Wilderness Areas
A wilderness area is a federally protected area of undeveloped land that is managed to preserve its natural conditions and “wildness”. Wilderness areas can be found in national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. They are often large tracts of land that are over 5,000 acres and can include rugged mountain ranges, broad valleys, desert plains, alpine meadows, sandy beaches, and rocky crags. This webpage is devoted to sharing my exploration of the magnificent landscape of the North Cascades. The map on the right shows the extent of the North Cascades.
Wilderness Act
The Wilderness Act of 1964 allows Congress to designate wilderness areas to protect these wild lands from human development and ensure they don’t disappear. Wilderness areas are prohibited from motorized equipment and permanent improvements, and are managed to provide opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation.
The map (left) shows all of the wilderness areas in the North Cascades, these areas are within the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie and Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forests (right side map). The wilderness areas are part of and managed by the National Forest Service, but different rules apply to wilderness and non-wilderness areas. In some cases, a wilderness area spans more than one national forest.
I copied these maps off the National Forest Websites. I want to include maps that show the roads leading to great adventures in the North Cascades.
Between Verlot and Darrington NF-20/Mountain Loop Rd) has a plethora of exciting activities. Like wise just North of Darrington off of 530 east of the Sauk River Bridge is NF-26/Suiattle River Rd. I highlighted the area.
Heading east on highway 2 is State Route 207, which forks at Lake Wenatchee. The east fork heads up Chiwawa River Rd for 23 miles where it terminates at Phelps Creek Campground. I drew the road in and highlighted it.
It’s important to note that in a wilderness area, there is no cell reception and no nearby roads. You are responsible for taking care of yourself and the environment. These areas are homes to various organisms and are protected for us to enjoy while remaining unaltered by human development (leave no trace).
