Top wilderness areas
Wilderness AreaColonel Bob Wilderness
Wilderness AreaAlpine Lakes Wilderness
Wilderness AreaGlacier Peak Wilderness
Wilderness AreaGoat Rocks Wilderness
Wilderness AreaBoulder River Wilderness
Wilderness AreaClearwater Wilderness
Wilderness AreaHenry M. Jackson Wilderness
Wilderness AreaPasayten Wilderness
Wilderness AreaIndian Heaven Wilderness
Wilderness AreaTatoosh Wilderness
Wilderness AreaJuniper Dunes Wilderness
Wilderness AreaBuckhorn Wilderness
Wilderness Areas by county
All wilderness areas (28)
| Name | County | Elevation | Nearest town | Sky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonel Bob Wilderness | Grays Harbor County | — | Aberdeen | 3 |
| Alpine Lakes Wilderness | King County | — | Leavenworth | 3 |
| Glacier Peak Wilderness | Chelan County | — | Darrington | 3 |
| Goat Rocks Wilderness | Lewis County | — | Tieton | 3 |
| Boulder River Wilderness | Snohomish County | — | Darrington | 4 |
| Clearwater WildernessMount Rainier | Pierce County | — | Buckley | 4 |
| Henry M. Jackson Wilderness | Snohomish County | — | Gold Bar | 3 |
| Pasayten Wilderness | Whatcom County | — | Sedro-Woolley | 2 |
| Indian Heaven Wilderness | Skamania County | — | Carson | 3 |
| Tatoosh WildernessMount Rainier | Lewis County | — | Morton | 3 |
| Juniper Dunes Wilderness | Franklin County | — | Burbank | 4 |
| Buckhorn Wilderness | Jefferson County | — | Sequim | 4 |
| Glacier View WildernessMount Rainier | Pierce County | — | Eatonville | 3 |
| Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness | Chelan County | — | Granite Falls | 2 |
| Mount Baker Wilderness | Whatcom County | — | Peaceful Valley | 3 |
| Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness | Skagit County | — | Darrington | 3 |
| Norse Peak WildernessMount Rainier | Yakima County | — | Cle Elum | 3 |
| Trapper Creek Wilderness | Skamania County | — | Carson | 3 |
| William O. Douglas Wilderness | Yakima County | — | Tieton | 3 |
| Mount Adams Wilderness | Skamania County | — | White Salmon | 3 |
| Stephen Mather WildernessNorth Cascades | Whatcom County | — | Darrington | 2 |
| The Brothers Wilderness | Mason County | — | Seabeck | 4 |
| Mount Skokomish Wilderness | Mason County | — | Seabeck | 4 |
| Salmo-Priest Wilderness | Pend Oreille County | — | Sandpoint | 1 |
| Mount Rainier WildernessMount Rainier | Pierce County | — | Crocker | 3 |
| Daniel J. Evans WildernessOlympic | Clallam County | — | Port Angeles East | 3 |
| Wild Sky Wilderness | Snohomish County | — | Gold Bar | 4 |
| Wonder Mountain Wilderness | Grays Harbor County | — | Shelton | 3 |
Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).
Map
How to photograph wilderness areas
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.