My Wilderness Checklist

I’m working toward visiting all 448 U.S. Forest Service wilderness areas. These are some of the places I’ve visited, with the trips that took me there.

Visited

Wyoming

Jedediah Smith Wilderness

Our Teton Crest Trail route passed through Jedediah Smith Wilderness, including Alaska Basin. All three of our camps were in Grand Teton National Park.

4-Day Teton Crest Trail: Phillips Bench to String Lake

My wilderness rating

7.9 /10

Scenery/views
8.5/10
Wildlife
4.5/10
Solitude
8.5/10
Trail conditions
10/10
Why I rated it this way
Scenery/views
Sunset near Hurricane Pass was the standout for me.
Wildlife
Close sightings of a marmot and a buck near the wilderness boundary.
Solitude
The trail felt quiet. Groups were camping around Sunset Lake and Alaska Basin, but they didn’t detract from the experience.
Trail conditions
Well-maintained trails and signs at the major junctions made the route easy to follow.

Visited

Arizona

Superstition Wilderness

My loop from Peralta Trailhead took me into the western part of the wilderness.

3-Day Superstition Wilderness Loop

My wilderness rating

6.5 /10

Scenery/views
8/10
Wildlife
4.5/10
Solitude
7/10
Trail conditions
6.5/10
Why I rated it this way
Scenery/views
Weaver’s Needle, the desert vegetation, and the sunrise and sunset views stood out.
Wildlife
Birdsong was especially noticeable at dawn and dusk, with birds and small animals along the trail.
Solitude
The camps felt secluded, with long quiet stretches on the trail.
Trail conditions
The trail was mostly clear, but unmarked stretches and washed-out creekbeds made it easy to wander off route.

Visited

New Hampshire

Pemigewasset Wilderness

The Pemi Loop took me into Pemigewasset Wilderness, though much of the route was outside it.

3-Day Pemi Loop

My wilderness rating

5.8 /10

Scenery/views
8/10
Wildlife
3/10
Solitude
3/10
Trail conditions
9/10
Why I rated it this way
Scenery/views
The ridgeline views stood out, especially looking back over the peaks we’d crossed.
Wildlife
I don’t recall much notable wildlife.
Solitude
I saw other hikers frequently.
Trail conditions
The trails were physically demanding but well maintained.

Visited

West Virginia

Dolly Sods Wilderness

My route started at Bear Rocks and headed into Dolly Sods Wilderness.

3-Day Dolly Sods Loop

My wilderness rating

5.3 /10

Scenery/views
7/10
Wildlife
4/10
Solitude
6/10
Trail conditions
4/10
Why I rated it this way
Scenery/views
I liked the variety of landscapes, and sunrise at Lion’s Head stood out.
Wildlife
I don’t recall much notable wildlife.
Solitude
I crossed paths with hikers occasionally, and finding a good waterside camp was harder by the second night.
Trail conditions
Some sections were easy to lose, and others were very muddy or swampy. The rest was easier going.

Visited

Vermont

Lye Brook Wilderness

The Bourn Pond stretch took me through Lye Brook Wilderness; the full loop also went beyond its boundary.

Bourn Pond–Stratton Pond Loop

My wilderness rating

5.1 /10

Scenery/views
6/10
Wildlife
4/10
Solitude
5.5/10
Trail conditions
5/10
Why I rated it this way
Scenery/views
Sunset at Bourn Pond was the standout. Much of the rest was forested.
Wildlife
I heard loons at the pond on the first night, but little else stood out.
Solitude
The first camp was quiet.
Trail conditions
Some stretches were overgrown but still followable, and a couple of junctions were confusing.

Visited

West Virginia

Cranberry Wilderness

I visited on a three-day loop from WV 150.

3-Day Cranberry Wilderness Loop

My wilderness rating

4.8 /10

Scenery/views
5/10
Wildlife
3/10
Solitude
9/10
Trail conditions
2/10
Why I rated it this way
Scenery/views
The creek crossings and plants were the parts I enjoyed most.
Wildlife
Few wildlife encounters stood out.
Solitude
I only saw two other people, both on the last day.
Trail conditions
I kept losing the trail and working around fallen trees.

A note on the checklist

This page follows my goal of visiting wilderness areas managed wholly or partly by the U.S. Forest Service. An area’s absence doesn’t mean I haven’t visited it.

Visited means I traveled clearly inside the designated boundary. Day hikes count, with no minimum mileage or overnight requirement. Just following a boundary or seeing an area from a distance doesn’t count. Each named wilderness appears once, including jointly managed areas regardless of which agency’s portion I entered.

A check records a visit. It doesn’t mean I’ve explored the whole area or experienced all its highlights. Linked trips often include stretches outside the wilderness.

How I rate them

These ratings reflect my experience of each wilderness on the linked trip. I score scenery/views, wildlife, solitude and trail conditions out of 10, with each counting equally. The overall rating is their average, rounded to one decimal place.

For trail conditions, I’m scoring how easy the trail was to follow and how well it was maintained. A high score can still mean a physically demanding hike.

For the mountains I’ve climbed, see My Peak Checklists.