Clearwater Wilderness
The Clearwater Wilderness is the northwestern outpost of a wilderness complex centered on Mt. Rainier National Park which includes the adjacent Norse Peak, William O. Douglas, Tatoosh, and Glacier View Wilderness areas. The Wilderness is centered on the Clearwater River which courses north dropping from the heart of the Wilderness through an untouched forest of huge Douglas Fir, Western Red and Alaska Cedar, and Western Hemlock. A rich understory of ferns, mosses, mushrooms, huckleberry, salmonberry, devil's club and other plants make for difficult cross country travel. The thick vegetation makes wildlife difficult to spot, but deer, bear, cougar, elk and the occasional mountain goat roam the area.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Washington |
| Size | 14,616 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 47.04° N, 121.81° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 7) |
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 4 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
8 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 30 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Clearwater ↗ | 10.2 | |
| Carbon ↗ | 10.1 | |
| Summit Lake Tie With Clearwate | 2.3 | |
| Lyle Lake | 2 | |
| Summit Lake | 1.8 | |
| Clearwest Peak | 1.3 | |
| Cedar Lake | 1 | |
| Bearhead | 0.8 |
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
- WildfireGarda Falls
9 mi from the center point · 308 acres · 0% contained
- PrescribedHorse Piles Rx - North
23 mi from the center point
- PrescribedLynx Pile Rx - North
27 mi from the center point · 16 acres
- PrescribedRockwood 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
- 7.2 miYakima Park Stockade Group ↗National Historic Landmark
- 2.5 miIpsut Creek Patrol Cabin ↗Carbon River Entrance, WA
- 3.7 miTolmie Peak Fire Lookout ↗Mowich Lake Entrance, WA
- 4.6 miHuckleberry Creek Patrol Cabin ↗Sunrise, WA
- 5.4 miMowich Lake Patrol Cabin ↗Carbon River Entrance, WA
- 5.4 miMt. Fremont Fire Lookout ↗Sunrise, WA
- 6.1 miSuntop Lookout ↗Enumclaw, WA
- 6.4 miFairfax Bridge ↗Melmont, WA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Washington
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Clearwater Wilderness?
14,616 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Clearwater Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Clearwater Wilderness in?
Washington.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Clearwater Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Clearwater 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 Clearwater Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 47.041° N, 121.811° W. Mount Rainier National Park is 9 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Clearwater Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Garda Falls at 9 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Clearwater Wilderness?
Mount Rainier National Park (9 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Clearwater Wilderness?
The National Register has 36 listings within 15 miles, including Yakima Park Stockade Group and Ipsut Creek Patrol Cabin.
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.