would you do that?

 

[nastynate]

Why? Why would you do that?

Because there are cool places to go that you can't hunt or fish in, or I don't want to wait decades to get a tag, or I want to go somewhere cool in the offseason.

Neil Armstrong went hiking on the moon, and I don't even think any huntable populations of animals or fish live there, but he said it was pretty cool. I bet it was.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I haven’t done it, but I have always been tempted to try the mountain lakes in Idaho along the Montana line above the Selway River.

And, I would buy a fishing license.

I have reconsidered where I would go. I would head into one of Montana’s unlimited sheep areas, right around the beginning of season, hike around, not worrying about having spent a bunch of money on a NR tag, and see if I could find some sheep to go after next year.

 

[Irrelevant]

I can't believe I missed this thread last year. Some great trips here, some I've done, but many more I'll add to my list.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Because there are cool places to go that you can't hunt or fish in, or I don't want to wait decades to get a tag, or I want to go somewhere cool in the offseason.

Neil Armstrong went hiking on the moon, and I don't even think any huntable populations of animals or fish live there, but he said it was pretty cool. I bet it was.

Did you also have to promise to not take binoculars / spotting scope with your companion? Don't pretend this "non-hunting" plan wasn't part of a plea agreement.

 

[seeth07]

I don't know if I can entirely do this without a bow, gun or rod in hand but one of my life goals is to be able to check off every single one of these:

You ask me why I love her? Well, give me time, and I'll explain...
Have you seen a Kansas sunset or an Arizona rain?
Have you drifted on a bayou down Louisiana way?
Have you watched the cold fog drifting over San Francisco Bay?

Have you heard a Bobwhite calling in the Carolina pines?
Or heard the bellow of a diesel in the Appalachia mines?
Does the call of Niagara thrill you when you hear her waters roar?
Do you look with awe and wonder at a Massachusetts shore...
Where men who braved a hard new world, first stepped on Plymouth Rock?
And do you think of them when you stroll along a New York City dock ?

Have you seen a snowflake drifting in the Rockies...way up high?
Have you seen the sun come blazing down from a bright Nevada sky?
Do you hail to the Columbia as she rushes to the sea...
Or bow your head at Gettysburg...in our struggle to be free?

Have you seen the mighty Tetons? ...Have you watched an eagle soar?
Have you seen the Mississippi roll along Missouri's shore?
Have you felt a chill at Michigan, when on a winters day,
Her waters rage along the shore in a thunderous display?
Does the word "Aloha"... make you warm?
Do you stare in disbelief When you see the surf come roaring in at Waimea reef?

From Alaska's gold to the Everglades...from the Rio Grande to Maine...
My heart cries out... my pulse runs fast at the might of her domain.
You ask me why I love her?... I've a million reasons why.
My beautiful America... beneath Gods' wide, wide sky.

 

[Djfan]

To the psychiatrist. What's the use of a vacation without my passion? I live in an amazingly beautiful area. I don't need the break without my flyrod, gun, or both.

Over Christmas I am going to NH to see my grand daughter and her parents. (Haha, I love saying that!). We will hunt or fish or both while there.

 

[Phaseolus]

I’d go to New Zealand again. Of course it’s got great fishing, hunting, and backpacking too. I could live there easily.

 

[BearFoot]

Alaska is my backyard.

 

[Sytes]

Thoroughfare within the Bridger-Teton Wilderness or Chinese Wall, Bob Marshall Wilderness. Both great backpack trips. You [OP] said, not fishing related though both are great with or without fishing.

Side note: I've wanted to pack raft through the Bob. A few HT members have and it looks amazing!

 

[Straight Arrow]

Thoroughfare within the Bridger-Teton Wilderness or Chinese Wall, Bob Marshall Wilderness. Both great backpack trips.

'Been both places and yes, the waterways are spectacular and likely loaded with fish. My problem is that when backpacking in such wonderful bear habitat, I am reluctant to crawl into my sleeping bag smelling like a trout!

 

[Irrelevant]

If I could draw a permit, I'd float the remaining backcountry rivers I haven't here in the PNW (Rogue, Selway, MF Salmon, Main Salmon [River of No Return], Smith).

Paddle
-Inside passage: Campbell River to Telegraph Cove
-Yukon: Lake LaBerge to Dawson City
-Owyhee
-Colorado... maybe

Hike
Turpin to Yellowstone Lake (water taxi)
Sun River to Condon
Alturas Lake to Stanley Lake

Will may have convinced me Africa might be cool too.