Is there anywhere wild left in america?

[ResistMuchObeyLittle]

There's plenty of wild, remote places in the US. Maine, N MN- Boundary waters, Northern New York, Vermont, Wyoming, Montana, and... Idaho--Head due west to the sun set on HWY 12. Turn left at the Selway.

Then, you've got Alaska! And also The Yukon.

"
Alaska is full of places where a man who wants to vanish might never be found.

There are places out there with enough space for a man to remake himself without anyone bothering him. Places where people fish and hunt to eat. A single moose can feed a person for a year,
rescue professionals later noted the almost impossible task of finding someone in Alaska who doesn't want to be found. It is hard enough, they say, to find those who try to make themselves visible. Alaska is an easy place to go missing"

Alaska is on my radar. I lived there once before and I never should have left.

 

[The Hiker]

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.

That's true, but part of me posting the question here was less about the information and more about looking for community support

 

[rando]

Not sure if I've got anything new to mention but you've got the bitteroot range in Montana (wild cowboy mountain man country still, undiscovered lakes and creeks and valleys, hundreds of square miles untouched) obviously huge, huge portions of unclaimed land in Alaska. The northern Idaho panhandle leading into Canada is suprisingly vast and incredibly wild, that leaches over into Montana and Washington. There are some parts of the cascades through washington, oregon and california that not man has ever walked. The sierra Nevada mountains still claim hundreds of unmapped valleys containing streams, wildlife and plants nee the man. The swamps of the southeast are vastly uncharted. The great north woods of the northeast remain wild. Of course then there's Canada, which is mostly uninhabited. The only place I can really think of that's so densely populated that the magic is gone is the California coast from San fran to San diego

 

[Matt Derrick]

if you don't mind me throwing in my .02, i think you'd do well in western montana. enough civilization that you won't go crazy (if that's a concern) and wonderful forests and nature in just about every direction. winters are a little harsh though.

might ask @Cornelius Vango about alaska if that's something you're interested in.

i agree that nevada would be a good possibility as well!

hope you find what you're looking for, and even if it's remote as fuck, check in with us every once in a while, okay?

 

[The Hiker]

if you don't mind me throwing in my .02, i think you'd do well in western montana. enough civilization that you won't go crazy (if that's a concern) and wonderful forests and nature in just about every direction. winters are a little harsh though.

might ask @Cornelius Vango about alaska if that's something you're interested in.

i agree that nevada would be a good possibility as well!

hope you find what you're looking for, and even if it's remote as fuck, check in with us every once in a while, okay?

Thanks for the advice I'll check that area out, and yeah I'll keep in touch with all yall for sure

 

[ResistMuchObeyLittle]

It should be mentioned that in those wild places there's wildlife that could attack, kill and devour you. Places such as Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, etc. You've got Grizzly, Wolves, Mountain lions, poisonous snakes, etc.
I've heard of hunters in Alaska finding body parts of missing people in Bear dens.

 

[Countrytime Sky]

Not sure if I've got anything new to mention but you've got the bitteroot range in Montana (wild cowboy mountain man country still, undiscovered lakes and creeks and valleys, hundreds of square miles untouched) obviously huge, huge portions of unclaimed land in Alaska. The northern Idaho panhandle leading into Canada is suprisingly vast and incredibly wild, that leaches over into Montana and Washington. There are some parts of the cascades through washington, oregon and california that not man has ever walked. The sierra Nevada mountains still claim hundreds of unmapped valleys containing streams, wildlife and plants nee the man. The swamps of the southeast are vastly uncharted. The great north woods of the northeast remain wild. Of course then there's Canada, which is mostly uninhabited. The only place I can really think of that's so densely populated that the magic is gone is the California coast from San fran to San diego

I bet natives walked there lol just my 2 cents

 

[Deleted member 24782]

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.

Define "live." What lifestyle you looking for? A place to eat, sleep, and shit? Or a place to really truly call home. Theres a lot of land in this country thats still super cheap, I'm talking $100 an acre! But then what? What will you DO with the land? Lay there and contemplate mans existence or do something with that existence. Thats my .03 cents.

 

[fimbulvetr]

I think this largely depends on what you consider wilderness. For the most part, every parcel you would want to stake out is owned by somebody. Public lands have a lot of rules and don't exactly smile on people living off the land. That is not to say that there is nowhere to live wild, I just wouldn't expect too much. You'll have to get comfortable eating a lot of things that normal Americans aren't accustomed to eating. All over the public lands of America you will find vast networks of trails and seldom will you find a big open space without some sign of human inhabitation and even if you do it is likely somebody owns and cares about that land. I can't think of anywhere you can just squat unharried indefinitely, but if you could, I would say, those places would be better off without exposure to humans. It's not just about the trash you bring, it's about the trees you may fell for shelter or fire, its about soil compaction and erosion, it's about the impact of removing resources from the environment for your survival. The few bits of wild still in existence are now very delicate, threatened with things like ash borer beetles, lanternflies, invasive plant growth, etc... Which leads to my final point. Humans, in the extreme excesses of late stage capitalism throw out an amazing amount of useful stuff. Also many invasives that you find around human activity are choice edible plants that can be harvested and saved and eaten all year round. I find that corporate parks on the outskirts of cities tend to plant fruit trees, out west there are black berries anywhere that people have cleared the land, on the east coast Japanese knotweed is pretty pervasive. I have also found huge numbers of saffron milk cap mushrooms around norway pines that were planted at and around corporate centers. They can be pickled and eaten months later. I often find morels near old industrial sites and quarries, and anywhere there are lots of dead trees there is sure to be some chicken of the woods, think frisbee golf courses and city parks. There is a lot apart from human refuse that can help you survive near and around metropolitan areas, without doing any harm to a delicate ecosystem. If you find the right place there is a lot of squattable land and houses and you don't have to be that close to humans. I highly suggest finding a smaller west coast city, where the space before it becomes more wild is minimal and you can really get the best of both worlds that way.

 

[Deleted member 25220]

Read
Last Man in the wilderness
A book about Eustace Conway

 

[Thx]

I like Western Washington, there is plenty of open space all around, but you are never that far from something.

It does rain often, sprinkles really, but as far as temps and snow, it doesn't get so cold here, we get cold snaps, and occasionally a couple inches of snow, but often no snow at all.

And no tornadoes and hurricanes and ice storms and floods like you see back east, there is really no reason to "snowbird" it up here.

Our clouds make for cooler summers and warmer winters, they really do act as a blanket, it's clear skies that produce such low temps.

As others have said, there is wilderness ALL over this country.

It is estimated that if the population of the US all lived at Manhattan-level density, the whole massive city would fit in Vermont.

Once again, Google Earth is our friend, and one of the greatest tools for the homeless...

Thx

 

[BradKajukenbo]

Here in Northern California(Shasta County) we have the

Trinity Alps to the West.

Shasta-Trinity National Forest to the North.

Lassen National Forest to the East.

 

[UBERFLIEGE]

Florida!!! Peeps live in the woods of the grid

 

[Deleted member 23212]

I wondered about the same thing during the few years I was out of my backpack. It truly does feel like the concrete jungles have overtaken the wooden ones. I just recently got a Ford Explorer with big ol' tires and a dank drivetrain -- 4WD is fucking tits. Haven't had to sleep in a city in weeks because there's so much fucking forest out there it isn't even funny. Accessing it is the difficult part. What's really cool is stockpiling your piece of shit Exploder with provisions and then disappearing deep into the heart of a large national forest (via forest roads and logging trails and a bit of testicular fortitude), where you take two or three more random turns. There are giant hills in OR & WA that are basically mountains, with old logging roads leading right to the top of em'.

Park your car, and Welcome Home. You can spend pretty much as long as you care to here, just don't try to homestead hahaha. Keep it transient and it seems like you're fine. Oh man, I cannot wait to go explore the desert this winter.

If you don't mind putting in some work to experience the wild lands, you can hitchhike to trailheads pretty easily. Grab a few days of food and a good water filter, and you can take a hiatus from society for 3 or 4 days at a time while you hike 20-30 miles of a big ol' trail. There's usually "trail houses" around these areas, too. Properties that are comfortable with transients making camp for a night or two to recover.

One of the houses I stayed at offered me a spot for a week to hold the place down. The guy was cool, but kind of "hands off" as far as the campsite went. He preferred to hire hikers to manage the ordeal. Definitely not something you should count on though, this was an exception. Offered to pay for all of my consumables PLUS $40 a day.

Another tip -- If the area that you're exploring is known for its slopes (Snowboarding/Skiing), you can usually get a cheap (if not free) ride to the top during the off seasons. I discovered this in Jackson Hole, WY, at Snow King Mountain. I bribed the lift guy with a fat nug, and he was happy to forego the $5 fee they normally charge. I got a cool ride all the way to the top, where people were hiking around and enjoying nature. I walked less than a half a mile in my own direction, not abiding by any paths, and I was wrapped in solitude. Not exactly wild, but definitely on its edge.

It doesn't feel like there's much wild, but that's because all of the roads are interconnected. Like..You gotta go to the end of a road, and then follow that for a while before you hit raw nature. You gotta get off the roads and go on to the trails!

 

[Minky]

Northern Mn, lots of wilderness

 

[MoralImperative]

How about in the NE in Maine near the border?

 

[Down and Out]

Lol try the southwest or anywhere in the Rockies and that shit is vast open and wild,.... The America's happens to be one of the wildest places left despite your average American polluting the whole world at an absurd rate other than Australia according to acres available per person your there in the wildest place in the world. Do you 🤔 think that algae cared after it covered the earth and wiped out all life that doesn't breathe oxygen nearly 3 times.... Or archaea etc I doubt 🧐 it?

 

[Sameer]

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.

47% of the United States is wilderness or undeveloped and only 3.6% is Urban.