This map supplements National Geographic Magazine's feature article "50 Years of Wilderness" (September 2014), a story addressing the legacy of the 1964 Wilderness Act. The highly-detailed spatial content warranted a two-page spread, and the extra space enabled dense labeling and superlative text without overwhelming the map. The goal was to illustrate how the majority of current Wilderness Areas are found in the western states and Alaska, while states east of the Mississippi River only contain 3% of the nation's 110 million acres.

Be sure to check out the interactive version.

Credit: Martin Gamache, NGM staff; Jamie Hawk. Sources: USGS; Wilderness.net; Wilderness Society.