National What?

The word "wilderness" is perhaps the most romantic of all land designations. Wilderness conveys a sense of the true wild, an area that might be sometimes dangerous but somehow always touches your soul. A place for retreat. Some famous wilderness areas include California's Ventana Wilderness, Colorado's Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness, and North Carolina's Joyce Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness.

Leave it to lawmakers and bureaucrats to apply a more prosaic meaning to the term. In 1964 the United States Congress passed the Wilderness Preservation Act. The reasons set out in the preamble were forward looking: With increasing human population and mechanization, the nation was in danger of becoming entirely occupied. At least some areas should be left in their natural condition. No buildings. No cellular towers. And most importantly, no roads.

Over the years, the wisdom of this idea has become more apparent. Originally, the national wilderness system covered 9.1 million acres in 54 national forests. Today, the wilderness system covers close to 100 million acres in areas that include national parks, national wildlife refuges, and BLM lands.

The wilderness designation can be a mixed blessing. Yeah, it affords long-term protection, but the designation can serve as an attractant, exacerbating the loved-to-death syndrome. However, many other areas have all the attributes of a wilderness. Search for these places under titles such as roadless areas, or wilderness study areas, or primitive areas. Generally, these areas don't have the long-term protection of a designated wilderness. But what they do have is relative obscurity: a boon for those seeking true solitude.

Upside: Magnificent solitude, pristine nature unmarred by buildings or roads.
Downside: "Humans are but a visitor." Many wildernesses are far, far away from amenities such as grocery stores and hospitals.