Visit Wilderness

Search for a wilderness as the destination for your next outdoor adventure.

Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, Minnesota

Why Visit Wilderness?

While wilderness can be appreciated from afar—through online content, television, or books—nothing compares to experiencing it firsthand. Activities like camping, hiking, or hunting allow you to fully enjoy the recreational, ecological, spiritual, and health benefits that wilderness areas offer. These areas provide “outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation,” chances to observe wildlife, moments to renew and refresh, and the physical benefits of outdoor exercise. In many wilderness areas, you can even bring your well-behaved dog.

Learn more about the diverse ways in which we benefit from wilderness and threats wilderness areas face today.

Logging operations that began in the late 1800s left only scrub hardwoods and a few isolated "islands" of young pines on the land now known as Big Slough, the smallest Wilderness in Texas. You'll still encounter large stumps and evidence of the narrow-gauge trams that supported tree-hauling railroads. You'll also see a regrown forest, 66 percent of which is composed of hardwoods (oak, hickory, sweet gum, willow) and 26 percent of shortleaf and loblolly pine. Hardwoods and pines cover 4 percent of the area, and Big Slough's waters cover the remaining 4 percent. Warmth and moisture characterize the Gulf Coastal Plain climate, encouraging poison ivy, poisonous snakes, chiggers, ticks, mosquitoes, and irritable, ground-nesting yellowjackets. Deer and smaller mammals live here, too. Despite the large number of dead trees that were killed by the Southern pine beetle, some USFS employees rate this as one of the most interesting Wilderness areas on Texas national forestland. The Neches River forms the entire eastern boundary and joins the idle water of Big Slough. Hickory Creek drains hills along the western boundary and eases eastward to meet the river. Well-marked hiking trails crisscross the area, including the 20-mile Four C National Recreation Trail, which runs north-south and cuts through two miles of the higher southern portion. Try to wear bright outer clothing in the fall season, as hunting (for deer, wild hogs, and squirrels) is allowed. Anglers don't pose any threat, except perhaps to the catfish, bass, crappie, and sunfish.

Leave No Trace

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply in the Big Slough Wilderness.

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

For more information on Leave No Trace, Visit the Leave No Trace, Inc. website.

Location

Maps

Digital and paper maps are critical tools for wilderness visitors. Online maps can help you plan and prepare for your visit ahead of time. You can also carry digital maps with you on your GPS unit or other handheld GPS device. Having a paper map with you in the backcountry, as well as solid orienteering skills, however, ensures that you can still route-find in the event that your electronic device fails.

Online Maps

Interactive Map of the Big Slough Wilderness
FS Topographic Map
Google Earth

Texas Wildernesses

Printed Maps

Fetching MyTopo from Database

USGS Store

Rules & Regulations

Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport is generally prohibited in all wilderness areas. This includes the use of motor vehicles, motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters.

Wilderness-Specific Regulations

Learn more about why regulations may be necessary in wilderness.

Contacts

Applicable Wilderness Law(s)

Public Law 98-574

Date: October 30, 1984
Acreage: 3,000 acres

Texas Wilderness Act of 1984 - Public law 98-574 (10/30/1984) To designate various areas as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System in the national forests in the state of Texas

For more information (To download or see all affected Wilderness areas) visit our law library for 98-574 or special provisions for 98-574 or legislative history for 98-574.

Public Law 99-584

Date: October 29, 1986
Acreage: 423 acres

Texas Wilderness Act Amendments of 1986 - Public law 99-584 (10/29/1986) To adjust the boundaries of areas of the National Wilderness Preservation System in the state of Texas

For more information (To download or see all affected Wilderness areas) visit our law library for 99-584 or special provisions for 99-584 or legislative history for 99-584.

Want to Volunteer for Wilderness?

People who volunteer their time to steward our wilderness areas are an essential part of wilderness management. Contact the following groups to inquire about volunteer opportunities. Groups are listed alphabetically by the state(s) in which the wilderness is located.