North America: California's High Sierra

By Marcus Wohlsen

(Steve Roper)

You knew the High Sierra was home to Yosemite, one of America's most popular national parks. You also knew it was home to Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States. But did you know that you can hike there for two weeks and never see a road? Far from the madding crowd, backcountry trekkers in John Muir's "Range of Light" have the opportunity to make a more fundamental connection with the American wilderness. Whether you start among the great sequoias in the south, at volcanic Mount Lassen in the north, or Lake Tahoe in between, Mother Nature will treat you to a grand display of purple mountains' majesty. For the grand tour, walk any or all of the Pacific Crest Trail as it crosses the length of Sierra high country. The John Muir Trail is another favorite.

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