I'm looking to take a vacation this summer, and would like some ideas on where I can go to camp and hike.

First off, I want to be away from other people if possible.  I'd prefer to need a 4x4 to get to a good location to deter others from being there as well.

A good example of the above is where I went last year...Big Bend, about 21 miles offroad on the roughest trail they offered.  The nearest campsite to me was a few miles, and there were places nearby I could hike to (old mines, etc).

I'd also like to be able to carry a weapon without much trouble, preferrably a rifle.  So that leaves out National Parks.

There needs to be interesting scenery or places worth hiking to (nice rock formations are always good), and I don't want to be in a tinder box where I can't have a campfire.

Do any of you guys have favorite places to go to?  I wouldn't mind heading up north to get away from the heat.

Moab, Utah. Don't know about the gun laws but it is sweet. Endless miles of offroad driving over slick rock trails. Rock formations? This place is packed full of them. To avoid the tourist rush go in the off season when the air is cooler. I personally can't wait to go back.

If you wanna' stay in TX, only place that's nice & quiet & close to the DFW area is Dangerfield State Park off highway 49.  Not many folks out there as nobody want's to drive that far.

If you are willing to drive out of state & can stand a 3-day run coming & going, IM me & I can tell you about places up here where you might see 3 people in a week during the height of the summer backpacking season.  Guns & shooting them are not issues either.

-hanko

[img]http://photos.ar15.com/WS_Content/ImageGallery/IG_LoadImage.asp?iImageUnq=1366[/img]

Pecos Wilderness Area, starts just east of Santa Fe and runs east past Pecos, NM. I'll be headed there last of this month or first of July, very nice area. Can be accessed from Santa Fe, or the ski basin N of there, from Pecos, (I have friend that lives in Dalton Canyon, but this is private property) go north up to Tres Lagunas, Terrero, Uray, Holy Ghost caynon or Cowles. Ya can get access through the Glorieta Baptist Conferance center in Glorieta, NM (they'll proabably rent ya a room, and have trail heads up to Mt. Baldy at the northwest end of encampment, by stables, just don't mention my name, I used to work there loonnnggg ago in '74-'75). Ya can get lost there for weeks and never see a soul, (person, that is, watch out for the cats and bears, bud said they were knocking on his front door earlier thsi year, the bears that is...). I fell in love w/ the place back when I worked there and 25 years ago knew the place like my the palm of my hand. The forest has been badly managed and fire danger from overgrowth is quite bad, but for the first year in the last two appears they will not have to close the area, as they had a wet winter.

I highly recommend it, NM gun laws are such that of the main road, Hwy 63 outta Pecos, open carry is a-okay and required if loaded, rangers are friendly for the most part and NM Highway Patrol seems nice enough to Texas CHL holders, at least the ones I've met.

I prefer this mode of getting there as I'm nearing 50 and my boys (twins age 16) tend to walk dad's legs off, but there are plenty trails and a stop in Santa Fe at the book store will get ya a cheap copy of trails in the Pecos Wilderness or ya order one from Amazon, or NM tourist sites...
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Good Luck,
Mike

I'd vote for the Eastern Sierras.  I just went there a couple of weeks ago, and it was very cool up in the mountains.  There was snow on the ground in many places, meanwhile it was 115 in the desert just a few miles away in Vegas.  There's a good mix of rugged, rocky terrain and green alpine meadows in the area.  Endless trails to drive.  Lots of fishing and high country lakes.  There are some abandoned 150-year old silver mines cut out of rock that are fun to explore, too.

Most of it is wilderness land, about 97% public.  The areas around Bishop, CA are solidly pro-gun cowboy country.  Shoot all you like.

It blows Big Bend away.

Just leave your AR's behind.  Although most locals don't care.  I'm not sure about the fire regulations there, but you'll likely have issues anywhere you go these days.

Give me your email and I'll send you some pics if this link doesn't work:

[url]http://www.ofoto.com/ShareLandingReg.jsp?Um=74224748103.27984270903&Un=2104755479&Upost_signin=BrowsePhotos.jsp%3FshowSlide%3Dtrue&UV=610144697173_93664678305[/url]

Thanks for the advice so far.

I want to bring my AR's with me, so that leaves out CA.  I know the Sierra's are supposed to be awesome, but they'll have to wait.

Mr Wilson, I'm liking this Pecos Wilderness and would like to know more.  I've found quite a bit online already.  Are there area where I can shoot?  That's not necessary, but it sure would be nice knowing I could without fear of being caught.  Also...as it's a wilderness area, am I going to get into trouble if I have to kill a cat or bear?

If you know of a good website that shows trails/locations/etc, please post it or forward to me.

The best part...I can get to this place in one long day's drive! :)

I have shot all over the area, my boys plink w/ a 10/22, I normally carry my 1911 and either the Tanker Garand ('06) or one of my M4s.



For the most part the bears and cats tend to avoid ya, but I have had the cats get into our garbage bag, which the boys are supposed to hang every night, 20-40 yards away (opposite side of camp where food bag hangs over cooler if we're near 4x access) from our tents and sometimes forget to do. On one occasion I woke up to see a lynx haulin it off and stepped out of tent, which scared him/her off and re-bagged and hung it, havin no more problem that night.

On one occassion, while I tried always to impressed on the twins about stayin close to dad/mom while hikin, they strayed a ways ahead and came upon a bear cub. My first incling of trouble was seeing them "beating feet" toward me hollerin "bear". I stood my ground and although I had the distinct impression momma bear was not happy, a few rounds of 45acp in dirt in front of her, gave her pause and she return back up trail to the cub, as we skirted the area and gave her plenty of room.

I would have to be hard pressed to actually kill a bear or a cat, as there really cool to watch in the wild and I don't eat cat or bear for that matter. Generally, while I've seen sign/tracks that they have sniffed around where we might have camped that night, they tend to be sniffin for hints of food, which as stated it best kept hoisted and packaged in something that's scent-proof. I have never been afraid of a "mauling" while sleepin, as I think healthy wildlife tend to avoid human scent, but I always have the 1911 under my bed-roll and should an actual attack happen, then I'd assume it was ill and that a mercy killin would be in order. This has never happen, in either the 2 years I worked in the area or the 6 years since we've been returning each summer.



[url]http://www.backpacker.com/places/0%2C2678%2C545%2C00.html[/url]

[url]http://www.pdiamondj.com/pdiamondj%20pecos.htm[/url]

[url]http://www.altrec.com/published/camp/southwest/newmexicospecoswilderness/[/url]

Here's a few links, but if ya got a [b]REI[/b], see here:
[url]http://directory.superpages.com/supermaps/mapinit.jsp?SRC=msn&LID=0015516662&STYPE=D&GV=0&lat=32925517&lng=-96832088&POI1name=REI+-+Recreational+Equipment%2C+Inc.&POI1lat=032925518&POI1lng=-096832088&streetaddress=&city=Farmers+Branch&state=TX&zip=75244&addressShow=&SRC=msn&RR=50&RLO=96807028&RLT=32809451&RT=Dallas&RS=TX&R=D&NA=2018964020&GL=2018963930&PP=NA&STYPE=D&CID=00000000000&MAPWIDTH=425&MAPHEIGHT=250&map.x=212&map.y=125&level=4#Map[/url]

REI - Recreational Equipment, Inc.
4515 Lbj Freeway, Farmers Branch, TX 75244
(972) 490-5989

and ya do, I suggest ya go there as I have purchased several good books on the area from them. They also have lots of nice hikin/backpackin stuff and for joining the "REI club", they'll send ya 10% back on your purchases every year, cost nuthin to join and get a card, (hint, I try to buy offseason as prices are much better).

I generally pick the boys up in Wichita Falls, (where they live) and then we drive out from there, it's not a bad days' trip.
Here's a link to Glorieta Bap. Conf. Center, [url]http://www.newmexicoet.com/glorieta.htm[/url], if ya got kids, they have canoeing, roller-blading, and all kinds of activities whic the kids can do. Ya don't have to go to church or nuthin and can stay there, like it was a hotel, buy food tickets and eat in the Dinning Hall, (which when I was there was the 3rd largest "family-style" food service in the nation, I was the Dinning Hall Manager, for a time) breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Say hey to my old bud JR, a tall Spanish guy whos head cook there) Ya can ride horses, or catch trail heads as stated, take a day trip to Pecos, turn left up 63 and follow the Pecos River up through the towns listed above, (side note, lots of moviestars now have places up there), fish for brownies (trout) or just site-see.

The boys are takin summer school and workin, the EX is been gone for awhile now, so I'm on my own this year and cannot wait till the last of the month when I'm headed that way for 2 whole weeks of fishin/subsistance hunting and solititude. Not to mention visitin my bud whose log-cabin is built up the side of a 60+ foot clift.

Hope this helps and again good luck,
Mike