The Wilderness Act became law on September 3, 1964 with a nearly-unanimous vote in Congress. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of this conservation and public policy milestone – an opportunity to reflect, celebrate, inform, and engage in wilderness stewardship.
The Los Padres National Forest has a rich wilderness legacy stretching back almost as far as the Wilderness Act itself — in 1968, the San Rafael Wilderness became the first primitive area in the Nation reclassified as wilderness. Half a century later, nearly 875,000 acres of the Los Padres are protected across 10 wilderness areas. ForestWatch is working to extend wilderness protection to additional threatened areas throughout our region.
Join us as we celebrate and commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act! Los Padres ForestWatch will be hosting guided hikes in the 10 wilderness areas across the Los Padres NF — as well as presentations by wilderness experts and photographers — this fall. Also visit wilderness50th.org for more information about the celebration of 50 years of American wilderness!
