,Wilderness areas are federally-owned public lands managed by the federal government through four agencies, the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and National Park Service. When the National Wilderness Preservation System started in 1964, only 54 wilderness areas were included. Since then, the system has grown nearly every year to include more than 800. The time component of this service is based on the year in which the wilderness was originally designated (additions may have occurred in subsequent years). Overall, however, only about 5% of the entire United States—an area slightly larger than the state of California— is protected as wilderness. Because Alaska contains just over half of America's wilderness, only about 2.7% of the contiguous United States—an area about the size of Minnesota—is protected as wilderness. To learn more about wilderness areas, visit Wilderness Connect, the authoritative source for wilderness information online. Wilderness Connect also publishes two other map resources:,,,Although wilderness areas are federally-owned, some areas contain non-federal parcels within their boundaries. Non-federal lands within some wilderness areas are included as part of this feature dataset as a separate layer. Termed inholdings or edgeholdings, these lands are privately-owned or owned by local governments, state governments or Indigenous Nations. Hundreds of inholdings and edgeholdings exist across the wilderness system. Generally, however, they are small compared to the size of the wilderness itself. Since the rules and regulations that apply to wilderness areas do not apply to these non-federally-owned parcels, it is important for wilderness visitors to know their location to avoid trespassing where access is not allowed. The owners of inholdings and edgeholdings can develop these parcels (as long as developments do not affect the character of the surrounding wilderness lands) and they retain special and limited access to them, sometimes, but not always, by motorized means.,

,Wilderness areas are federally-owned public lands managed by the federal government through four agencies, the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and National Park Service. When the National Wilderness Preservation System started in 1964, only 54 wilderness areas were included. Since then, the system has grown nearly every year to include more than 800. The time component of this service is based on the year in which the wilderness was originally designated (additions may have occurred in subsequent years). Overall, however, only about 5% of the entire United States—an area slightly larger than the state of California— is protected as wilderness. Because Alaska contains just over half of America's wilderness, only about 2.7% of the contiguous United States—an area about the size of Minnesota—is protected as wilderness. To learn more about wilderness areas, visit Wilderness Connect, the authoritative source for wilderness information online. Wilderness Connect also publishes two other map resources:,,,Although wilderness areas are federally-owned, some areas contain non-federal parcels within their boundaries. Non-federal lands within some wilderness areas are included as part of this feature dataset as a separate layer. Termed inholdings or edgeholdings, these lands are privately-owned or owned by local governments, state governments or Indigenous Nations. Hundreds of inholdings and edgeholdings exist across the wilderness system. Generally, however, they are small compared to the size of the wilderness itself. Since the rules and regulations that apply to wilderness areas do not apply to these non-federally-owned parcels, it is important for wilderness visitors to know their location to avoid trespassing where access is not allowed. The owners of inholdings and edgeholdings can develop these parcels (as long as developments do not affect the character of the surrounding wilderness lands) and they retain special and limited access to them, sometimes, but not always, by motorized means.,

This data layer depicts the Wilderness and Proposed Wilderness that have been placed upon the lands and waters administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in North America, U.S. Trust Territories and Possessions. These special areas, such as wilderness, are primarily designated by the U.S. Congress. The primary source for this information is the USFWS Wilderness program and the NWRS Realty program.

This data layer depicts the Wilderness and Proposed Wilderness that have been placed upon the lands and waters administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in North America, U.S. Trust Territories and Possessions. These special areas, such as wilderness, are primarily designated by the U.S. Congress. The primary source for this information is the USFWS Wilderness program and the NWRS Realty program.

This data layer depicts the Wilderness and Proposed Wilderness that have been placed upon the lands and waters administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in North America, U.S. Trust Territories and Possessions. These special areas, such as wilderness, are primarily designated by the U.S. Congress. The primary source for this information is the USFWS Wilderness program and the NWRS Realty program.

This data layer depicts the Wilderness and Proposed Wilderness that have been placed upon the lands and waters administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in North America, U.S. Trust Territories and Possessions. These special areas, such as wilderness, are primarily designated by the U.S. Congress. The primary source for this information is the USFWS Wilderness program and the NWRS Realty program.

This data layer depicts the Wilderness and Proposed Wilderness that have been placed upon the lands and waters administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in North America, U.S. Trust Territories and Possessions. These special areas, such as wilderness, are primarily designated by the U.S. Congress. The primary source for this information is the USFWS Wilderness program and the NWRS Realty program.

Boundaries of identified wilderness areas in NSW under S.6 of the Wilderness Act 1987. Under the Wilderness Act 1987, wilderness is land which: • is substantially unmodified by humans or is capable of restoration; • is of sufficient size be maintained in an unmodified state; and • is capable of providing opportunities for solitude and appropriate self-reliant recreation. An area can be nominated as wilderness by any person or organisation. Those lands are assessed by the Department of Planning and Environment to determine whether they meet the wilderness criteria. Lands found to meet the criteria in the Act are identified as wilderness by the Department of Planning and Environment. Identified wilderness differs from declared wilderness. Identified wilderness is a recognition of an area’s values, whereas declared wilderness has statutory protection and must be managed in a way which will maintain its wilderness values.

A parcel of Forest Service land congressionally designated as wilderness such as National Wilderness Area. Click this link for full metadata description: Metadata

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) mandated by the Secretary of Interior to report to the President on the wilderness suitability of lands managed by the Bureau of land Management (BLM) by October 21, 1991. This report is the result of a comprehensive study of public lands in Idaho by the Bureau of Land Management regarding the suitability of these lands for wilderness designation. Summary, from the Idaho Wilderness Study Report dated 1991. For more information contact us at blm_id_stateoffice@blm.gov.