These binoculars allow you to admire the delicately carved nostril hairs in Jefferson's nose

Let's face it, it's hard to commune with nature when you have an entourage of handlers, advisors, assistants — not to mention the White House press corps — tailing your heinie. And as far as the Secret Service — do they even make all-black Goretex suits?

Despite recent presidential alienation from the outdoors, many outdoor spots have been named after our historic chiefs of state. So in honor of President's Day, GORP decided to do a rundown of some of the most notable . . .

The Birthday Boys

President's Day is actually a collision of two birthdays: those of George Washington (February 22) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12). George of the wooden teeth has, appropriately, the George Washington National Forest in his native Virginia for a natural monument. As for Abe, Lincoln National Forest is not, as you might expect, in Illinois but in New Mexico, where Lincoln never set foot. Go figure.

Mount Rushmore comes to mind as a place where Washington and Lincoln meet, along with Presidents Jefferson and Roosevelt. Not much to do there except gawk at the sculpture and shop at the Visitors Center. But the surrounding area is chockful of first class adventure opportunities, including Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is the only national park named after a president. And that is completely fitting. Theodore Roosevelt loved the outdoors perhaps more than any other president. In fact, Vice President Roosevelt was on a hiking trip in the Adirondacks in 1901 when he learned that President McKinley had been shot, making Teddy president.

Ah, McKinley: Not only did he meet a violent end, his namesake peak, the highest in all the United States, is embattled. The name of Mount McKinley National Park was changed to Denali National Park in 1980. Denali is now the Alaskan state name for the peak, too. However, attempts to make that name federal have been stubbornly blocked by the Ohio congressional delegation. You see, McKinley hailed from the Buckeye state.

Indeed, states can be mighty proud of their native son presidents. So there's a Calvin Coolidge State Forest in Vermont, an Andrew Jackson State Park in South Carolina, a Buchanan's Birthplace State Park in Pennsylvania. Fine places, every one.

Progress Marches On

Many twentieth century presidents have dams named after them; a great honor in the days when dams were unproblematic emblems of progress. Nevada's Lake Mead is held back by Hoover (as in President Herbert Clark) Dam. Missouri's Harry S. Truman Reservoir is created by Truman Dam. And Woodrow Wilson has Wilson Dam in Alabama named after him. These dams, and their resulting lakes, are now bemoaned by some environmentalists for their damage to native wildlife habitat. But there's some mighty fine fishing and boating on all of 'em.

While to our knowledge he doesn't have a dam named after him, Ronald Reagan is probably the president who environmentalists liked the least. Remember James G. Watt, Gale Norton's mentor? When Reagan was governor of California, he opposed the expansion of Redwood National Park. His statement sums it up:"A tree is a tree. How many more do you have to look at?"

There are no plans in the works for a Ronald Reagan National Forest.

What other notable natural monuments are dedicated to presidents? Tell us in GORP's destinations forum.

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