Forest Facts
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is 1,368,300 acres in southwest Washington, making it larger than the state of Delaware. The forest boasts scores of waterfalls, ranges over 12,000 feet of elevation, includes both Mount St. Helens and Mt. Adams, hundreds miles of backcountry hiking, and well over a million visitors annually.
Ranger Districts
- Cowlitz Valley Ranger District (district office in Randle) is on the north half of the forest, including many great forest hikes, the alpine Goat Rocks Wilderness, and access to the east side of Mount St. Helens. The district borders both Mt. Rainier National Park on the north and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the east near White Pass along Hwy 12.
- Mt. Adams Ranger District (district office in Trout Lake) largely includes the south half of the forest. Waterfalls, campgrounds, wildernesses, and the 12,276' Mt. Adams dominate the district. Low elevations average between 44 & 70 inches of rain. Higher elevations get many feet of snow in the winter, closing many roads except to snowmobiles and skis.
- Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (office in Amboy) features the volcano Mount St. Helens at its center. The volcano lost over 1,300 feet of elevation during its 1980 eruption. In 1982 Congress designated the 110,300 acres immediately around the volcano as a National Volcanic Monument, protecting it for scientific research, education, and recreation. The south side of Mount St. Helens also boasts many recreational opportunities and geological features created over the millenia.
Wilderness Areas
Wilderness areas are deginated by Congress to protect portions of land as places of respite and solitude. The forest includes parts of all of seven Wildernesses totalling 180,600 acres.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest Facts
- Gifford Pinchot National Forest Visitor Guide
- Forest Facts 2018
- Forest Facts 2017
- Forest Highlights 2016
- Forest Highlights 2015
- Forest Facts 2015
- Forest Facts 2014
- Forest Facts 2013
- Forest Facts 2012
- Forest Facts 2011