USFS · Wilderness area · Washington

Pasayten Wilderness

Skirting more than 50 miles of Canada's border and encompassing the crest of the Cascades, this big piece of very wild country is home to the largest population of lynx in the Lower 48. The Wilderness...

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

Wilderness531,325 acresUSFSWADesignated 196814 campgrounds within 10 mi2 Forest Service sites
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Pasayten Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
4fires
active
Ptarmigan · 7 mi from the center · 25,166 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateWashington
Size531,325 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1968, by Congress
Center point48.8742, -120.4885
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12)

Boundary map

1 outline

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.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 14 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 0.6 mi
Hart's Pass Campground
First-comeWA
FS · 1.3 mi
Ballard Campground
First-comeWA
FS · 1.3 mi
Meadows Campground
First-comeWA
NPS · 2.5 mi
Hozomeen Campground
First-comeWA
FS · 5 mi
Camp Four Campground
First-comeWA
FS · 5.9 mi
Honeymoon Campground
First-comeWA
FS · 6.2 mi
Early Winters Campground
First-comeWA
FS · 7 mi
Chewuch Campground
First-comeWA
Show 4 more

2 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 2

The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 trailhead, 1 fishing. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

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

    7 mi from the center point · 25,166 acres · 73% contained

  • Wildfire
    Border 2

    26 mi from the center point · 8,171 acres · 73% contained

  • Wildfire
    Luna

    33 mi from the center point · 7,879 acres · 34% contained

  • Wildfire
    Thunder Creek

    33 mi from the center point · 715 acres · 0% 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 · 10 mi
North Cascades National Park
National Register listings within 15 miles · 12 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Pasayten Wilderness?

531,325 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Pasayten Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Pasayten Wilderness in?

Washington.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Pasayten Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1968.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Pasayten Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Hart's Pass Campground, 0.6 miles out. 14 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

Where are the trailheads in Pasayten Wilderness?

The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites here, including 1 trailhead and 1 lake and pond fishing. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Pasayten Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 48.874, -120.489. North Cascades National Park is 10 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Pasayten Wilderness right now?

4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Ptarmigan at 7 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Pasayten Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 12 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 Pasayten Wilderness?

North Cascades National Park (10 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

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.