The stories unfold below, state by state, as we complete our documentary journeys. You’ll find short descriptions of our trips with select photos, maps, and some of our scientific data. After completion of Project Remote in the United States, we will produce a book about our 50 Remote Spot expeditions and all that we’ll learn as conservationists and explorers while documenting the 50 State Remote Spots. Please feel free to comment at the bottom of our web pages.
Arkansas Remote Spot - The Arkansas Remote Spot is located within the Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge, 2.5 miles from the nearest road. We canoed over 7 miles up the Ouachita River to the Remote Spot, camped at a Refuge primitive campsite, then canoed against a wind that was stronger than the current to get back to our truck the next day.
Delaware Remote Spot - Delaware’s Remote Spot is located 3.2 miles from the nearest road on the shores of Delaware Bay. Because we were not permitted by the Refuge to spend the night, we had to use our 18ft jon boat to travel to the Spot.
Florida Mainland Remote Spot - We ventured to the remotest location on Florida’s mainland - a beach 17 straight-line miles from the nearest road. During the last few days of 2009, we boated about 30 miles south from Everglades City and camped on boat and beach during our 3 day excursion. The Remote Spot was located within the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Wilderness Area of Everglades National Park.
Maryland Remote Spot - The Maryland Remote Spot is located on a deserted island in the Chesapeake Bay, 7.6 miles from the nearest road. Together with Rebecca’s parents, Mike and Tina, we used our small jon boat to travel to the island. Great weather, and hence great water conditions, made for memorable and isolated experience!
Missouri Remote Spot - The Missouri Remote Spot is located within the Hercules Glades Wilderness Area of the Mark Twain National Forest, 2.2 miles from the nearest road. Together with Ryan’s Mom, Helen, we day-hiked into the Remote Spot, a 7.1 mile out-and-back. Fall color was at its peak!
New Jersey Remote Spot - The New Jersey Remote Spot is located on a barrier island within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, 3.3 miles from the nearest road. Because we were not permitted by the Refuge to spend the night, we had to use our 18ft jon boat to travel to the Spot. The distance from the nearest boat ramp was too far to get there and back by canoe in one day.
North Carolina Remote Spot - We spent 3 days backpacking into and out of the Remote Spot, located within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Spot is 5.5 miles from the nearest road, but we were able to get within 1/4 mile by utilizing the extensive National Park trail system.
Pennsylvania Remote Spot - The PA Remote Spot is located 2.7 miles from the nearest road within the Susquehannock State Forest. We day-hiked into the Spot on one of the many hiking trails in the Hammersley Wild Area, a 10.8 mile out-and-back. The spot was less than 0.2 miles off the trail.
South Carolina Remote Spot – The South Carolina Remote Spot is located 6.7 miles from the nearest road within the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. We traveled 9.5 miles by boat through winding creek channels in a sea of salt marsh to reach the Remote Spot located on the tip of a distant barrier island.
Tennessee Remote Spot - Ryan and his two nephews, Cameron (18) and Chandler (16), backpacked into the most remote location in Tennessee - a spot 4 straight-line miles from the nearest road. They hiked up to Tennessee’s highest point, Clingmans Dome, then down 5 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Tennessee’s Remote Spot is located just feet off of the Trail.
Virginia Remote Spot - The Virginia Remote Spot is located along on a barrier island within The Nature Conservancy’s Virginia Coast Reserve. The Spot is 8.3 straight line miles from the nearest road. We traveled 9 miles by boat then 2.2 miles by foot to get to the Remote Spot .
West Virginia Remote Spot - The West Virginia Remote Spot is located 3.2 miles from the nearest road within the Cranberry Wilderness Area in the Monongahela National Forest.
We day-hiked along a trail into the Spot, a 10.3 mile out-and-back.
Alabama and Mississippi Remote Spot Attempt - We made our first attempt to reach the Alabama and Mississippi Remote Spots during the last weekend in December. The two Remote Spots are on islands in the Gulf of Mexico only 5 miles apart. However, the closest one is almost 8 miles from the nearest road, over 15 miles from the nearest boat ramp, and 10 miles from the mainland. Winds and large ocean waves thwarted our first attempt to document these Remote Spots. A follow up expedition is in the works for Fall 2011…