Abstract: The Wilderness Act of 1964 provides wilderness managers with a dual mandate: Preserve wilderness resources and provide recreational opportunities for the public. For areas of high visitor use, this becomes a conflicting mandate. Indirect methods (information and education strategies) of visitor management are preferred over visitor regulation and enforcement, but there is little guidance on the design and application of wilderness education programs for wilderness managers. The authors describe the process used to develop a wilderness education plan for the Pecos Wilderness in northern New Mexico. The process comprised four general steps: (a) collect background information, (b) identify wilderness education issues, (c) analyze the wilderness education issues, and (d) develop general management recommendations. These steps are described in detail, along with recommendations for applying the process in other areas.