I agree that Jeri's subjective impression may be common, but I also suspect that the impression is borne from the widely known term "lonesome prairie."

Technically, I think that lonesome and lonely are synonyms. They are felt by a person, not by a place or thing. The next word in line might be isolated. However, that term requires one to specify (or imply) isolation from what. (Maybe from people, but that's not a necessary implication.

Another word might be desolate. I think that one is the most technically accurate for the intended meaning. The problem, of course, is that seems to overstate the concept.

Still working. With hundreds of thousand of nature bnooks in print, the correct word must be well-used.