ABSTRACT
Wilderness areas are generally accepted as those places that are remotely located beyond the inhabited and managed countryside and which possess what many would regard as 'natural ecosystems'. They are places 'on the edge', usually perceived as being wholly, or at least largely, uninfluenced by human activity and include such environments as mountains and remote uplands, tropical rainforests, polar regions, areas of tundra and taiga, and deserts. Despite the concept of wilderness encompassing the idea of naturalness, according to Dudley the idea that such places still exist is a myth, as there is nowhere left on earth that is wholly uninfluenced by human activity of some kind. Central to view of the wilderness as an authentic place, which brings out the authentic self, is the recognition of aesthetic qualities and potential psychological benefits. This is part of further cultural construction of wilderness – namely its importance for tourism – and, once again, the North American experience provides a vivid illustration.
