USFS · Wilderness area · Washington

Boulder River Wilderness

Many are the mysteries of the Boulder River Wilderness. Less than 25 miles from Puget Sound, as the marbled murrellet flies, rise the crags and soggy forests of this wilderness. With elevations ranging...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Boulder River Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateWashington
Size49,344 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point48.1718, -121.6939
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 13 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 more

1 more within ten miles is not listed here.

Fire nearby

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

    29 mi from the center point · 144 acres · 0% contained

  • Wildfire
    Gamma Creek

    30 mi from the center point · 29 acres

  • Wildfire
    Electric

    35 mi from the center point · 495 acres · 90% contained

  • Wildfire
    Thunder Creek

    40 mi from the center point · 715 acres · 0% 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 Register listings within 15 miles · 3 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Boulder River Wilderness?

49,344 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Boulder River Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Boulder River Wilderness in?

Washington.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Boulder River Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Boulder River Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Boardman Group Camp, 0.4 miles out. 13 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 Boulder River Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 48.172, -121.694. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Boulder River Wilderness right now?

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

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Boulder River Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 12 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 Boulder River Wilderness?

3 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Three Fingers Lookout and Verlot Ranger Station--Public Service Center.

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.