The Trapper Creek Wilderness is a designated wilderness consisting of in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southern

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

. The wilderness covers nearly the entire Trapper Creek drainage and is the only pristine anadromous fish habitat in the Wind River watershed. The terrain is very steep and rugged and holds many streams and waterfalls—one as tall as . It is one of the few sizeable blocks of low-elevation

old-growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

remaining in southern Washington.

Wildlife

Animals inhabiting the wilderness include Roosevelt elk, which can often be found near dry creek in the winter and spring while remaining higher up, close to the ridge trail, just below Observation Peak during summer and fall. Spotted owls inhabit the wilderness as well as barred owls, pileated woodpeckers, and goshawks. Other animals commonly seen in the area include blacktail deer and black bear. Cougar, bobcat, and pine marten can be seen occasionally.

Hiking

There are many relatively popular and well maintained hiking trails in the wilderness area. Trails #132, #132A, #133, and a short portion of #192 were constructed by the Forest Service and are maintained annually. All other trails in the area were constructed and are maintained by the Mazamas, a mountaineering organization based out of

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

. The Mazamas trails are classified as primitive, are steep and sometimes difficult to follow. The top of Observation Peak offers panoramic views of

Mount Hood Mount Hood is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific coast and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located about east-southeast of Portlan ...

, Mount Adams,

Mount Rainier Mount Rainier (), indigenously known as Tahoma, Tacoma, Tacobet, or təqʷubəʔ, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With a s ...

, Mount Jefferson and the

Goat Rocks Goat Rocks is an extinct stratovolcano in the Cascade Range, located between Mount Rainier and Mount Adams in southern Washington, in the United States. Part of the Cascade Volcanoes, it was formed by the subduction of the Juan de Fuca ...

References

External links

Trapper Creek Wilderness
U.S. Forest Service
Trapper Creek Wilderness
Wilderness.net (The University of Montana) {{Authority control Wilderness areas of Washington (state) Old-growth forests Cascade Range IUCN Category Ib Protected areas of Skamania County, Washington Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Wildlife

Hiking

See also

References

External links