Where to go hiking in late March - the wilder the better!

As per the topic, I'm looking for a place to go hiking for the last week of March that would be:
- As remote and devoid of other people/villages/campsites as possible
- Somewhat mountainous or with an otherwise interesting landscape, i.e. not a flat featureless prairie
- Free of snow (that means Alaska is unfortunately not an option)
- In the US - I don't want to go abroad

I don't particularly care if I end up doing a loop or going from point A to point B as long as it is reasonably possible to walk/hitchhike to the nearest place with public transport/car rental from the end point.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Sergey.

Not that folks here can't provide good beta, but I'd recommend 14ers.com and summitpost.org. They are more hiking and mountaineering specific. Good luck!

Thanks Scott, I'll try the sites you suggested.

Generally anywhere in the desert/southwest is a prime spot that time of year.

Last year I went to Zion National Park the last week of March and while there was still a fair amount of people in the main spots it was pretty quite. Considering the vastness of Utah there are many options, look into Escalante or Capitol Reef areas for more remoteness.

Here is my trip from Zion last March: andylibrande.com/news/2012/…

Thanks for advice Andy, looks like you had a great trip!

How long are you looking to go for? Any particular region? East or West?

I've come to learn that there are very few places in the east like you've described. Even the most "wild" places typically are only good for 3-4 day (max) backpacking before you have to start retracing your steps. The demand from the American public just isn't there--so we don't notice how little wild space we actually have.

That being said, I recommend Dolly Sods (WV) for a great 2-3 day loop. If the road is open (it may not be) it will probably be empty or sparsely occupied. Terrain is fantastic, and you'll get a full-spectrum of different things to experience. Really cool place.

But maybe somewhere out west is better for you. If you go that way, pay attention to elevation (e.g., plan for unexpected snow cover).

Escalante Canyon... Hands down.

Todd: I was hoping to go for 6/7 days, no particular preference for the region, although I guess I'd choose West over East. Thanks for the idea re Dolly Sods, I'll look into doing a long weekend there too!

Adam: thanks, Escalante looks great!

Canyonlands is a good second to Escalante.

If red desert isn't your thing and you prefer an convex rather than concave landscape, and so not the Colorado Plateau, then the Dragoons, down around Cochise Stronghold come to mind.

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! We ended up going to Escalante and had a great time, the place is absolutely beautiful and perfect this time of year.

Sergey.