--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is not wilderness for designation or…" description: "\"“This is not wilderness for designation or for a park. Not a scenic wilderness and not one good for fishing or the viewing of wildlife. It is wildernes..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/craig-childs-25283_nature_this-is-not-wilderness-for-designation-o_1450103.jpg" --- # This is not wilderness for designation or for a park. Not… ![“This is not wilderness for designation or for a park. Not a scenic wilderness and not one good for fishing or the viewing of wildlife. It is wilderness that gets into your nostrils, that runs with your sweat. It is the core of everything living, wilderness like molten iron.” quote by Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/craig-childs-25283_nature_this-is-not-wilderness-for-designation-o_1450103.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/craig-childs-25283_nature_this-is-not-wilderness-for-designation-o_1450103.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/craig-childs-25283_nature_this-is-not-wilderness-for-designation-o_1450103.jpg) > ““This is not wilderness for designation or for a park. Not a scenic wilderness and not one good for fishing or the viewing of wildlife. It is wilderness that gets into your nostrils, that runs with your sweat. It is the core of everything living, wilderness like molten iron.”” [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True wilderness is an intense, visceral experience that engages all senses and connects us to life's core energy. **In simple terms:** Wilderness is raw, powerful, and immersive. Key Takeaway Seek deep, authentic experiences. Themes nature authenticity energy Mood introspective evocative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - hiking - outdoor adventure - creative writing Key Concepts environmental philosophy sensory immersion Questions to Reflect On - What does wilderness mean to you personally? - How can you find balance in intense experiences? A Different Perspective Such intensity can be overwhelming for some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Wilderness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wilderness/) ## Related quotes > [For a variety of reasons, I believe, the time is right to resolve many of the long standing and thorny land use, recreation, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-simpson/for-a-variety-of-reasons-i-believe-the-time-is-right-to-resolve-many/) [Michael K. Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-simpson/) > [Simply put, I believe we should not seek the lowest common denominator when it comes to wilderness and saddle a wilderness designation with exceptions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/simply-put-i-believe-we-should-not-seek-the-lowest-common-denominator/) [Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/) > [The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-fowler/the-continued-existence-of-wildlife-and-wilderness-is-important-to-2/) [Jim Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-fowler/) > [The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans. Our challenge for the future is that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-fowler/the-continued-existence-of-wildlife-and-wilderness-is-important-to/) [Jim Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-fowler/) > [Wilderness, like the national park system, was an American idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-udall/wilderness-like-the-national-park-system-was-an-american-idea/) [Stewart Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-udall/) > [There is no wilderness like a life without friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/there-is-no-wilderness-like-a-life-without-friends/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [Why this cult of wilderness?... because we like the taste of freedom; because we like the smell of danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/why-this-cult-of-wilderness-because-we-like-the-taste-of-freedom/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Simplicity in all things is the secret of the wilderness and one of its most valuable lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigurd-f-olson/simplicity-in-all-things-is-the-secret-of-the-wilderness-and-one-of/) [Sigurd F. Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigurd-f-olson/) > [While cares will drop off like autumn leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/while-cares-will-drop-off-like-autumn-leaves/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [If I were entering adulthood now instead of in the environment of fifty years ago, I would choose a career that kept me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/if-i-were-entering-adulthood-now-instead-of-in-the-environment-of/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [Although their parents died in the wilderness for their stubbornness, Israel could profit from the older generation's failure by remembering that God had used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/although-their-parents-died-in-the-wilderness-for-their-stubbornness/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [Many people go into the wilderness to experience it, and if they experience it in comfort, there's very little in a literary sense for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cahill/many-people-go-into-the-wilderness-to-experience-it-and-if-they/) [Tim Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cahill/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [“In the same way that the picturesque designers were always careful to include some reminder of our mortality in their gardens -- a ruin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-same-way-that-the-picturesque-designers-were-always-careful-to/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“In the United States law, federally designated wilderness is famously defined as 'an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-marris/in-the-united-states-law-federally-designated-wilderness-is-famously/) [Emma Marris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-marris/) ## More by Craig Childs > [“Most animals show themselves sparingly. The grizzly bear is six to eight hundred pounds of smugness. It has no need to hide. If it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/most-animals-show-themselves-sparingly-the-grizzly-bear-is-six-to/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [There are two easy ways to die in the desert - thirst and drowning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/there-are-two-easy-ways-to-die-in-the-desert-thirst-and-drowning/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [“The desire of water is scribed across the desert like graffiti, until all that is left of the desert is water… In the scream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/the-desire-of-water-is-scribed-across-the-desert-like-graffiti-until/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [“This far north the sun was still up, although very low, riding through the mountains as if looking for something it lost on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/this-far-north-the-sun-was-still-up-although-very-low-riding-through/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [“Like any stage of the hydrologic process, we have our own peculiarities, our organs making us nothing more than water pools or springs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/like-any-stage-of-the-hydrologic-process-we-have-our-own/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [The land is not old. It only changes, becoming one thing and the next. We are the ones who ascribe age, the brevity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/the-land-is-not-old-it-only-changes-becoming-one-thing-and-the-next/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [“The elk that you glimpse in the summer, those at the forest edge, are survivors of winter, only the strongest. You see one just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/the-elk-that-you-glimpse-in-the-summer-those-at-the-forest-edge-are/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [“Water in flood means exactly what it says. It has no hypocrisy. Even as it murders, it leaves life behind and carves elegant, intricate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/water-in-flood-means-exactly-what-it-says-it-has-no-hypocrisy-even-as/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [On numerous visits to Manhattan, I have found myself poking around the city trying to find a moment of quiet and once located a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/on-numerous-visits-to-manhattan-i-have-found-myself-poking-around-the/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [“They may not become extinct immediately, but being pushed out of decaying or destroyed habitats eventually takes its toll. The concept is known as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/they-may-not-become-extinct-immediately-but-being-pushed-out-of/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [“A trademark of something that works well, the cat body has hardly changed since its inception. Like with today's cats, their digestive systems could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/a-trademark-of-something-that-works-well-the-cat-body-has-hardly/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [“There are so many of us now that we threaten to devour the world with our touching, starting with the things we adore most.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/there-are-so-many-of-us-now-that-we-threaten-to-devour-the-world-with/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [In the desert, the two primary elements are stone and water. Stone comes in abundance, exposed by weathering and a lack of vegetation. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/in-the-desert-the-two-primary-elements-are-stone-and-water-stone/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [“Blood, for a mosquito, is a delicacy. They otherwise feed on the nectar of flowers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/blood-for-a-mosquito-is-a-delicacy-they-otherwise-feed-on-the-nectar/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [“Coyotes move within a landscape of attentiveness. I have seen their eyes in the creosote bushes and among mesquite trees. They have watched me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/coyotes-move-within-a-landscape-of-attentiveness-i-have-seen-their/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) [Explore all 23 Craig Childs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) ## More Nature quotes > [It is indeed a surprising and fortunate fact that nature can be expressed by relatively low-order mathematical functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/it-is-indeed-a-surprising-and-fortunate-fact-that-nature-can-be/) [Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Borrow trouble for yourself, if that's your nature, but don't lend it to your neighbours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/borrow-trouble-for-yourself-if-that-s-your-nature-but-don-t-lend-it/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. The earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/men-mistook-measurement-for-understanding-and-they-always-had-to-put/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“She was, he knew- and had known very early, he supposed- one of those rare and always lovely humans whose moral nature was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/she-was-he-knew-and-had-known-very-early-he-supposed-one-of-those/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“When the water covers the earth the sun will vanish the darkess and the cold will come.When the last dragon and the last Elf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvana-de-mari/when-the-water-covers-the-earth-the-sun-will-vanish-the-darkess-and/) [Silvana de Mari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvana-de-mari/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [“It is not the force of the wind, but the depth of the roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/it-is-not-the-force-of-the-wind-but-the-depth-of-the-roots/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) [Browse all 47,383 Nature quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This is not wilderness for designation or for a park. 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