Wilderness Areas
Lands protected under the Wilderness Act
- Wilderness areas listed
- 749
- States
- 42
- Managed by more than one agency
- 35
By state
An area that crosses a state line is counted in each state
- Alabama3
- Alaska27
- Arizona98
- Arkansas11
- California154
- Colorado45
- Florida8
- Georgia11
- Hawaii2
- Idaho17
- Illinois7
- Indiana1
- Kentucky2
- Louisiana1
- Maine1
- Michigan13
- Minnesota1
- Mississippi3
- Missouri7
- Montana13
- Nebraska1
- Nevada83
- New Hampshire5
- New Mexico38
- New York1
- North Carolina13
- North Dakota1
- Oklahoma2
- Oregon49
- Pennsylvania2
- South Carolina6
- South Dakota2
- Tennessee12
- Texas6
- Utah53
- Vermont8
- Virginia24
- Washington29
- West Virginia10
- Wisconsin6
- Wyoming15
- Puerto Rico1
Largest wilderness areas
Mapped acreage reported by the Forest Service and the National Park Service
| # | Wilderness | States | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrangell-St. Elias Wilderness | AK | 8,700,000 |
| 2 | Gates of the Arctic Wilderness | AK | 7,034,832 |
| 3 | Noatak Wilderness | AK | 5,800,000 |
| 4 | Katmai Wilderness | AK | 3,473,000 |
| 5 | Death Valley Wilderness | CA, NV | 3,158,038 |
| 6 | Glacier Bay Wilderness | AK | 2,770,000 |
| 7 | Jay S. Hammond Wilderness | AK | 2,470,000 |
| 8 | Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness | ID, MT | 2,365,708 |
| 9 | Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness | AK | 2,144,883 |
| 10 | Denali Wilderness | AK | 1,900,000 |
| 11 | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness | ID, MT | 1,348,689 |
| 12 | Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness | FL | 1,335,465 |
| 13 | Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness | MN | 1,097,112 |
| 14 | Bob Marshall Wilderness | MT | 1,064,092 |
| 15 | Kootznoowoo Wilderness | AK | 999,979 |
| 16 | Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness | MT, WY | 941,247 |
| 17 | Olympic Wilderness | WA | 867,717 |
| 18 | Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness | CA | 723,113 |
| 19 | Yosemite Wilderness | CA | 704,358 |
| 20 | Mojave Wilderness | CA, NV | 695,200 |
| 21 | Washakie Wilderness | WY | 693,934 |
| 22 | John Muir Wilderness | CA | 653,633 |
| 23 | Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness | AK | 647,358 |
| 24 | Stephen Mather Wilderness | WA | 637,384 |
| 25 | Joshua Tree Wilderness (draft boundary) | CA | 595,665 |
Wilderness areas are lands protected by Congress under the Wilderness Act of 1964 and later laws. This list comes from the official boundary data of the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. Wilderness managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is not included yet. Acreage is the agency's mapped (GIS) area and can differ from the acreage in the designating law; the BLM data does not include acreage.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a wilderness area?
- A wilderness area is federal land that Congress has designated to stay in its natural condition. Roads, motor vehicles, bicycles and new structures are generally not allowed, but hiking, horseback riding, camping and, in many areas, hunting and fishing are.
- Do I need a permit?
- Some wilderness areas require permits for overnight trips or limit group size. Check with the managing forest, BLM field office or park before you go.
Source: USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service boundary data