While the Wind River Range and High Sierra offer spectacular isolation, they are high-altitude alpine environments that become nearly uninhabitable for a solitary human in winter. Central Idaho wins because its deep river canyons offer a "survivable" winter elevation, and its sheer contiguous size allows for a nomadic existence that is harder to sustain elsewhere.

1. The Winner: Central Idaho Wilderness Complex

This area serves as the premier choice for year-round seclusion due to a unique combination of topography, vegetation, and lack of human density.

Winter Survivability (The Decisive Factor): This is the only one of the three where "living" year-round is physically plausible without expedition-level support.

The "Banana Belt" Effect: Unlike the Wind River Range or High Sierra, which are high-altitude plateaus or spines (mostly 8,000–12,000+ ft), the Frank Church is cut by the Salmon River canyons. The canyon floors drop to 2,000–3,000 feet. While the surrounding peaks collect massive snowpack, the deep river breaks often remain passable or hold significantly less snow, offering access to water, fuel, and game throughout winter.

Cover and Resources: The region is densely forested (providing firewood and shelter construction material), whereas the Winds and Sierra are largely granite basins often above the treeline, leaving you exposed to lethal wind chills and fuel shortages.

Seclusion & Human Traffic:

Low Density: While the Middle Fork of the Salmon River sees rafters in summer, the millions of acres of "upland" forest away from the river are virtually empty. One source notes that in most sections, "the footprints you see will be those of elk and deer, not humans".

Lack of "Instagram" Tourism: It lacks the condensed scenic fame of the Sierra’s John Muir Trail or the Winds' Cirque of the Towers, meaning fewer casual backpackers venture into the deep interior.

Strategic Nomadic Living:

The "Move" Rule: Federal law prohibits "residing" on public land and typically strictly enforces a 14-day stay limit (you must move 5 miles every 14 days).

Feasibility: In a smaller range, moving 5 miles every two weeks eventually pushes you into a road or a town. In the 4-million-acre block of the Frank Church/Selway, you could migrate nomadically for years without ever crossing your own path or seeing a road, technically complying with the "move" regulations while remaining effectively hidden.

migrate nomadically for years without ever crossing your own path or seeing a road, technically complying with the "move" regulations while remaining effectively hidden.

2. The Runner-Up: Wind River Range (Wyoming)

The Winds are arguably the most "wild" in terms of rugged grandeur, but they are a seasonal fortress, not a year-round home.

The Winter Problem: The range is a high plateau. Winter conditions are arctic, with deep snowdrifts and sub-zero temperatures lasting from October to June. Surviving here requires not just "living," but hibernating or constant high-calorie mountaineering.

Exposure: Much of the interior is above the treeline (alpine tundra). In a winter storm, there is no shelter, no wood for fire, and no way out.

Seclusion: While the deep off-trail pockets are empty, the popular trailheads (Elkhart Park, Big Sandy) are seeing overuse issues. You would have complete solitude in winter, but likely at the cost of your life.

3. Third Place: High Sierra (California)

The Sierra is the most regulated and "patrolled" of the three, making it the poorest choice for someone trying to disappear.

Bureaucracy: This is the most heavily managed wilderness in the U.S. Permits are required year-round for overnight camping, and quotas are strictly enforced. Rangers actively patrol the backcountry (especially the John Muir Trail corridor) to check permits.

Geography: It is a linear range (north-south). To stay deep, you are confined to a relatively narrow high-altitude strip. If you drop elevation to escape winter snow, you inevitably walk out of the wilderness and into the Owens Valley or Central Valley towns.

Winter Risks: Known for "Sierra Cement" (heavy, wet snow), the range sees massive accumulation that makes travel nearly impossible without skis, and avalanche danger is a constant threat in the steep terrain.

Summary Recommendation

For the best opportunity to live securely and secluded:

Target: The Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness.

Strategy: Utilize the deep tributary canyons of the Salmon River. Move camp every 14 days to remain legal and avoid creating a permanent "impact zone" that attracts Ranger attention.

Advantage: You obtain the solitude of the Winds without the lethal winter exposure, and the scale of the Sierra without the intense permit bureaucracy.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5812541&forum_id=2...id.#49525750)

This area distinguishes itself from the Wind River Range or "The Bob" by offering a unique "Arctic" profile: it contains the largest continuous high-elevation expanse in the U.S. outside of Alaska, effectively serving as a frozen, tundra-like fortress for nearly nine months of the year.

The Recommendation: Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

Location: Montana/Wyoming border, immediately north of Yellowstone.

Size: ~944,000 acres (contiguous block).

1. The "Rough Winter" Factor: The Beartooth Plateau

This is the defining feature that sets this wilderness apart. Unlike the jagged spines of the Tetons or the river valleys of the Frank Church, the "A-B" is dominated by the Beartooth Plateau—vast expanses of alpine tundra sitting above 10,000 feet.

Conditions: It creates its own weather system. In winter, it is subjected to hurricane-force winds and temperatures that regularly drop to -30°F or lower.

The Survival Challenge: Surviving here isn't just about handling snow; it is about surviving exposure on a massive scale. The "building skills" you mentioned would be critical in the deep, timbered valleys (like the Slough Creek or Rosebud drainages) that cut into the plateau. These valleys offer the necessary resources (timber, water, game) to build a shelter capable of withstanding the katabatic winds rushing down from the high country.

2. Seclusion via Inaccessibility

The primary access road, the Beartooth Highway (US 212), is one of the highest paved roads in the Northern Rockies and closes completely to automobiles from October to May due to massive snow drifts.

The Result: This closure effectively seals off the interior of the wilderness. Once the road closes, the only way in is a grueling multi-day ski or snowshoe expedition from the foothills. A person living deep inside would likely see zero other humans for 6-8 months.

3. Comparison to Previous Exclusions

Vs. The Bob Marshall: The A-B is higher and more alpine. While "The Bob" is a forest wilderness, the A-B is a rock-and-ice wilderness that feels more like the Brooks Range in Alaska.

Vs. The Winds: The A-B receives less climbing tourism and has fewer "famous" trails traversing its core, offering a "blank spot on the map" feel that the popular Wind River trails lack.

Honorable Mention: Pasayten Wilderness (Washington)

If the "rough condition" preference leans more toward snow depth than arctic wind, the Pasayten is the answer.

Conditions: Located on the Canadian border, it is rugged, heavily forested, and buried under 20+ feet of concrete-like Cascade snow in winter.

Isolation: Access is notoriously difficult due to downed timber and avalanche terrain. It is the home of the largest lynx population in the lower 48 because it is so difficult for humans to access in winter.

Final Verdict: For the "mountain man" builder, the Absaroka-Beartooth offers the best balance of resources (timbered valleys) and lethal defense (the plateau) to ensure no one disturbs you.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5812541&forum_id=2...id.#49525766)