Washakie Wilderness
Chief Washakie was a historical figure and leader of the Shoshone tribe of Wyoming. In 1972, the Stratified Primitive Area was joined with South Absaroka Wilderness to form the Wilderness area (Wyoming's largest) that now bears his name. Yellowstone National Park borders to the northwest, Teton Wilderness to the west, and the Wind River Indian Reservation to the southeast–a combination of lands that stretches across a tremendous part of western Wyoming and is one of the greatest wild regions of America. In the southern Absarokas, you'll find broad, flat-topped mountains and plateaus separating narrow valleys that have been deeply incised with exposed volcanic strata.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Wyoming |
| Size | 693,934 acres |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 44.05° N, 109.61° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 17) |
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 16 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
4 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
74 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 553 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| South Fork Trail ↗ | 30 | |
| Yellowstone River Trail ↗ | 23.7 | |
| Greybull River Trail ↗ | 23 | |
| Ishawooa Trail ↗ | 17 | |
| Eagle Creek ↗ | 15.8 | |
| Francs Fork / Haymaker Trail ↗ | 15.6 | |
| Boulder Basin Trail ↗ | 15.1 | |
| Horse Creek Trail ↗ | 14.9 | |
| South Fork Wood River Trail ↗ | 14.4 | |
| Warhouse / Stuart Creek Loop ↗ | 14.1 |
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 miAnderson Lodge ↗Meeteetse, WY
- 1 miElephant Head Lodge ↗Cody, WY
- 1 miGoff Creek Lodge ↗Cody, WY
- 1.1 miAbsaroka Mountain Lodge ↗Cody, WY
- 1.2 miRed Star Lodge and Sawmill ↗Cody, WY
- 1.7 miPahaska Tepee ↗Cody, WY
- 3.9 miT E Ranch Headquarters ↗Cody, WY
- 11.3 miEls Bridge over Big Wind River ↗Dubois, WY
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Wyoming
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Washakie Wilderness?
693,934 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Washakie Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Washakie Wilderness in?
Wyoming.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Washakie Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Washakie 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 Washakie Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.055° N, 109.605° W. Yellowstone National Park is 27 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Washakie Wilderness?
Yellowstone National Park (27 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Washakie Wilderness?
The National Register has 12 listings within 15 miles, including Anderson Lodge and Elephant Head Lodge.
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.