U.S. Wilderness Areas

The National Wilderness Preservation System includes wilderness areas in the United States designated by the Wilderness Act of 1964 and all subsequent wilderness laws. Today, more than 800 wilderness areas exist in 44 states and Puerto Rico encompassing more than 111 million acres. Through designation as wilderness, public lands that are federally owned by the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, or National Park Service are given the highest level of protection available.