The Blackbeard Island Wilderness now contains a total of 3,000 acres and is managed by the Fish & Wildlife Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Georgia. In 1975 the Blackbeard Island Wilderness became part of the now over 108 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. This System of wild lands contributes significantly to the ecological, economic, and social health of our country. Wilderness provides clean air and water, a shelter for endangered species, sacred places for indigenous peoples, a living laboratory for research, and a classroom for exploring personal values while experiencing risk, reward, and self-reliance. In Wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities like hiking, backpacking, climbing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, horse packing, bird watching, stargazing, and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an age of "...increasing population, accompanied by expanding settlement and growing mechanization,..." you play an important role in helping to "...secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness" as called for by Congress in the Wilderness Act of 1964. Please follow the regulations in place for this area, and use Leave No Trace techniques when visiting to ensure protection of its unique natural and experiential qualities.

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.

Leave No Trace principles:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Regulations:
Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport is generally prohibited on all federal lands designated as wilderness. This includes the use of motor vehicles, motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters, unless provided for in specific legislation.

In a few areas some exceptions allowing the use of motorized equipment or mechanical transport are described in the special regulations in effect for a specific area.

These general prohibitions have been implemented for all Forest Service wildernesses in order to implement the provisions of the Wilderness Act. The Wilderness Act requires management of human-caused impacts and protection of the area's Wilderness character to insure that it is "...unimpaired for the future use and enjoyment as wilderness." Use of the equipment listed as prohibited in Wilderness is inconsistent with the provision in the Wilderness Act which mandates opportunities for solitude or primitive recreation and that Wilderness is a place that is in contrast with areas where people and their works are dominant.

Contact Information:

US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex
1000 Business Center Drive, Ste 10
Savannah, GA 31405
Phone: 912-652-4415
Fax: 912-652-4385
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday. Closed Federal holidays.