I see alot of information about short day hikes and campgrounds nearby for car camping near the day hike trails, but where exactly is a good place to take off like 10 miles out in the woods and pitch a tent?  

Theres a trail system rated highest in Midwest at Garden of the Gods.  This one is only 4.6 miles, but you are in the midwest.  

http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip.aspx?tripId=453043

Also, you can goto Panthers Den.

Have you gone to Shawnee Trails?  Have you gone to http://www.backpacker.com?  

Backpacker Magazine, January 2010, page 26-28.

Garden of the Gods to Lust Creek Canyon - 2 day hike.  I can scan it but I highly recommend just getting a subscription.  Highly recommend.

http://www.backpacker.com/janu.....l/destinations/13695

Cool.  Sounds like Garden of the Gods to One Horse Gap then back the next day is what I'm looking for.  Never dawned on me that those two places were interconnected with a system trail.  

If you are looking for a more wilderness experience, you can always head out to LBL and go south from the 80/94 bridge and stay to the west of the trace. If you take the last improved road right before the KY/TN line there is pretty much nothing south from there. That stretch of woods has only 2 improved roads that you would eventually cross, oodles of wilderness, and some pretty awesome scenery. The north bit of that might be a bit harry with trees remaining from the ice storm if you are just walking in the woods, but if you wanted to stay close to the NS trail I bet you'd be fine. You wouldn't likely see a sole and wouldn't have to worry about post holin' horses. Although you may want to stay clear of any banjo music.

Google map 'New Liberty Church'.  You can park there and head almost any direction into miles of trails and the Lusk and Little Lusk canyons.  Several square miles of nothingness.  Used to turkey hunt there, so I'm fairly familiar with the area.  Btw, the church is already BFE, so it's a good starting place you can actually drive to.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=.....amp;z=13&layer=t

In regards to "BFE"... one thing I was concerned about was leaving a vehicle somewhere overnight.  I had originally planned to start at One Horse Gap, but the trailhead looks like a good place to get your stuff vandalized.  At least Garden of the Gods is patrolled more and is more popular and is paved.  Maybe it's not a problem but I've had rednecks cut down trees with a chainsaw in the middle of the night across a vehicle trail before so I figured a vehicle left out in the middle of nowhere would be a good target for some bored and unsavory individuals.  

New Liberty Church has a county road coming all the way up to it.  It's just in BFE.  Stayed many nights in the bed of my truck/popup camper there.  Never a single problem.  Still some crazies there I'm sure though, as there are everywhere.  

I never had a problem with people messing with my Jeep.  It's been out in the middle of nowhere in multiple states on various road types.  People tend to not mess with the car when they know they leave theres somewhere from time to time.  Im more comfortable leaving it on the side of a Jeepin trail than a State/National Park.

Leave nothing of value in the car, throw abunch of leaves, mud, dead squirrels on it, and leave the doors unlocked. Worst case scenario they steal your radio, which is still cheaper and easier to deal with than a fcuked up door lock or a broken window. Chances are the smell of small animal carcasses will dissuade would-be vandals and simultaneously give you some bitchin' street cred'

Hey guys, I know this thread started as "backpacking" but, have any of you ever thought about or attempted "bikepacking?"

Pretty awesome stuff.

Here's a pretty cool site on just about everything "bikepacking."

bikepacking.net

...Kenny, you're a freak.

Kenny, you are an idiot but I think you mean well. Along those lines, I used to leave a car parked in remote places in Northern MN and Montana and I used to leave a small note on the dash that simply stated something like the following:
"Doesn't it feel like you are being watched through the scope of a high-powered rifle?"

"We still hang theives where I come from!"

"Pssst...I am watching you!"

"Gone hunting...will be back just as you break the window to my truck!"

Never had any problems. I figure most theives have a good sense of humor so even if they aren't scared that they might get shot they might leave your vehicle alone because they got a good laugh!

Im bikepacking from Durango to Moab this year. Yay for San Juan huts.

Nice dude, there was a write-up in Mountain Flyer about that route. Sounds awesome.