Misconception: The word Wilderness refers to all wild lands. In fact, not all lands that are wild are designated as Wilderness. Wilderness lands are Federal lands that have been designated as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System by Congress and are managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service and National Park Service under the Wilderness Act of 1964, and subsequent Wilderness laws. Although some states and Native American tribes have designated lands as state or tribal wilderness, these lands are not managed under the Wilderness Act and therefore do not qualify as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Additionally, many people mistakenly refer to national parks, state parks, county and city open spaces, or even primitively privately-owned lands as Wilderness. These lands, although wild and valuable as compliments to lands contained within the National Wilderness Preservation System, are also not considered to be Wilderness according to the Wilderness Act. ~ www.wilderness.net