Wilderness
What is a Wilderness Area?
Although some people see a forest as wilderness, the definition of federal wilderness is specific.
The Wilderness Act of 1964 defines it as “an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” The Act’s purpose is to preserve and protect the natural ecosystems and wild areas and also provide opportunities for solitude and retrospective or primitive recreation.
Wilderness areas are valuable for the historical, scientific, educational, geologic and ecological benefits. They help the environment and the economy.
But perhaps one of the greatest benefits is what wilderness areas can do for a person. For those who travel into wilderness areas the experience can be awe inspiring and life changing. Those treks are what made great novels and critically acclaimed essays. Many who venture onto wilderness areas come back out changed with a deeper understanding of why these lands are set aside. Each person has their own story.
Source: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wilderness/wilderness-stories
Wilderness Along the Florida National Scenic Trail
Florida has over one million acres of wilderness areas found between the Big Cypress National Preserve, all three of the National Forests, and other federal lands. While traversing the Florida National Scenic Trail, trail users will hike through pristine wilderness segments in Juniper Wilderness, in the Ocala National Forest and Bradwell Bay in the Apalachicola National Forest.
These areas are maintained by trained crews utilizing only hand tools. No mechanized equipment, mowers, chainsaws etc., can be used on this segment of trail. This adds to the complexity of trail work, particularly after significant weather events such as hurricanes or flooding. Occasionally, when necessary, the trail crews partner with local horsemen groups to assist with removing large trees or, as seen below, moving large interpretative materials into place.
Explore the this interactive map to search for and explore all wilderness areas in the United States.