Is there anywhere wild left in america? | Squat the Planet

Is there anywhere wild left in america?

The Hiker

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All I see in this godforsaken country is cities, farms and institutions of planet destruction. But maybe I'm wrong, are there any large areas of unruined nature anywhere in the lower 48? Finding a place to live in nature is becoming a forgotten fantasy and it breaks my heart and spirit even more.
 
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ClashCityRkr

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I'd argue that much of the flyover states and a large portion of the midwest contain areas that are largely undeveloped. Places like Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Arkansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, and even Nevada contain ample space sparsely populated and far from urban congestion. Granted, this is only from what I've heard. I'll let you know over the summer.
 

The Hiker

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I'd argue that much of the flyover states and a large portion of the midwest contain areas that are largely undeveloped. Places like Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Arkansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, and even Nevada contain ample space sparsely populated and far from urban congestion. Granted, this is only from what I've heard. I'll let you know over the summer.
Thanks I'll do some research on those areas, I've looked at the southeast of oregon and getting into nevada, that looks promising
 

ClashCityRkr

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It's worth keeping in mind that, in a country such as this, places that remain largely undeveloped probably remain that way for reason, whether it be inhospitable environments or a significant lack of resources necessary to sustain life. Whatever your goal, and wherever your venture, be sure to do ample research before setting out regardless.
 

noothgrush

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Northern Maine, Northern New York. A lot of Wyoming and Montana. Plenty of Oregon. Tons of Texas. It depends on what you are looking for environment-wise. Do you like the desert of the forest? A lot of this land is public property, you can camp. America is wild dude. You just gotta know where to look.
 

noothgrush

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And yeah do your research. Lots of books and videos on wilderness survival in different climates. I still spend countless hours reading watching and practicing. Its literally the most useful knowledge your ever going to obtain.
 
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there is plenty of space, but youre right its being destroyed which is horrifying, and it's always been real difficult to live there by yourself- why early humans formed tribes. those same tribes now still being forced off their last scraps of territory for destructive and toxic resource extraction - i agree with you it is extremely heartbreaking to see the colonial infection (nearly) everywhere you look. i hope you can make it work though. i highly recommend checking out the winter count gathering in az if at all possible, if youre on the road rn.
 

The Hiker

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there is plenty of space, but youre right its being destroyed which is horrifying, and it's always been real difficult to live there by yourself- why early humans formed tribes. those same tribes now still being forced off their last scraps of territory for destructive and toxic resource extraction - i agree with you it is extremely heartbreaking to see the colonial infection (nearly) everywhere you look. i hope you can make it work though. i highly recommend checking out the winter count gathering in az if at all possible, if youre on the road rn.
Im not on the road right now but I'll check it out, thanks
 

roughdraft

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if you already stay out west, yr profile says Pullman, most of the above has covered a ton of true places west of the Mississippi. but for a general guide you may want to look up National Forests especially "Wilderness Areas". this covers a fair amount of land out west including in Washington/Idaho but yr also looking at Michigan, the Carolinas, West Virginia, New Hampshire and many other states

now granted they've all got established trails (some more well maintained than others) so not the purest pure wilderness but really amazing places to escape, easy to get yrself started on exposure and myself/others have definitely foraged altho im a bit rusty on the law something i wanted to mention.

thinkin this will help to cure what ails you.
 

MetalBryan

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I've given this some thought and I'd be curious for some feedback. I'll use Kansas to illustrate my point.

In the US, too far east and you get into a close network of cities. Too far west and you'll end up in the desert. Too far north or south and you'll have to jump around seasonally. Kansas is flat and that's important because it allows you to cycle over longer distances. if you're willing to bike camp, you can put yourself further away from civilization.

Pick your spot, or spots on the map. Clumps of forest and lakes or some state parks. Choosing Kansas as a recreational destination for camping isn't high on anyone's list. It's something you do because a) you live there are don't want to leave the blessed state or b) you're passing through and are forced to stop. You're going to meet less people there than places known for their magnificent vistas.

If you need to move around, there's farmland too big to cover with surveillance. If you want to stay still, pick a larger city for day labor. Stock up on supplies and hit the road on your bike. With just a day, including stops for rest, you can get pretty far away from cities and towns... probably find a nice state park or even wooded area on the previously mentioned farmland. Hillsdale State Park is a 50 mile bike ride from downtown Kansas City, for example. I've been out there - never tried to live there, but it's awfully nice and you can see the stars pretty well. There's a lot of unfriendly patches along the generic google maps cycling route, but also a lot of bike trails in that area. Research would make the journey better. I like the metropolis areas, so that's a spot I think of when I dream of a plan like yours.

Good luck!
 

warlo

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I've been around and the US surprised me in that regard. lots and huge national parks, reserves, etc. its true that sometimes you hit a cluster of cities and it seems like its all civilized (like from san francisco to san diego trhu the coast). but for what i experienced, the southern states are pretty much wild, maybe because its desert, but then california, oregon and my guess is also Washington state are full of wilderness. probably people walked there before, but feels pretty wild.
 

CelticWanderer

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i think northwest arkansas, around jasper and such still has a lot of wild land ready and waiting for a homesteader. Mountain folk aint as scary as people think and despite the huge ammount of space between peoples homes there was still a strong community. One of the coolest places ive been. Theres just so many damn rocks out there, almost every one does french intensive gardening in built beds and there aint much to offer grazing animals. Winters can be brutal too.. but man the air out there is electric with energy, natural springs all over, and copper beech forests in the fall rival the aspens in colorado. Hope you can find a slice of land somewhere!
 

Coywolf

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Man, where do I start? 70% or more of Nevada is public land. Careful around southeast Oregon, as @ClashCityRkr stated, these areas are uninhabited for a reason. however, resources are abundant if you know how to obtain them. Ive spent some time with wilderness survival around Hart Mountain.

Most of Utah has many places to do the same. Colorado is getting way too much tourism, minus the western part of the state. Arizona has so many places to disappear its ridiculous, same with NM.

Just do some research, find a big ass open spot on google maps, lol.

I'm considering doing this same thing for a while, however, the fact that they are going to cut my food stamps is very disheartening.
 

Coywolf

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Countrytime Sky

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All I see in this godforsaken country is cities, farms and institutions of planet destruction. But maybe I'm wrong, are there any large areas of unruined nature anywhere in the lower 48? Finding a place to live in nature is becoming a forgotten fantasy and it breaks my heart and spirit even more.
Check out 6 rivers national northern California
 
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I certainly don't mean to be a dick here, but it seems that half of the questions you ask could be answered with a few minutes of independent research and some basic logic. You have the ability to post here, so you have the ability to conduct research using the rest of the Internet. It's a valuable thing to learn for yourself, thataway you don't have to ask people basic questions.
 

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