Wilderness

Camping in Brooks Range Valley near the Sheenjek River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, AK

Credit: David Cline

Wilderness

The Wilderness Act of 1964 established the National Wilderness Preservation System and a process for federal agencies to recommend wilderness areas to Congress. There are more than 20 million acres of designated wilderness in the National Wildlife Refuge System – about one-fifth of all the designated wilderness areas in the United States. There are 75 wilderness areas on 63 units of the Refuge System in 26 states.  About 90 percent of the Refuge System wilderness is in Alaska.

Wilderness areas in National Wildlife Refuges (PDF 33K)

Wilderness, as defined by the Wilderness Act, is untrammeled (free from man's control), undeveloped, and natural, offering outstanding opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation.

Wilderness visitors may hunt, fish, and observe and photograph wildlife, if these activities are compatible with the refuge’s primary mission of wildlife conservation. Many other types of compatible recreational uses, such as cross-country skiing, canoeing, kayaking, and hiking may also be enjoyed in some wilderness areas.

Wilderness Fellowship Program
Through the Wilderness Character Monitoring program, begun in 2011, Wilderness Fellows conduct wilderness character assessments on refuges to evaluate the impacts of nearby development, climate changes, management actions and other factors on wilderness character to better ensure the preservation of the these wild areas for future generations.

Wilderness Fellows gain valuable career experience while helping advance stewardship of wilderness resources. Natural processes predominate in wilderness areas, making them an important part of a national strategy for monitoring long-term ecological change.

Fellows spend six months in a wilderness refuge, taking training courses, developing an inventory and monitoring strategy, and producing baseline data about wilderness characteristics.

Meet the 2013 Wilderness Fellows (673 KB pdf)

Did You Know?

• Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, NJ, was the first refuge to receive wilderness designation — 3,660 acres in the 1968.
• The smallest wilderness area in the Refuge System is the two-acre Wisconsin Islands Wilderness, Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge, WI.
• The largest wilderness area in the Refuge System is 8 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, AK. Nearly 75 per cent of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge is wilderness.
• The most recent additions to wilderness areas within the Refuge System were included in the 1994 California Desert Bill – 3,195 acres in Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, CA/AZ and 5, 836 acres in Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, CA/AZ.