Alpine Lakes Wilderness
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness covers over 400,000 acres of the famously scenic Washington's central Cascades. The Wilderness lies between Snolqualmie and Stevens Passes in the North Cascades portion of the...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Washington |
| Size | 414,322 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1976, by Congress |
| Center point | 47.5651, -121.1599 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 15) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
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
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 25 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
13 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Fire nearby
- WildfireKing
8 mi from the center point · 3,298 acres · 0% contained
- WildfireGoat
9 mi from the center point · 815 acres · 41% contained
- WildfireThree Queens
11 mi from the center point · 9,558 acres · 23% contained
- PrescribedCamas Rx
28 mi from the center point
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
- 0.6 miChatter Creek Guard Station ↗Leavenworth, WA
- 1.2 miSalmon la Sac Guard Station ↗Cle Elum, WA
- 1.5 miStevens Pass Guard Station ↗Skykomish, WA
- 1.9 miBlewett Arrastra ↗Cashmere, WA
- 2 miLake Keechelus Snowshed Bridge ↗Hyak, WA
- 2.2 miPenstock Bridge ↗Leavenworth, WA
- 3.3 miGreat Northern Depot ↗Skykomish, WA
- 3.3 miMaloney's General Store ↗Skykomish, WA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Alpine Lakes Wilderness?
414,322 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Alpine Lakes Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Alpine Lakes Wilderness in?
Washington.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Alpine Lakes Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1976.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Alpine Lakes Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Middle Fork Campground, 0.2 miles out. 25 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Alpine Lakes Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 47.565, -121.160. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Alpine Lakes Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest King at 8 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Alpine Lakes Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 15 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Alpine Lakes Wilderness?
30 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Chatter Creek Guard Station and Salmon la Sac Guard Station.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- 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.