Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness
To the west stretches the Sawtooth Valley where the jagged peaks of the Sawtooth Wilderness form the skyline. Across the Salmon River to the north lies the iconic Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Named by early settlers for soaring white peaks that rise to join the clouds, these mountains are hidden treasures in a land of wild places. Here, you'll find quiet solitude surrounded by magical scenery, abundant wildlife, and whitebark pines, some of the oldest trees on earth. A variety of rock types make up these mountains, with many of the namesake peaks being composed of a kind of metamorphosed limestone.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Idaho |
| Size | 90,776 acres |
| Designated | 2015, by Congress |
| Center point | 44.13° N, 114.65° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 20) |
Boundary map
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.
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 20 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.
Show 4 moreHide
8 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 backpacking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 6 miCecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness ↗Backpacking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
17 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 115 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Livingston Mill-Castle Divide ↗ | 21.6 | |
| Warm Springs Creek ↗ | 20.5 | |
| Martin-Big Casino ↗ | 15 | |
| Germania Creek ↗ | 11.2 | |
| Little Boulder Creek ↗ | 7 | |
| Little Boulder Creek ↗ | 7 | |
| Rough Creek-Skyline ↗ | 6.4 | |
| Garland Creek ↗ | 5.4 | |
| Chamberlain Creek ↗ | 4.6 | |
| Boulder Chain Lakes | 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
- PrescribedParadise Rx
32 mi from the center point · 400 acres
- WildfireEast Fork
36 mi from the center point · 266 acres · 60% 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
- 6.7 miStanley Ranger Station ↗Stanley, ID
- 7.3 miNiece Brothers' Store ↗Stanley, ID
- 7.8 miDay, Ivan W., House ↗Stanley, ID
- 7.8 miYankee Fork Gold Dredge ↗Stanley, ID
- 12 miIdaho Mining and Smelter Company Store ↗Clayton, ID
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Idaho
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 Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness?
90,776 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness?
Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service share management. The Bureau of Land Management portion is the largest in the wilderness record.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness in?
Idaho.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2015.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds 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 Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.134° N, 114.645° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Paradise Rx at 32 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness?
The National Register has 5 listings within 15 miles, including Stanley Ranger Station and Niece Brothers' Store.
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.