I’d love to visit all the Wilderness Areas in the lower 48 states over the course of my life. Why not the whole U.S.? Because Alaska has 48 wilderness areas, and I have no intention of flying all over Alaska to hit them all.

I would just like to explore as much wilderness as possible, in as environmentally-friendly a way as possible. What does environmentally-friendly mean? Well, I will respect rules and regulations: some wilderness areas do not allow visitors (good!), and several island wildernesses are not worth the environmental impact to get there. If I have to charter a plane or boat to get there, I can be happy that those wildernesses exist without touching foot in them. I’ll get as close as I can.

It’s a squishy goal, but it is motivating me to get out more than I usually do, so it’s working.

I believe there are currently 753 wildernesses that I am aiming for. Why the question? Well, when I search for wilderness areas, I get 803. However, that includes many multiple entries, including in situations where multiple agencies each oversee part of a massive wilderness area, or when a wilderness area spans two states. It might show up twice, or even three times. I think I cleaned out all the duplicates with that 753 number.

The Wildernesses:

Alabama – 2 of 3 Wildernesses visited
Cheaha Wilderness
Dugger Mountain Wilderness

Arizona – 4 of 90 Wildernesses visited
Miller Peak Wilderness
Mount Wrightson Wilderness
Saguaro Wilderness
Pusch Ridge Wilderness

California – 2 of 154 Wildernesses visited
Desolation Wilderness
Granite Chief Wilderness

Colorado – 2 of 44 Wildernesses visited
Black Canyon of the Gunnison Wilderness
Vasquez Peak Wilderness

Georgia – 7 of 14 Wildernesses visited
Big Frog Wilderness
Blood Mountain Wilderness
Cohutta Wilderness
Mark Trail Wilderness
Raven Cliffs Wilderness
Southern Nantahala Wilderness
Tray Mountain Wilderness

Indiana – 1 of 1 Wildernesses visited – Done!
Charles C. Deam Wilderness

Kentucky – 1 of 2 Wildernesses visited
Beaver Creek Wilderness

Michigan – 13 of 16 Wildernesses visited
Big Island Lake Wilderness
Delirium Wilderness
Horseshoe Bay Wilderness
Huron Islands Wilderness
Isle Royale Wilderness
Mackinac Wilderness
McCormick Wilderness
Nordmark Dunes Wilderness
Rock River Canyon Wilderness
Seney Wilderness
Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness
Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness
Sylvania Wilderness

Minnesota – 3 of 3 Wildernesses visited – Done!
Agassiz Wilderness
Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness
Tamarack Wilderness

Montana – 1 of 15 Wildernesses visited
Great Bear Wilderness

Nebraska – 2 of 2 Wildernesses visited – Done!
Fort Niobrara Wilderness
Soldier Creek Wilderness

Nevada – 1 of 70 Wildernesses visited
Mount Rose Wilderness

New Hampshire – 4 of 5 Wildernesses visited
Great Gulf Wilderness
Pemigewasset Wilderness
President Range – Dry River Wilderness
Wild River Wilderness

North Carolina – 9 of 12 Wildernesses visited
Birkhead Mountains Wilderness
Catfish Lake Wilderness
(Ellicott Rock Wilderness – see SC)
Joyce Kilmer – Slickrock Wilderness
Pocosin Wilderness
Pond Pine Wilderness
Sheep Ridge Wilderness
Shining Rock Wilderness
(Southern Nantahala Wilderness – see GA)

North Dakota – 1 of 3 Wildernesses visited
Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness

Oregon – 2 of 48 Wildernesses visited
Oregon Islands Wilderness
Three Arches Rocks Wilderness

Pennsylvania – 2 of 2 Wildernesses visited – Done!
Allegheny River Islands Wilderness
Hickory Creek Wilderness

South Carolina – 7 of 7 Wildernesses visited – Done!
Cape Romain Wilderness
Congaree National Park Wilderness
Ellicott Rock Wilderness
Hell Hole Bay Wilderness
Little Wambaw Swamp Wilderness
Wambaw Creek Wilderness
Wambaw Swamp Wilderness

South Dakota – 2 of 2 Wildernesses visited – Done!
Badlands Wilderness
Black Elk Wilderness

Tennessee – 5 of 12 Wildernesses visited
(Big Frog Wilderness – see GA)
Big Laurel Branch Wilderness
Citico Creek Wilderness
(Cohutta Wilderness -see GA)
(Joyce Kilmer – Slickrock Wilderness – see NC)
Little Frog Wilderness
Pond Mountain Wilderness

Texas – 1 of 6 Wildernesses visited
Little Lake Creek Wilderness

Vermont – 6 of 8 Wildernesses visited
Big Branch Wilderness
Breadloaf Wilderness
Glastenbury Wilderness
Joseph Battell Wilderness
Lye Brook Wilderness
Peru Peak Wildernes

Virginia – 12 of 24 Wildernesses visited
Beartown Wilderness
James River Face Wilderness
Lewis Fork Wilderness
Little Wilson Creek Wilderness
Mountain Lake Wilderness
Peters Mountain Wilderness
Priest Wilderness
Ramseys Draft Wilderness
Shenandoah Wilderness
St. Mary’s Wilderness
Three Ridges Wilderness
Thunder Ridge Wilderness

West Virginia – 4 of 9 Wildernesses visited
Big Draft Wilderness
Cranberry Wilderness
Dolly Sods Wilderness
Spice Run Wilderness

Wisconsin – 6 of 7 Wildernesses visited
Blackjack Springs Wilderness
Gaylord Nelson Wilderness
Porcupine Lake Wilderness
Rainbow Lake Wilderness
Headwaters Wilderness
Whisker Lake Wilderness

Wyoming – 1 of 15 Wildernesses visited
Cloud Peak Wilderness

Six states do not have wilderness areas (CT, DE, IA, KS, MD, RI). Two states (AK-48 & HI-2) and Puerto Rico (1) I’m not actively pursuing. I have completed: Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and South Dakota.