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...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | National Park Service |
| State | Washington |
| Size | 638,173 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1988, by Congress |
| Center point | 48.6904, -121.1452 |
| 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
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 33 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
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, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- WildfireLuna
9 mi from the center point · 7,879 acres · 53% contained
- WildfireThunder Creek
11 mi from the center point · 715 acres · 0% contained
- WildfireElectric
13 mi from the center point · 495 acres · 90% contained
- WildfireBorder 2
22 mi from the center point · 8,284 acres · 70% 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
- 0 miBeaver Pass Shelter ↗Diablo, WA
- 0 miBlack Warrior Mine ↗Stehekin, WA
- 0 miBridge Creek Shelter ↗Stehekin, WA
- 0 miCopper Mountain Fire Lookout ↗Newhalem, WA
- 0 miDeer Lick Cabin ↗Hozomeen, WA
- 0 miDesolation Peak Lookout ↗Hozomeen, WA
- 0 miGilbert's Cabin ↗Stehekin, WA
- 0 miHigh Bridge Shelter ↗Stehekin, WA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
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?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Harlequin Campground, 0.1 miles out. 33 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 Stephen Mather Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 48.690, -121.145. 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?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Luna at 9 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Stephen Mather Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 13 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 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?
41 National Register 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.