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.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Washington |
| Size | 15,776 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 46.7042, -121.6675 |
| 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. 7 are within ten miles of it. 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, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- WildfireWest 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
- 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
- 2.8 miNarada Falls Comfort Station ↗Paradise, WA
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 2026-09-18, 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.
- 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.