Next time you're in the backcountry enjoying the solitude of the wild, remember this, you're never more than about 12.5 miles, on average, away from a road anywhere in the contiguous United States (click on the map above). Which begs the question, is there really any true wilderness left in the United States other than Alaska and if not, why are people always getting lost? Perhaps it's time we considered invading Canada to expand our borders and enlarge our recreational opportunities as well as placing RFID cards in people with a tendency to get lost. Not in that order. We can start the genetic screening for directionally challenged people first, then invade. And what's the difference anyway between the US and Canada but a few pro-gay and marijuana laws, not necessarily in that order either. Oh, and the national healthcare thing. And, I guess the whole not locking their doors. Wait a minute, on second thought, perhaps we're not so similar. All the more reason to invade I say. And considering we have an awesome road system, we'll be done in no time:

The road network of the United States is one of the largest human constructions on Earth. It consists of more than 4 million miles of mapped roads, plus many additional utility roads, 4-wheel-drive trails, and private routes. The documented roads and their rights-of-way occupy approximately 1% of the land area of the United States, roughly the area of South Carolina.

If you'd like to see the whole document published by the USGS you can download the .pdf, Distance to Nearest Road in the Conterminous United States.