You may love your cell. But aren’t there times when you’d like to tune it out? Forbes magazine writer Monte Burke has just put together a list of some of the best places to escape the rat race.

The list is a reminder that you can still find places in this great land where the only sounds are created by Mother Nature: the song of the hermit thrush, rustling leaves, the howl of a wolf.

Almost all these spots belong to you, and to the rest of us. Some are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, protected for all time from mining, oil drilling, motorized traffic, and the like. Others on his list do not enjoy that level of protection but remain undeveloped for now.

We worked with Monte as he developed his list, and he cites members of our staff who are knowledgeable about some of these first-class getaways. You can read his story and enjoy photos of the places on his list at:

The Wilderness Society is dedicated to the wise management of the lands that you have inherited. In this increasingly noisy and crowded country, the need for places to escape is growing every day. We are teaming up with other conservationists, churches, business owners, the Garden Club of America, sportsmen, and others to protect this natural legacy.