USFS · National forest · Washington

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a national forest located in southern Washington, managed by the United States Forest Service. With an area of 1.32 million acres (5,300 km2), it extends 116 km (72 mi) along the western slopes of Cascade Range from Mount Rainier National Park to the Columbia River. The forest straddles the crest of the South Cascades of Washington State, spread out over broad old-growth forests, high mountain meadows, several glaciers, and numerous volcanic peaks. The forest's highest point is at 12,276 ft (3,742 m) at the top of Mount Adams, the second-tallest volcano in the state after Rainier. Often found abbreviated GPNF on maps and in texts, it includes the 110,000-acre (450 km2) Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, established by Congress in 1982.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest1.5 million acresUSFSWA77 campgrounds within 10 mi195 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
2fires
active
High Lava · 29 mi from the center · 2,899 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateWashington
Size1.5 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0603, region 06
Center point46.2668, -121.8704
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 8)

Boundary map

2 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

58 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 19 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Adams Fork Campground
Reservable24 sites
FS · Inside
Beaver Campground
Reservable25 sites
FS · Inside
Big Creek
Reservable29 sites
FS · Inside
Blue Lake Creek Campground
Reservable11 sites
FS · Inside
Campground: Coho Group Camp
Reservable100 sites
FS · Inside
Campground: Forlorn Lakes
First-come25 sites
FS · Inside
Campground: Goose Lake
First-comeWA
FS · Inside
Campground: Government Mineral Springs
First-comeWA
Show 4 more

65 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 195

The Forest Service lists 195 recreation sites in this forest, among them 90 trailheads, 29 campgrounds, 16 nordic ski trails, 12 interpretive sites. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 60

The 60 closest to the center point are listed; 135 more are on the Forest Service site.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    High Lava

    29 mi from the center point · 2,899 acres · 60% contained

  • Wildfire
    West Fork

    48 mi from the center point · 310 acres · 16% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Park · 9 mi
Mount Rainier National Park
National Historic Site · 25 mi
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
National Register listings within 15 miles · 138 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Gifford Pinchot National Forest?

1.5 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Gifford Pinchot National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Gifford Pinchot National Forest in?

Washington.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Gifford Pinchot National Forest?

58 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Adams Fork Campground, Beaver Campground and Big Creek. 77 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Gifford Pinchot National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 195 recreation sites here, including 90 trailheads, 29 campground campgrounds and 16 xc skiing/snowshoeings. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Gifford Pinchot National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 46.267, -121.870. Mount Rainier National Park is 9 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Gifford Pinchot National Forest right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest High Lava at 29 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Gifford Pinchot National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 8 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Gifford Pinchot National Forest?

Mount Rainier National Park (9 mi) and Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (25 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Gifford Pinchot National Forest?

138 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Bonneville Dam Historic District (Boundary Increase) and Gothen Creek Ranger Station.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: Gifford Pinchot National Forest on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.