[Jump to the main content of this page]

USDA Forest Service
Daniel Boone
National Forest
1700 Bypass Road
Winchester, KY 40391

Phone: 859-745-3100
FAX: 859-744-1568

Wilderness

Wilderness is an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain." --

There are two Congressionally designated Wildernesses on the Daniel Boone National Forest, Clifty Wilderness on Cumberland Ranger District and Beaver Creek Wilderness on Stearns Ranger District. The Forest Service is charged by Congress to manage these areas to protect and enhance the natural conditions, and provide opportunities for solitude and unconfined recreation.

Wildernesses offer refuge from the bustle and stress of modern civilization. You are free to explore and discover all that Wilderness provides including solitude, challenge, scenic beauty, and natural ecosystems.

Hunting and fishing are permitted within the Wilderness in accordance with Kentucky State regulations.

Wilderness areas are primitive in nature. Modern facilities such as toilets, piped water, shelters or campgrounds are unavailable. Wilderness entry is by foot or horseback. Motorized vehicles and equipment such as all-terrain vehicles and chainsaws as well as mechanized equipment such as bicycles and wheeled carts are prohibited. There are few, if any, signs to guide you so you will be challenged to be self-sufficient and creative.

The Forest Service bears with great pride the stewardship of these unique lands for this and future generations. Both visitors and managers must take responsibility to ensure that the Wilderness is an enduring resource. You can help by obeying the regulations that govern wilderness use and by practicing the Leave No Trace land ethic during your wilderness visit.

YOUR VISIT TO A WILDERNESS AREA

A visit to a national forest wilderness is a step back in time. Visitors will find no improved camp sites, no roads, no electricity. In fact, machines such as chainsaws, vehicles, bicycles and even cellular phones are prohibited. The Wilderness Act allows hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, skiing, and grazing in these areas. Fires are allowed in most areas, but some areas are closed to open fires to protect resources. Motorized or mechanical equipment is prohibited. Horses can be used in both Wilderness areas; however, overnight camping with stock is not allowed in specified locations. All visitors are asked to practice no trace camping which minimizes human impact on the wilderness resource and preserves the wilderness characteristics for present and future generations.

REGULATIONS

The maximum number of people allowed in each group is twenty (20). No more that twenty-five (25) head of stock animals are allowed in each group. Larger groups may be allowed on a permit only basis in low use areas as determined by the District Ranger.

Permits are required for all commercial and organizational groups. No competitive events.
All nonflammable refuse must be packed out and disposed of properly. No refuse may be buried.
Detergent use is prohibited in or near surface water.
Human waste must be buried at least two hundred (200) feet from surface water.
Cutting or defacing of live trees is prohibited.
Short-cutting trail switchbacks is prohibited.
Construction of shelters or other permanent structures is prohibited.
Hay and straw are not permitted.
Select all campsites and stock grazing areas at least fifty (50) feet from stream banks and two hundred (200) feet from lake shores.
Motorized or mechanical equipment are not allowed in wilderness areas.

Protect Our History!

The two wildernesses on the Daniel Boone National Forest hold many tantalizing clues to the lifestyle of earlier residents. There are archaeological traces of both prehistoric peoples, as well as artifacts from the early pioneering history of eastern Kentucky. These sites provide priceless links to the past and should be enjoyed but not destroyed. Please don't remove artifacts or alter any sites you may encounter. Not only is it against federal law, it also robs future visitors of their opportunity to enjoy the site.

Leave No Trace

As more people seek to escape the mechanized world and experience nature on its own terms, the wilderness is becoming more impacted from our visits. To ensure that future visitors can have the same high quality wilderness experience, each person must take responsibility to minimize the impact of their visit.

Some important things you can do:

Carry out everything you bring in.
Don't leave trash that may spoil another person's visit.
Use a stove instead of building a fire.
If a campfire is necessary, keep it small and tend to it at all times.
Use small dead and down material for fires.
Never cut or damage live trees.
Bury human waste at least 200 feet from water sources.
Refrain from taking rocks, wildflowers, antlers, and artifacts.

Protection of Wilderness will never be gained simply by issuing a set of rules and regulations. It must come with love and understanding of the land. Protection of wilderness is a personal ethic. Some mark is left in Wilderness each time we visit, but each of us can make sure this mark is a small one. Minimum impact or no trace camping should be considered common sense behavior in the backcountry, but many people are not aware of what they leave behind.

Wilderness Camping

Most wilderness trailheads are undeveloped; while they are signed, there are no camping facilities or drinking water provided. Wilderness visitors are free to discover their own dispersed campsite within the wilderness. Water is generally readily available from creeks, springs and seeps, and can be safely used by pack stock. Even in wilderness, water should be treated before human consumption. To be safe for cooking or drinking, boil all water for five minutes.

Prescribed Natural Fire

Under certain conditions, fire can be beneficial to wilderness values. The Daniel Boone National Forest has approved plans for prescribed natural fire in all of our wildernesses. Visitors should ask about fire precautions and the presence of any prescribed natural fires, before beginning the wilderness visit.

The Wilderness Act of 1964

"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.

This landmark conservation legislation established for the American people an enduring resource of wilderness. The Act defined wilderness as areas that:

Are affected primarily by the forces of nature, where man is a visitor who does not remain.

Possess outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation.

Are undeveloped, federally owned, and generally over 5,000 acres in size.

Are protected and managed so as to allow natural ecological processes to operate freely.

May contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value.

Are formally designated by Congress as wilderness.

The Wilderness Act, 1964

WHAT IS A WILDERNESS?

Wilderness is the America that was– wild land beyond the frontier that shaped the growth of the nation and the character of its people. Wagon trains, stagecoaches and then railroads crisscrossed the continent, inviting settlement and industry. The rush for lands and resources led to almost unchecked development. But after just 200 years, the American frontier (except for Alaska) had virtually disappeared.

The late 1800’s marked a turning point in the management of America’s natural resources. Selected public lands were protected from uncontrolled development and reserved to benefit the nation as a whole. The establishment of the world’s first National Park at Yellowstone in 1872 exemplified this change. The first allocation of public land specifically for protecting wilderness values was made in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico in 1924. Forty years later, the desire to protect the Nation’s wilderness resource was formalized with the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964. Clifty Wilderness, located in the Cumberland Ranger District on the Daniel Boone National Forest, was designated by an act on December 23, 1985.

Objectives of Wilderness Management

Management objectives for the National Wilderness Preservation System are drawn from the Wilderness Act. These objectives tell the Forest Service how to care for the land. These objectives include:

To perpetuate for present and future generations a long-lasting system of high-quality wilderness that represents natural ecosystems.
To provide opportunities for public use and enjoyment of the wilderness resource.
To allow plants and animals indigenous to the area to develop through natural processes.
To maintain watershed and airsheds in a healthy condition.
To protect threatened or endangered plant and animal species.
To maintain the primitive character of wilderness as a benchmark for ecological studies.

Why Manage Wilderness?

When the Wilderness Act was passed, many assumed that simply designating an area as wilderness would assure its preservation. Today, however, steadily increasing use and other human influences are impacting wilderness qualities. Preserving these qualities can best be ensured through the careful management of the wilderness resource. Managing a wilderness includes:

Providing public education on wilderness values and methods to minimize user impacts.
Favoring wilderness-dependent activities in management decisions.
Generally not allowing permanent structures, such as campgrounds, buildings, or radio antennas.
Managing visitor use to protect soil, water, and biological resources, and to distribute visitors.
Prohibiting the use of motor vehicles, mechanical transport, and motorized equipment.
Excluding timber harvesting.
Allowing fires to burn under preplanned prescribed conditions. This includes both naturally occurring fires and those ignited by wilderness managers.

Title: Wilderness
Last Updated: December 22, 2008