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Want to try out backpacking but aren't ready for a long slog through the woods? Many state parks offer sites that will get you away from other campers but require only a short walk. Some even have carts you can use to haul your gear, so you don't even need a backpack. For an interactive map that shows where backpack or cart-in sites are available, visit the DNR's parkfinder web page. Here are some of our favorites:

1. Lake Maria, site B5

2. George H. Crosby Manitou, sites 20-22

3. Cascade River State Park, site BP1

4. Wild River State Park, Breezy Valley site

5. Glendalough, cart-in site 22

(This is part of the Big List here)

JEFF MORAVEC