Dark Divide

The Dark Divide is one of Washington’s truly special places.  A 75,000 acre roadless area located between Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams, this high, wild country offers hikers an abundance of inspiring views, deep river valleys, and groves of ancient trees.

The late guidebook author Ira Spring and his wife Pat hiking the Sunrise Peak Trail in the Dark Divide. Wilderness advocates have long been interested in protection for the Dark Divide. By Karl Forsgaard.

The Dark Divide Roadless Area, located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest on the divide between the Cispus River and Lewis River drainages, is the largest unprotected roadless area in the Washington Cascades. Its 76,000 acres contain a diverse landscape of steep, open ridges with meadow flowers and breathtaking views and two old-growth forested valleys. Washington Trails Association strongly urges long-term protection of the Dark Divide through Wilderness designation.

The Threat to Hiking Trails

The Dark Divide contains 18 major trails totaling 94 miles, yet all but the 10 miles of Quartz Creek Trail No. 5 are open to motorized use. These trails were built for use by hikers and horses for fire control, before the advent of motorized trail use. They are not constructed to motorized standards.

The extent of motorized use displaces hikers who would otherwise visit this area, and creates trail tread damage, soil erosion, wildlife disturbance, meadow damage, and noise, air and water pollution and more.

The Solution: Wilderness for the Dark Divide

Citizens in Washington state have been interested in protecting the Dark Divide since the mid-1970s when E.M. Sterling proposed a Shark Rock Wilderness for this area in his book, The South Cascades.

Dark Divide was not included in the 1984 Washington Wilderness legislation due to strong opposition by the timber industry, which hoped to log the old growth forests. In 1992, 24 conservation and recreation organizations adopted a resolution favoring long-term protection of the Dark Divide through wilderness legislation. This goal is broadly supported both regionally and nationally. The Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs adopted a resolution in favor of wilderness designation at its 2001 convention.

Wilderness designation of the Dark Divide would prohibit motorized recreation within the boundaries. Backpacking, camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, llama and goat packing would be permitted.

What You Can Do

Contact your Members of Congress and urge them to permanently protect this special area.  Check out WTA’s Action Center for tips on how to effectively lobby (on the phone, in letters or in person) your legislators.