Stephen Mather Wilderness
If you're looking for sheer wildness and first-rate alpine climbing, this area may be your best choice in the Lower 48. The North Cascades National Park "Complex" consists of three units: North Cascades National Park; Ross Lake National Recreation Area, a slim piece of land just east of the park; and the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, at the southeast corner of the park. These three components are combined into the Stephen Mather Wilderness, a huge and tremendously rugged piece of earth with jagged glaciated peaks above narrow stream drainages and densely forested U-shaped valleys. The Pacific Crest Trail crosses the southeastern corner of the area for about 13 miles, but most of the trails tend to be long and crudely rambling.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | National Park Service |
| State | Washington |
| Size | 638,173 acres |
| Designated | 1988, by Congress |
| Center point | 48.69° N, 121.15° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13) |
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 33 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
21 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
13 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 139 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| PCT: Methow Valley N. Terminus ↗ | 55.5 | |
| Devils Ridge ↗ | 17.9 | |
| Castle Pass ↗ | 17 | |
| Devore Creek ↗ | 12.6 | |
| Company Creek ↗ | 10.3 | |
| South Creek ↗ | 7.3 | |
| Maple Pass ↗ | 6.2 | |
| Hidden Lake ↗ | 4.5 | |
| Moore Mountain | 2.8 | |
| Baker River ↗ | 1.6 |
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
- WildfireSisi
28 mi from the center point · 4,816 acres · 40% contained
- WildfireGamma Creek
36 mi from the center point · 29 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
- under 0.1 miBeaver Pass Shelter ↗Diablo, WA
- under 0.1 miBlack Warrior Mine ↗Stehekin, WA
- under 0.1 miBridge Creek Shelter ↗Stehekin, WA
- under 0.1 miCopper Mountain Fire Lookout ↗Newhalem, WA
- under 0.1 miDeer Lick Cabin ↗Hozomeen, WA
- under 0.1 miDesolation Peak Lookout ↗Hozomeen, WA
- under 0.1 miGilbert's Cabin ↗Stehekin, WA
- under 0.1 miHigh Bridge Shelter ↗Stehekin, WA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Washington
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 Stephen Mather Wilderness?
638,173 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Stephen Mather Wilderness?
The National Park Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Stephen Mather Wilderness in?
Washington.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Stephen Mather Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1988.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Stephen Mather 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 Stephen Mather Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 48.690° N, 121.145° W. North Cascades National Park is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Stephen Mather Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Sisi at 28 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Stephen Mather Wilderness?
North Cascades National Park (adjacent). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Stephen Mather Wilderness?
The National Register has 41 listings within 15 miles, including Beaver Pass Shelter and Black Warrior Mine.
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.