Welcome to the official NPS source for updated information about wilderness area research, education, legislation, and preservation. Return to this site often to learn more about the wild world that sustains our community of life.

Wilderness, as stated by the Wilderness Act of 1964, is "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain."

Wilderness serves as a repository of valuable ecological, geological, scientific, educational, and historical information. Park managers are currently researching and monitoring many aspects of these areas to obtain more knowledge about them.

Work to organize this data and make it available tothe public is ongoing. Individuals from throughout the National Wilderness Preservation System are currently contributing to this important effort.