WILDERNESS PA-459

The appreciation of wilderness values is an invention of civilization. Man generally does not recognize such values until he has become separated from them; that is, when he has become civilized and a member of a dynamic and complex society.

Primitive man, living deep in the forest and fearing its mysteries, had little regard for an environment in which his life was constantly endangered. The American pioneer viewed the wilderness first as a land to be conquered and put to domestic use, for he was confined more by it than by the villages, roads, and farms he was building.

He was aware of the solitude and beauty of wild forests and the freedom of untamed lands, but his awareness was blunted; the forests were too much in abundance and too much a part of his life.

It is only recently in this century that Americans, closely confined by a highly complex civilization, have begun developing a deeper appreciation of wilderness.

Many people—those working in historical, scientific, and educational fields—are interested in these lands in relation to their work. But by far the most popular appeal of wilderness to Americans is the opportunity it provides for rugged, primitive outdoor recreation.

Those who go into the American wilderness for recreation—whether spiritual or physical—are as diverse in character as are the wild lands they visit. They come from every section of the United States, men and women of many ages and backgrounds. They come for various reasons; wilderness means many different things to people. And they come prepared. They have made careful plans and detailed arrangements, both essential for a successful and enjoyable trip, for in the wilderness their way is the arduous, virile travel of the pioneers. On foot, on horseback, or by canoe—there is no other way to travel—they seek out the unusual outdoor experiences only these primitive lands can give.

Trail Riders of the Wilderness in the Pecos Wilderness,Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico F-483666

They may go into the wilderness to hunt big game or to fish in waters seldom visited by other fishermen. Perhaps their hobby is photography and they wish to document America's primitive landscapes or to capture on film the wild animals and birds. Others may only seek the solitude of great space and distance. Some may desire to conquer a towering mountain peak thrust skyward millions of years ago and then, standing high on the peak, say to themselves that no man has stood here before.

But for most people, it is thrill enough and satisfying enough just to travel in primitive lands, camping where night falls and enjoying the soul-healing freedom of living in a world apart from the pressures of their daily lives.

Whatever his interest, the first-time wilderness visitor will find his days in the wild lands adding up to an experience of special significance to him, though perhaps unexplainable to another person. The wilderness environment will be unlike any he has ever known, and his emotional and spiritual reactions to it will be completely, uniquely his.

Here are the wilderness—the wild and primitive—lands of the National Forests. They are today as they were before our ancestors, as they will be beyond our time and the time of our children.

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