Topic: just where is the most desolate/unpopulated area of the lower 48? (Read 395971 times)

gunsmith · « **on:** April 04, 2011, 07:54:00 PM »

my closest neighbor is a 5 mile drive & to buy a qt of milk and a newspaper is about a 50 mile round trip, Walmart is 130 or so one way.

People round here tend to think that the Black Rock Desert is the "Middle of nowhere" but other places have got to be even more remote.

I tried google but it was a bunch of malarkey-where is the most remote area of the lower 48?

Of course, Alaska is thee most remote in the USA.

sumpnz · « **Reply #1 on:** April 04, 2011, 08:09:52 PM »

I'd have to think somewhere in central Nevada, or parts of the Rockies and Cascade Mountains would be close to the most remote. Or perhaps some parts of central/western Kansas/Nebraska/Dakotas

roo_ster · « **Reply #2 on:** April 04, 2011, 08:14:13 PM »

I recall somebody online did a "place on CONUS farthest away form any Wal-Mart" that would be a good proxy.

Balog · « **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2011, 08:16:37 PM »

Population density per sq mile is a known stat, but "If I'm here, how far away would anyone else be" is not quantified.

Ryan in Maine · « **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2011, 08:36:39 PM »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_population
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_population_density
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pollution

Hm. Looking at population/population density and comparing it to the night photos from Wiki, it's got to be somewhere out west.

I feel like things get pretty desolate here in Maine, but I'm certain I can drive to life faster than someone in Nevada/Utah/New Mexico.

red headed stranger · « **Reply #5 on:** April 04, 2011, 08:53:53 PM »

This article might be a good place to start:

http://www.ehow.com/list_7416325_lowest-density-areas-united-states.html

Along with these maps:

http://cartoko.com/wiki/Population_of_the_United_States_(2008)

BobR · « **Reply #6 on:** April 05, 2011, 02:00:22 AM »

I don't really equate desolate with unpopulated. An area can be remote and unpopulated but far from desolate. As far as remote/unpopulated I would guess either the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana or somewhere along the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

For desolate, I would probably have to go with certain sections of Detroit.

bob

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #7 on:** April 05, 2011, 03:48:12 AM »

Red Head, the second link you provided takes me to a page with no data or map. I get the following message:

"There is currently no text in this page, you can search for this page title in other pages or edit this page"

Ex-MA Hole · « **Reply #8 on:** April 05, 2011, 04:25:10 AM »

I've always liked this page:

http://www.cojoweb.com/earthlights-usa.html

Pharmacology · « **Reply #9 on:** April 05, 2011, 07:24:58 AM »

I once looked at a map of the Lincoln National forest, and I can't imagine anyone having set foot in some of those parts in hundreds of years.

Kingcreek · « **Reply #10 on:** April 05, 2011, 07:32:35 AM »

"Miles from Nowhere" by Dayton Duncan is a few years old but a good read anyway. He spent 2 years visiting every county in the lower 48 with a population density of fewer than 2 people per square mile.

never_retreat · « **Reply #11 on:** April 05, 2011, 07:47:07 AM »

I Have personally never driven farther west than Michigan. I have seen some very desolate places in PA and Upstate NY.
One thing to look for when driving is the lack of power lines. Dead give away no one lives there except maybe the Amish.

grislyatoms · « **Reply #12 on:** April 05, 2011, 08:17:02 AM »

A mile or two west of me is this:

and there's not much else until you hit Arizona.

I go way down in there to play from time-to-time.

gunsmith · « **Reply #13 on:** April 05, 2011, 11:36:11 AM »

that is close to the view we have here in northern NV, higher mountains though.

red headed stranger · « **Reply #14 on:** April 05, 2011, 12:39:34 PM »

Quote from: Hawkmoon on April 05, 2011, 03:48:12 AM

Red Head, the second link you provided takes me to a page with no data or map. I get the following message:

"There is currently no text in this page, you can search for this page title in other pages or edit this page"

It looks like the forum software didn't like the link. Add a close parentheses to the end of the URL and it will work.

Gowen · « **Reply #15 on:** April 05, 2011, 12:48:30 PM »

Quote from: gunsmith on April 04, 2011, 07:54:00 PM

my closest neighbor is a 5 mile drive & to buy a qt of milk and a newspaper is about a 50 mile round trip, Walmart is 130 or so one way.

People round here tend to think that the Black Rock Desert is the "Middle of nowhere" but other places have got to be even more remote.

I tried google but it was a bunch of malarkey-where is the most remote area of the lower 48?

Of course, Alaska is thee most remote in the USA.

You should know this one, Austin Nevada. There's nothing but miles and miles of miles and miles. Wiki calls it a living ghost town.

French G. · « **Reply #16 on:** April 05, 2011, 01:31:47 PM »

Somewhere I read that a spot in Wyoming was considered the most remote, checking in at 15 miles from the nearest road. I'm not doing bad for the highly populated east coast, 5.6 ppl/sq. mile here.

230RN · « **Reply #17 on:** April 06, 2011, 12:16:41 PM »

"There is currently no text in this page, you can search for this page title in other pages or edit this page"

Now, that's desolate.

Closest I've ever come to really deserted was the Grasslands. But that was a long time ago. Nowadays, it's probably crawling with nature photographers and bird watchers and coyote-petters.

P5 Guy · « **Reply #18 on:** April 07, 2011, 09:12:29 AM »

Flamingo, Florida Everglades to the north, east and west and water to the south Florida Bay.

PTK · « **Reply #19 on:** April 07, 2011, 09:26:25 AM »

What, no mention of Montana? We have VAST stretches of no civilization save for a road.

And 230RN is correct - the Pawnee grasslands in CO were, a few years ago anyway, mostly empty. Could pull off the road, drive 500 yards, and shoot all day without hearing or seeing another human being.

birdman · « **Reply #20 on:** April 08, 2011, 01:31:10 PM »

I would guess northern rockies (due to low demand for roads, and limited places to put them)...a secondary valley over a line of peaks from a main valley, on a north facing edge, with an average elevation above the treeline. Basically, montana, or northwestern north dakota.

However, the actual answer is Nevada, specifically, NTS. Given the size (>1300 square miles, roughly 90x150 miles), zero full-time population, huge areas of "lethal force authorized" desolate plains with no active projects, I would bet you could easily find a location there where 24/7/365 the nearest human being would be >20 miles away.

seeker_two · « **Reply #21 on:** April 08, 2011, 02:59:29 PM »

Rosie O'Donnell's bed?......

grislyatoms · « **Reply #22 on:** April 08, 2011, 04:31:55 PM »

Quote from: seeker_two on April 08, 2011, 02:59:29 PM

Rosie O'Donnell's bed?......

Nahh.. with the half-eaten honey buns, pies, doughnuts, etc. she apparently goes to bed with there is certain to be SOME kind of critter under her sheets...

And btw, the question was regarding the lower 48...not Hell.

charby · « **Reply #23 on:** April 08, 2011, 04:48:26 PM »

I read somewhere the other day it is in South Dakota. This was based upon the number of miles from a McDonalds or Walmart.

birdman · « **Reply #24 on:** April 09, 2011, 03:14:37 AM »

Quote from: grislyatoms on April 08, 2011, 04:31:55 PM

Nahh.. with the half-eaten honey buns, pies, doughnuts, etc. she apparently goes to bed with there is certain to be SOME kind of critter under her sheets...

And btw, the question was regarding the lower 48...not Hell.

<boundary push>
Sounds like the hunting grounds of the gold-digging north American double-breasted rug muncher
</boundary push>

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Author Topic: just where is the most desolate/unpopulated area of the lower 48? (Read 395971 times)