Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in southern Washington, USA. With an area of 1.32 million acres (5300 km2), it extends 116 km along the western slopes of Cascade Range from Mount Rainier National Park to the Columbia River. It includes the 110,000 acre (445 km2) Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, established by Congress in 1982. In addition, Congressional action since 1964 has established the following wilderness areas:
- Glacier View Wilderness - 3,073 acres (12.4 km2)
- Goat Rocks - 108,096 acres (437.4 km2), part of which lies in neighboring Wenatchee NF
- Indian Heaven - 20,782 acres (84.1 km2)
- Mount Adams - 47,078 acres (190.5 km2)
- Tatoosh - 15,725 acres (63.6 km2)
- Trapper Creek - 5,969 acres (24.2 km2)
- William O. Douglas - 169,061 acres (684.2 km2), most of which lies in neighboring Wenatchee NF
A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the Forest was 198,000 acres (80,000 ha), some of which is contained within its wilderness areas.
The forest offices are located in Vancouver, Washington. There are local ranger district offices in Randle, Amboy, and Trout Lake. The forest is named after the first chief of the United States Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot. Washington towns near entrances of the forest include Cougar, Randle, Trout Lake, and Carson.
Read more about Gifford Pinchot National Forest: History, Geography, Fauna
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