| Tatoosh Wilderness | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Lewis County,Washington,United States |
| Nearest city | Olympia, WA |
| Coordinates | 46°42′0″N121°39′0″W / 46.70000°N 121.65000°W /46.70000; -121.65000 |
| Area | 15,725 acres (6,364 ha) |
| Established | 1984 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Tatoosh Wilderness | |
TheTatoosh Wilderness is adesignated wilderness in theGifford Pinchot National Forest inWashington in thePacific Northwest region of theUnited States. The wilderness protects 15,725 acres (6,364 ha) managed by theU.S. Forest Service.[1] It was officially designated as wilderness by Congress in 1984 to protect the scenicalpine environment that complements the adjacentMount Rainier National Park.[2] It featuresTatoosh Peak, a member of theTatoosh Range.
Tatoosh means "breast" in theChinook Jargon,[2] in reference to the two large rock outcrops on the south face of Butter Peak.
The Tatoosh Range was used historically byTaidnapam (Upper Cowlitz) Indians. In mid-to-late August, Taidnapam families would climb up the ridge from fishing camps at the confluence of the Muddy Fork and Clear ForkCowlitz Rivers, to hunt, gather materials for making baskets, and pick huckleberries for drying. The dried berries were transported to home villages for eating during the winter months. Archaeological evidence suggests that these high country treks were a long tradition among the local Indian people.[3]
In 1932, a fire lookout was built.[3] Author Martha Hardy wrote about her experiences keeping watch at the fire lookout in her 1947 bookTatoosh.[2][4]
The Tatoosh Wilderness is accessible from the north from Mt. Rainier National Park and from the south via the Tatoosh Trail. A spur of the Tatoosh Trail extends to the location of the fire lookout that Martha Hardy wrote about,[5] although only the foundations of the lookout building remain.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service.
