National Wilderness Areas

In total, there are about 110 million acres of designated wilderness managed by the US Forest Service, the National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management. This is an area larger than the state of California (third largest of the 50 states). 52% of all wilderness acreage in the United States is in Alaska.

The US Forest Service oversees more than 430 designated wilderness areas for a total of more than 36 million acres. The National Park Service lays claim to more than 43 million acres in 60 locations (although some locations (like Lake Mead National Recreation Area) have multiple designated wilderness areas within them). US Fish & Wildlife Service manages more than 20 million acres in 71 areas. The Bureau of Land Management has more than 22 wilderness sites, comprising more than 8 million acres.

Some wilderness areas are managed by multiple agencies but there are more than 750 designated Wilderness Areas in the United States.

The list below is only a list of the National Designated Wildernesses, not wilderness areas managed by the various states and some tribal governments.

Thick tree cover at the edge of Uncompaghre Wilderness in Colorado
Boundary marker for Uncompahgre Wilderness in Colorado
National Wilderness Areas
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Massachusetts
  • Monomoy Wilderness
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
  • Birkhead Mountains Wilderness
  • Catfish Lake South Wilderness
  • Ellicott Rock Wilderness
  • Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness
  • Linville Gorge Wilderness
  • Middle Prong Wilderness
  • Pocosin Wilderness
  • Pond Pine Wilderness
  • Sheep Ridge Wilderness
  • Shining Rock Wilderness
  • Southern Nantahala Wilderness
  • Swanquarter Wilderness
North Dakota
Ohio
West Sister Island Wilderness
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
El Toro Wilderness
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
  • Big Slough Wilderness
  • Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness
  • Indian Mounds Wilderness
  • Little Lake Creek Wilderness
  • Turkey Hill Wilderness
  • Upland Island Wilderness
Utah
Vermont
  • Big Branch Wilderness
  • Breadloaf Wilderness
  • Bristol Cliffs Wilderness
  • George D. Aiken Wilderness
  • Glastonbury Wilderness
  • Joseph Battell Wilderness
  • Lye Brook Wilderness
  • Peru Peak Wilderness
Virginia
  • Barbours Creek Wilderness
  • Beartown Wilderness
  • Brush Mountain Wilderness
  • Brush Mountain East Wilderness
  • Garden Mountain Wilderness
  • Hunting Camp Creek Wilderness
  • James River Face Wilderness
  • Kimberling Creek Wilderness
  • Lewis Fork Wilderness
  • Little Dry Run Wilderness
  • Little Wilson Creek Wilderness
  • Mountain Lake Wilderness
  • Peters Mountain Wilderness
  • Priest Wilderness
  • Raccoon Branch Wilderness
  • Ramseys Draft Wilderness
  • Rich Hole Wilderness
  • Rough Mountain Wilderness
  • Saint Mary's Wilderness
  • Shawvers Run Wilderness
  • Shenandoah Wilderness
  • Stone Mountain Wilderness
  • Three Ridges Wilderness
  • Thunder Ridge Wilderness
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Mount Rainier from Goat Rocks Wilderness
Mount Rainier from Goat Rocks Wilderness to the south
Photos courtesy of TheArmchairExplorer, CCA-by-SA 3.0 License