The Hidden Gems Campaign seeks to designate 14 new wilderness areas and 26 additions to existing wilderness areas. It is a proactive, citizen-based effort to protect the treasured landscapes in which we live, work and play.
These wilderness areas were carefully chosen following a detailed evaluation of their ecological values. Local residents volunteered to inventory public lands near their homes and helped select wilderness quality areas for protection. The proposed wilderness areas contain vital wildlife habitat, free flowing streams and pristine lakes and old growth forests.
The Hidden Gems are comprised of places that have outstanding scenery and provide an opportunity for families to experience the natural world as our grandparents did. They are located in mid-elevation habitats that are under-represented in existing wilderness. In many cases, the landscapes included in the Hidden Gems proposal are also recommended by the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management for wilderness or are being managed to preserve their roadless character.
The Hidden Gems stretch primarily across four counties. Select a county or geographical region to see the proposals in that area or click here for an alphabetical list of all the proposed wilderness areas.
You can also use our interactive map to see where Hidden Gems proposal areas are in relation to places you already know. On the interactive map you can turn on or off various layers of information: roads and trails, existing wilderness, and the Hidden Gems proposal areas. Because the interactive map contains so much information it is updated less frequently (about every week) so may not reflect a boundary change you just read about in the newspaper.
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