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A Perfect Ten (cont.)

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Load your gear in a canoe and launch in String Lake, at the foot of the sheer faces of the Tetons. Paddle the narrow channel northward, taking dips in the clear, shallow water. After less than a mile, you can portage the 250 yards to Leigh Lake, where the nearest of eight waterside backcountry campsites is less than a mile farther. The closest canoe rental is a 15-minute drive from the put-in, at Dornan's: 307-733-3307; www.dornans.com. Get a backcountry camping permit from the park: 307-739-3309; www.nps.gov/grte.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Nowhere else will you ever see the stars as sharply as you do in the dry air of your campsite high above the desert on this nine- to 22-mile trek. The Under-the-Rim Trail descends gradually from its start at 8,500 feet, overlooking the cliffs of the Grand Staircase (you can see all the way to the Grand Canyon, 100 miles away). You'll be able to view the park's bizarre hoodoo rock formations on this hike but will miss the crush of crowds. Get a permit for one of the designated campsites at the visitor center when you arrive: 435-834-5322; www.nps.gov/brca.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Board a shuttle bus half an hour before sunrise, ride 45 minutes west to Hermit Rest, and be among the first to arrive at the trailhead. Hike the six-mile round-trip to Dripping Springs, away from the mobs at the village, but with great views of the canyon framed by Hermit Gorge. This is a cakewalk by Grand Canyon standards but is still steep, with a 1,500-foot elevation change. You'll make it back for lunch at the Hermit Rest snack bar before the worst of the heat. Contact the park: 520-638-7875; www.nps.gov/grca.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
A secret kingdom in the mountains, the Cataloochee Valley has a remote location and a rough dirt road that keep most people away even in this, the busiest of all national parks. Camp by the creek in the small Cataloochee Campground (no reservations required) and wander through pastures to see cabins, farmhouses, barns, a school, and a church—all built by mountain settlers in the 1880s. The Little Cataloochee Trail snakes for six miles through the hardwood forest, passing through another ghost community. Contact the park: 865-436-1200; www.nps.gov/grsm.

Acadia National Park, Maine
The half-day ranger-led expedition to Baker Island leaves the yachting town of Northeast Harbor by boat and passes through the Cranberry Islands, where you might see seals and ospreys. You land by launch on Baker, a small, uninhabited island with a lighthouse, a few old buildings, and a tiny graveyard. While walking the granite shores it's easy to imagine the family who lived here all alone almost 200 years ago. Call 207-276-3717 to reserve a spot on Bill Barter's Islesford Furry; the fare is $19 for adults, $12 for children under 12. Park info rmation: 207-288-3338; www.nps.gov/acad.

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