What does the term "wilderness" mean to you

S

SouthernCross

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The recently posted quote below from TK magazine...

"I have a feeling that the phrase "wilderness" has different connotations to people in different parts of the country."

.... got me interested in what others consider the term wilderness to be.


I'll start the ball rolling by sharing some of my own personal criteria.

(1) To me a wilderness is an area that shows very little (if any) signs of mans disturbance.

(2) The only tracks / trails in it are made by animals (not the human variety).

(3) I can spend extended periods of time in it without seeing or hearing another person.

(4) Wildlife is generally plentiful.

(5) The water is pristine and can safely be drunk without treatment.


I'd be interested in knowing what criteria others would use to identify an area as a wilderness.



Kind regards
Mick
 
I understand your point of view, Mick. Certainly, your criteria would define a "true" wilderness area.

As for me, a town-dweller, I'm willing to accept wilderness as any area that's not paved. I know that's kind of sad, but that's the reality I live in. I've watched whitetails nibble on shrubbery in residential neighborhoods, and I was still glad to see them. Any area where I can observe native flora and fauna, even if I can hear traffic in the background, is worth visiting.
 
I will agree to all you have said with possible exceptions to 4 & 5. This is because I have been many a place where critters find it inhospitable and do not inhabit, but the locale still meets the other criterea and is ultimately serene wilderness. Concerning water, again, I have been many places where drinking untreated water would be unwise, but it doesn't mean the area is not wilderness. Most specifically, however, I would tend to agree with your assessment in that the area has been left relatively unscarred by man. This is not to say that humans have not been there, just that those who have visited did so in a respectful manner, the area is not commercialized, and the overall traffic of human feet is rather low.
 
I live in a state in which there is not many places you can go where man has not made his mark in some way shape or form.

"Wilderness" to me means anywhere I can go that is void of the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It's a place where I can go alone or with my family, sit in the grass, and take in the views and listen to the animals scurry about. Some days this may be my backyard and some days this may be a remote section of a state park or forest.

"Wilderness" to me really is an adjective and not a noun in most cases.

Great thread :thumbup:
 
Considering I (and most of us) live in industrialised countries, it's a quite abstract concept.

I guess, you can only get there by foot in x hours is a good start, at least it would be wild enough for me (learned to have realistic expectations).
No human trail would be great.

Not sure you can drink water even in completly wild areas (even if no human pollution, you can get "natural" parasites, bacteria).
 
I go with the Wilderness Act definition.

DEFINITION OF WILDERNESS

(c) A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized 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. An area of wilderness is further defined to mean in this Act an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions and which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least five thousand acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value.
Click to expand...

http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=legisAct&error=404


However by some of the other folks definititions here most of the 85 acres I live on and most of the land surrounding it are wilderness.:thumbup:;)
 
The REAL Commander said:
I will agree to all you have said with possible exceptions to 4 & 5. This is because I have been many a place where critters find it inhospitable and do not inhabit, but the locale still meets the other criterea and is ultimately serene wilderness. Concerning water, again, I have been many places where drinking untreated water would be unwise, but it doesn't mean the area is not wilderness. Most specifically, however, I would tend to agree with your assessment in that the area has been left relatively unscarred by man. This is not to say that humans have not been there, just that those who have visited did so in a respectful manner, the area is not commercialized, and the overall traffic of human feet is rather low.
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I'd pretty much agree with that.

Not safe to drink even many natural sources of water anymore.
Also, I don't mind trails. But what I call a trail is where the foliage has been kind of mashed down by being walked on/through. Places like the Appalachian Trail where there's been construction -- albeit rustic -- and "improvements" to a wide swath cut through the wilderness aren't what I'd call a trail, more a "scenic walkway".
 
Wilderness to me is something untouched by man or shows very little influence/changes by man to the area .
 
Living in the second largest city in the US, my definition of wilderness has to be somewhat flexible. Some of the trails I get out on for a quick hike are common and I may pass lots of people. I don't consider them "wilderness" per se, but they are close. Luckily I can drive to spots that are not too far away but are still secluded and more pristine.
 
P1010246.jpg

I like to do day hikes with the kids. To me, it is unbull dozed land. Surprisingly enough, Ventura Co. So. Cal has some nice areas even though we are a land of suburbia. Hearing no vehicles, except maybe a distant plane, no roads.....foot paths are ok!
 
SouthernCross said:
(1) To me a wilderness is an area that shows very little (if any) signs of mans disturbance.

(2) The only tracks / trails in it are made by animals (not the human variety).

(3) I can spend extended periods of time in it without seeing or hearing another person.

(4) Wildlife is generally plentiful.

(5) The water is pristine and can safely be drunk without treatment.


I'd be interested in knowing what criteria others would use to identify an area as a wilderness.



Kind regards
Mick
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I agree withh everything there except the drinking water part Mick.

For instance; you can explore the Amazon Rain Forrest and might be the first human step foot in that part, but I wouldn't go drinking the water from the rivers w/out taking precautions;)

Its too bad there aren't many places like this in the U.S. anymore, atleast by me.:(
 
Wilderness to me means that the land had not been significantly altered by man and generally access to man is generally difficult due to geopgraphy or regulation that limits access. Wilderness can have fire roads and a regulated system of access on an as needed basis. In addition, if you take pictures or hike, there should not be electrical wires or poles visible, so services are extremely limited.
 
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SouthernCross said:
(1) To me a wilderness is an area that shows very little (if any) signs of mans disturbance.

(2) The only tracks / trails in it are made by animals (not the human variety).

(3) I can spend extended periods of time in it without seeing or hearing another person.

(4) Wildlife is generally plentiful.

(5) The water is pristine and can safely be drunk without treatment.


I'd be interested in knowing what criteria others would use to identify an area as a wilderness.
Click to expand...


Well here in Southern New England the land was clearcut and heavily farmed hundreds of years ago.

Where ever I go there are the remains of human activity; stonewalls, abandoned road grades and old foundations are everywhere in the woods.

That said, wildlife is plentiful and I rarely see other people in the areas I favor.

Water is always a concern, even in the more remote areas there is always a concern for contamination.




"If you're not living on the edge, …you're taking up too much space."

Big Mike
 
For me, wilderness means the nearest town is at least 15miles away, and the nearest "improved" gravel road is 5 miles away. There are few areas left that fit the description.
 
pvicenzi said:
For me, wilderness means the nearest town is at least 15miles away, and the nearest "improved" gravel road is 5 miles away. There are few areas left that fit the description.
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A very respectable percentage of Colorado meets or exceeds that definition, which is a big reason why I live here. Try as you might, though, you can never get away from the jets going overhead, no matter how isolated you get. That's probably not attainable in the continental U.S.
 
I agree with most things said already. I always pictured wilderness as being in a forest as opposed to an open field.
 
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