USFS · Wilderness area · Washington

Tatoosh Wilderness

One of five Wilderness areas near Mount Rainier National Park, the Tatoosh Wilderness Area shares a portion of the park's southern boundary. Tatoosh Ridge, a long, formidably rugged ridge, runs north-south...

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

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Tatoosh Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateWashington
Size15,776 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point46.7042, -121.6675
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 8)

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

Fire nearby

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

    17 mi from the center point · 310 acres · 16% 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 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 Tatoosh Wilderness?

15,776 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Tatoosh Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Tatoosh Wilderness in?

Washington.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Tatoosh Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Tatoosh Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is La Wis Wis Campground, 0.9 miles out. 7 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 Tatoosh Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 46.704, -121.668. 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 Tatoosh Wilderness right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest West Fork at 17 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Tatoosh Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 8 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 Tatoosh 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 Tatoosh Wilderness?

35 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Longmire Campground Comfort Station No. L-304 and Longmire Campground Comfort Station No. L-303.

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.