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 from 700 feet to nearly 7,000 feet these mountains are the initial wringers to wet winter storms blasting through the Straits of Juan de Fuca from the North Pacific. The hills have been sliced by glaciers past, vigorous streams continue to cut the mountains down to size. Creeks tumbling thousands of feet from the glaciers of Whitehorse and Three Fingers create scenic waterfalls into the dense woods of hemlock, Douglas fir, and cedar.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Washington |
| Size | 49,344 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 48.17° N, 121.69° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12) |
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.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 12 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
9 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 30 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Three Fingers/ Saddle Lake ↗ | 6.4 | |
| Saddle Lake Via Meadow MT ↗ | 5.8 | |
| Boulder River | 4.3 | |
| Squire Creek | 3.4 | |
| Marten Creek | 3.3 | |
| Eight-Mile Creek | 2.5 | |
| Neiderprum | 2 | |
| Deer Creek Pass | 1.5 | |
| Kelcema Lake | 0.4 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- WildfireGamma Creek
30 mi from the center point · 29 acres
- WildfireSisi
42 mi from the center point · 4,816 acres · 40% 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
- under 0.1 miThree Fingers Lookout ↗Darrington, WA
- 4.9 miVerlot Ranger Station--Public Service Center ↗Granite Falls, WA
- 9.5 miTrafton School ↗Arlington, WA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Washington
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
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?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Boulder River Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 48.172° N, 121.694° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Boulder River Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Gamma Creek at 30 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Boulder River Wilderness?
The National Register has 3 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.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- 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.