The McCormick Wilderness now contains a total of 16,850 acres and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. All of the wilderness is in the state of Michigan.
Public land becomes wilderness through legislation passed by the United States Congress in the form of public laws. For the McCormick Wilderness, this process began in 1987 when 16,850 acres were designated by Public Law 100-184.
The McCormick Wilderness is part of the 106 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System.