Norse Peak Wilderness
Just northeast of Mount Rainier National Park, Norse Peak Wilderness reaches down both sides of the crest of the Cascade Mountain Range. Narrow drainages below rockbound ridges slice deeply into the area...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Washington |
| Size | 52,294 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 47.0005, -121.3809 |
| 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
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 21 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
9 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
22 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 183 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| PCT: Naches North ↗ | 39.3 | |
| PCT: Mbs White River ↗ | 33.7 | |
| Pleasant Valley Loop ↗ | 13.4 | |
| Crow Lake Way ↗ | 12.7 | |
| Sand Creek ↗ | 12.3 | |
| Greenwater ↗ | 11.9 | |
| Noble Knob ↗ | 7.9 | |
| Fifes Ridge ↗ | 7.4 | |
| Union Creek ↗ | 6.8 | |
| Lost Lake ↗ | 5.1 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- WildfireWest Fork
16 mi from the center point · 310 acres · 16% contained
- WildfireThree Queens
29 mi from the center point · 9,562 acres · 23% contained
- WildfireKing
33 mi from the center point · 3,304 acres · 0% contained
- WildfireGoat
35 mi from the center point · 815 acres · 64% 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
- 4.5 miChinook Pass Entrance Arch ↗Chinook Pass Entrance, WA
- 4.7 miBumping Lake Cabin No. 16 ↗Naches, WA
- 4.7 miSuntop Lookout ↗Enumclaw, WA
- 4.7 miTipsoo Lake Comfort Station ↗Chinook Pass, WA
- 4.9 miWhite River Mess Hall and Dormitory ↗White River Entrance, WA
- 5 miBumping Lake Resort ↗Naches, WA
- 6.5 miHuckleberry Creek Patrol Cabin ↗Sunrise, WA
- 7.9 miWhite River Bridge ↗White River Entrance, WA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Norse Peak Wilderness?
52,294 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Norse Peak Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Norse Peak Wilderness in?
Washington.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Norse Peak Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Norse Peak Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Lodgepole Campground (Washington), 0.1 miles out. 21 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 Norse Peak Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 47.001, -121.381. Mount Rainier National Park is 12 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Norse Peak Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest West Fork at 16 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Norse Peak 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 Norse Peak Wilderness?
Mount Rainier National Park (12 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Norse Peak Wilderness?
19 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Chinook Pass Entrance Arch and Bumping Lake Cabin No. 16.
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.