this park spells paradise for the tent camper. No matter where you go, the scenery will never fail to please the eye. Before embarking on a trip, take time to prepare. Many of the best tent campgrounds are a fair distance from the civilized world and you want to be enjoying yourself rather than making supply or gear runs.

At the end of the Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, glaciers retreated from North America and left behind a chain of moraine hills which defined their southern edge. In Wisconsin, this band of hills zigzags across the state for 1,000 miles from Lake Michigan to the Saint Croix River.

Inspiration for the River-to-River Trail came with the establishment of the Shawnee National Forest. What could be better than a scenic hiking trail through this flora-rich park that bridged the land dividing two great waterways: the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers?

Hikers, backpackers, cyclists, and casual wanderers can explore this Byzantine labyrinth of shifting sands and experience the vast expanse of azure sky and forbidding land that greeted—and ultimately defeated—the earliest settlers. Each panorama offers a glimpse into millions of years of geologic history, paleontology, and the inevitability of a changing earth.

Active days and comfortable nights—most of the Forest's campgrounds are at an optimal 4,500 to 6,400 feet in elevation. You'll enjoy warm temperatures during the day and cool nights for sleeping. Typical summer daytime highs are between 75 and 850F with nighttime lows of 50 to 550F. Low humidity is the kicker to the pleasant temperatures.

Adventure begins where control ends. Canoe camping in the Boundary Waters. It begins with that delicious moment when you push off from your starting point in a loaded canoe. Behind you lies the gravel public landing, the parked cars, the roads funneling from civilization. Before you the spires of dark spruce and pine perforate the horizon. Beneath you lay a lake's dark waters, inviting adventure, a path to the unknown.

Located in West Lafayette, features easy hiking trails with many opportunities for bird watching.

Spectacular sand dunes, gentle farmland, desert plants, canyons laden with waterfalls, prairies that come alive with color in the spring and fall, and historic buildings over 100 years old—all can be viewed along hiking trails within a three-hour drive from Chicago.

The Daniel Boone National Forest combines rugged wildlands and ready civilization. Interesting small towns, comfortable state park lodging, and a great recreation infrastructure make this a tip-top forest for adventuring.

On Lake Michigan's south shore, the Indiana Dunes rise as high as 180 feet above the water. The lakeshore encompasses a modest 15,000 acres, yet it is ranked seventh among national parks in native plant diversity. Visitors can explore white- and black-oak savannas, sedge meadows, tallgrass prairies, swamps, marshes, bogs, and fens.