USFS · Wilderness area · Washington

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...

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

Wilderness14,616 acresUSFSWADesignated 19845 campgrounds within 10 mi
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Clearwater Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
4fires
active
West Fork · 8 mi from the center · 310 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateWashington
Size14,616 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point47.0405, -121.8107
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 7)

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. 5 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 5.2 mi
Evans Creek Campground
First-comeWA
USACE · 6.1 mi
Picnic Vista
Reservable2 sites
FS · 7.9 mi
The Dalles Campground
Reservable44 sites
NPS · 8 mi
White River Campground
Reservable109 sites
FS · 8.7 mi
Silver Springs Campground
Reservable51 sites

Fire nearby

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

    8 mi from the center point · 310 acres · 16% contained

  • Wildfire
    Three Queens

    36 mi from the center point · 9,558 acres · 23% contained

  • Wildfire
    King

    40 mi from the center point · 3,298 acres · 0% contained

  • Wildfire
    Goat

    46 mi from the center point · 815 acres · 41% 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 Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Park · 9 mi
Mount Rainier National Park
National Register listings within 15 miles · 35 in all · Register Atlas

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

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?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Evans Creek Campground, 5.2 miles out. 5 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 Clearwater Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 47.041, -121.811. 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 2026-09-17, the nearest West Fork at 8 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Clearwater Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 7 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

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?

35 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Ipsut Creek Patrol Cabin and Tolmie Peak Fire Lookout.

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.