Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness
Known as the Columbia Gorge Recreation Area prior to Wilderness designation, this area lies just south of the sheer cliffs of the Columbia River Gorge. Most of the land adjacent to the river and along Interstate 84 is privately owned and often developed and, of course, outside the Wilderness boundary. The breaks of the gorge are spectacular basalt cliffs, rocky slopes, and rock outcroppings. Rugged and steep, the slopes of the Wilderness rise to a slightly uneven plateau and on to mountain peaks, talus slopes, and lakes with elevations ranging from approximately 100 feet near the river to 4,900 feet on Mount Defiance.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 65,435 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 45.61° N, 121.87° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 8) |
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 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.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 3 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 trailhead, 1 day hiking, 1 campground. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 4 miPacific Crest North-Indian Springs Trailhead ↗Trailhead · June
- 4 miWahtum Lake Trailhead/Day Use ↗Day hiking
- 5 miRainy Lake Campground ↗Campground
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
61 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 276 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| PCT: Mt. Hood ↗ | 74.3 | |
| Gorge ↗ | 28.3 | |
| PCT: Columbia Gorge ↗ | 22.6 | |
| Eagle Creek ↗ | 15.6 | |
| Herman Creek ↗ | 8 | |
| Oneonta ↗ | 7.7 | |
| Larch Mountain ↗ | 6.5 | |
| Tanner Butte ↗ | 5.5 | |
| Gorton Creek ↗ | 5.2 | |
| Horsetail Creek ↗ | 5 |
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
- PrescribedBull Piles Rx East
8 mi from the center point
- PrescribedBronco Piles Rx East
10 mi from the center point
- PrescribedTyee Piles Rx - South
18 mi from the center point · 329 acres
- Prescribed66Rd Pct Pile Rx - South
21 mi from the center point · 167 acres
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
- 0.2 miBonneville Dam Historic District (Boundary Increase) ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.4 miCascade Locks Work Center ↗Cascade Locks, OR
- 1.4 miThompson, Clark, House ↗Cascade Locks, OR
- 3 miOak Grove Schoolhouse ↗Hood River, OR
- 4.4 miPotter, Miles B. and Eleanor, House ↗Hood River, OR
- 4.7 miColumbia Gorge Hotel ↗Hood River, OR
- 5.1 miDeHart, Edward J., House ↗Hood River, OR
- 5.2 miCliff Lodge ↗Hood River, OR
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Oregon
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 Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness?
65,435 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness in?
Oregon.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mark O. Hatfield 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 Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 45.609° N, 121.870° W. Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is 27 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Bull Piles Rx East at 8 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness?
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (27 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness?
The National Register has 54 listings within 15 miles, including Bonneville Dam Historic District (Boundary Increase) and Cascade Locks Work 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.