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 out of the park to cross the Wilderness near the middle. On the eastern side of the area, you will find the southern end of another rocky spine, Backbone Ridge, which also hails from the park. Numerous streams cascade off the ridges into the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz River or into Butter Creek, both of which funnel down to the Cowlitz River south of the Wilderness. About 25 feet of snow falls on Tatoosh Ridge during the winter, dusting a half-dozen small lakes (including three that thoroughly satisfy the meaning of "tiny").
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Washington |
| Size | 15,776 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 46.70° N, 121.67° 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
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 7 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.
Trails
4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 13 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Tatoosh ↗ | 9 | |
| Backbone | 2.6 | |
| Tatoosh L.o | 0.6 | |
| Tatoosh Lakes | 0.5 |
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
- PrescribedPackwood Lake Piles Rx - North
9 mi from the center point
- PrescribedHorse Piles Rx - North
9 mi from the center point
- PrescribedLynx Pile Rx - North
14 mi from the center point · 16 acres
- WildfireGarda Falls
15 mi from the center point · 308 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
- 12.3 miYakima Park Stockade Group ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.7 miLongmire Campground Comfort Station No. L-304 ↗Longmire, WA
- 0.8 miLongmire Campground Comfort Station No. L-303 ↗Longmire, WA
- 0.9 miLongmire Campground Comfort Station No. L-302 ↗Longmire, WA
- 0.9 miLa Wis Wis Guard Station No. 1165 ↗Packwood, WA
- 2.2 miOhanapecosh Comfort Station No. O-303 ↗Ohanapecosh, WA
- 2.3 miOhanapecosh Comfort Station No. O-302 ↗Ohanapecosh, WA
- 2.7 miNarada Falls Bridge ↗Paradise, 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 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?
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 Tatoosh Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 46.704° N, 121.668° W. 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?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Packwood Lake Piles Rx - North at 9 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
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?
The National Register has 36 listings within 15 miles, including Yakima Park Stockade Group and Longmire Campground Comfort Station No. L-304.
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.