Wilderness Act anniversary

Sometimes it's nice to get away. Thanks to environmentalist Howard Zahniser, Americans can do that in one of the country's many wildernesses—areas sheltered from human activities. While conservation efforts like the creation of national forests and parks began in the late 1800s, untamed wilderness had dwindled to only 2.5% of the nation's land by the 1960s. To reverse this trend, Zahniser wrote most of what became the Wilderness Act. Signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on September 3, 1964, it today protects more than 109 million acres—5% of the land in the US.
Pictured in today's image, Crystal Lake is in one such protected area. Located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington, the Enchantments has more than 700 lakes and ponds and some of the best rock climbing in the Western US. It's also home to mountain goats, ptarmigan, pikas, and numerous types of alpine flowers. If you want to see Alpine Lakes Wilderness yourself, however, be prepared to wait. Few permits are granted for day hikes, and of the 40,000 people who entered last year's lottery for overnight permits, only 2,558 received one.
© Mitch Pittman/Tandem Stills + Motion