Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act at Capitol Reef National Park

News Release Date: August 15, 2014

Contact: Holly Mills, 435-425-4115

Contact: visitor center, 435-425-3791

On September 3, 1964, the Wilderness Act was signed into law. It created the National Wilderness Preservation System and recognized wilderness as "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain."

Congress has now designated more than 109 million acres of federal public lands as wilderness: 44 million of these acres lie within 47 parks and comprise 53 percent of national park system lands. Additional national park areas are managed as "recommended" or "proposed" wilderness until Congress acts on their status. Seventy-five percent of Capitol Reef National Park is recommended wilderness and offers visitors outstanding opportunities to connect with wild lands.

Capitol Reef National Park will celebrate this historic anniversary with several special events:

1) Guided Hike: Hike in recommended wilderness with Park Ranger Holly Mills. 8:00 am to 10:00 am. Meet at the visitor center. Moderate hike with steep sections and minor exposure. Saturday, August 30 and Wednesday, September 3, 2014.

2) Celebrate with cake: Enjoy anniversary cake along with a short talk on wilderness at the visitor center on Wednesday, September 3, 2014. 10:30 am to 11:30 am.

3) Evening Campground Program (located at amphitheater):

Evening program on Utah wilderness with writer and photographer Stephen Trimble. 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Saturday, August 30, 2014.

Evening program on wilderness by Park Ranger Holly Mills. 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Friday, August 29; Wednesday, September 3; and Saturday, September 6, 2014.

To learn more about wilderness, visit www.wilderness.net