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WSAs were inventoried around 1980 as mandated by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The goal was to determine which landscapes had wilderness characteristics (largely untouched by humans). These lands were to be studied and either preserved as Wilderness, if merited, or folded back into the multiple use mandate of their encompassing land management agencies. Multiple use means everything from recreation to extractive industry is allowable—given proper management. This means mining or logging could be allowed—as they are on much of BLM or USFS managed land. In 1991, recommendations for all WSAs were sent up to Congress, but nothing has happened to most of them. Thus, since their inventory, WSAs have been in limbo—functionally a Wilderness but not officially designated as such.

There is much talk of moving WSAs out of this limbo and the Wyoming Senators are pushing legislation to do this. See S.681 (Senate) and H.R.1472 (House), both introduced in 2025 as the Wyoming Public Lands Initiative Act.

My personal opinion is that we don’t have a whole lot of roadless, undeveloped land left. WSAs are about 1% of Wyoming. Keeping 1% of our most beautiful lands set aside seems reasonable to me. These lands make for great hunting, fishing, and exploring, precisely because they are not covered in roads.

Wilderness is Wyoming’s most valuable asset economically. Tourism already makes up about 4.5% of our GDP. Folks don’t visit for the wind.

Use this website to learn about these great lands and then go visit them! If you do, please contact our legislaters and let them know you value our public, wild lands.

A word to the wise

I give a few safety tips, but you are on your own.

I am really generous with what I think a sedan or medium clearance vehicle can get through. If I say you need high clearance you really do (unless road work happened, since I visited).

Wyoming Political Leader Contact Information

• Wyoming Senators
• Wyoming Representatives
• Find your Representative tool for Wyoming
• Senator Barrasso
• Senator Lummis
• Representative Hageman
• Governor Gordon

Resources to learn more about Wyoming WSAs and Wilderness areas

Erik Molvar’s book Wild Wyoming has most (maybe all) wilderness and WSAs included and provides some hiking ideas for each. Recommended.