Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Area Management
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is part of the 110 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. This System of lands provides clean air, water, and habitat critical for rare and endangered plants and animals. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities like hiking, backpacking, climbing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, horse packing, bird watching, stargazing, and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. You play an important role in helping to "secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness" as called for by the Congress of the United States through the Wilderness Act of 1964. Please follow the requirements outlined below and use Leave No Trace techniques when visiting the Alpine Lakes Wilderness to ensure protection of this unique area.General Wilderness Prohibitions
Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport is generally prohibited on all federal lands designated as wilderness. This includes the use of motor vehicles, motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters, unless provided for in specific legislation.In a few areas some exceptions allowing the use of motorized equipment or mechanical transport are described in the special regulations in effect for a specific area. Contact the Forest Service office or visit the websites listed on the 'Links' tab for more specific information.
These general prohibitions have been implemented for all national forest wildernesses in order to implement the provisions of the Wilderness Act of 1964. The Wilderness Act requires management of human-caused impacts and protection of the area's wilderness character to insure that it is "unimpaired for the future use and enjoyment as wilderness." Use of the equipment listed as prohibited in wilderness is inconsistent with the provision in the Wilderness Act which mandates opportunities for solitude or primitive recreation and that wilderness is a place that is in contrast with areas where people and their works are dominant.
Wilderness-Specific Regulations
Wilderness managers often need to take action to limit the impacts caused by visitor activities in order to protect the natural conditions of wilderness as required by the Wilderness Act of 1964. Managers typically implement 'indirect' types of actions such as information and education measures before selecting more restrictive measures. When regulations are necessary, they are implemented with the specific intent of balancing the need to preserve the character of the wilderness while providing for the use and enjoyment of wilderness.The following wilderness regulations are in effect for this area. Not all regulations are in effect for every wilderness. Contact the Forest Service office or visit the websites listed on the 'Links' tab for more specific information about the regulations listed.
ALL VISITORS
Weed Free Hay and Crop Products
It is prohibited to possess, store or transport any part of a tree or other plant, or to possess or store hay or crop products that are not state certified weed free. All feed including hay, hay cubes, straw, grain or other crop or mulch products must be certified weed free. Bales, containers, or sacks must be tagged with the proper weed-free identification as required by the product's state of origin, or you must have the original and current state documents that certify the hay or crop products meet or exceed the North American Weed Management Association or comparable certification standard. This regulation does not apply to commercially processed feed (feed pellets or steamed, rolled grains).
In order to protect the Wilderness character of the resources, the following acts are prohibited within all Wildernesses located within the Gifford Pinchot, Wenatchee, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, and Okanogan National Forests, until further notice:
1. Entering or being in the Wilderness with a group consisting of a combination of persons and pack and saddle animals exceeding 12 in total number.
2. Caching, leaving, or storing equipment (including geocaches), personal property, or supplies unattended for more than 48 hours.
3. Using or possessing any type of wagon, cart or other wheeled vehicle.
4. Grazing any pack or saddle animals within 200 feet slope distance of the shoreline of any lake.
5. Hitching, tethering, or hobbling any pack or saddle animals within 200 feet slope distance of the shoreline of any lake.
6. Shortcutting a trail switchback.
7. Being in an area posted as being closed for restoration, wilderness restoration, or rehabilitation.
OVERNIGHT VISITORS
The following acts are prohibited in order to protect the ecological integrity of lakes, streams, forests, meadows, and to enhance the wilderness character and resources of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, located within the Wenatchee and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forests, until further notice.
1. Entering or being in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness between May 15th and October1st.
2. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire, except for self-contained, carry-in devices such as stoves, in listed areas.
3. Camping at other than a designated camp site within 1/2 mile horizontal distance, of the listed areas.
4. Camping within 200 feet, horizontal distance, of the shoreline of the listed lakes.
5. Camping with pack and saddle animals within 1/2 mile, horizontal distance, of listed areas.
6. Camping with pack and saddle animals at other than a designated pack and saddle animal camp site within 1/2 mile, horizontal distance, of the listed areas.
Camping at these sites reserved for parties that include pack and saddle animals.
7. Hitching or tethering any horse, mule, donkey or burro directly to a highline or tree for more than 30 minutes unless the front feet of the animal are constrained or unless the tie point to the highline is more than 8 feet from a tree.
Hitching any pack and saddle animal to a tree under 6 inches in diameter.
Hitching any pack and saddle animal to a tree for more than 4 hours.
Having an unleashed dog on listed trails.
9. Possessing or transporting a dog in the certain locations.
10. Camping or being within an area specifically marked as closed the public.
STOCK USERS
Trails Closed to Pack and Saddle Stock
Visitors may not use saddle, pack, or draft animals (including llamas and pack goats) on certain trails. This is necessary to protect trails on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest from damage due to inappropriate types of use, to protect designated wilderness from resource degradation, to provide for user safety, to protect sensitive areas from vegetation loss or damage and soil erosion, and to reduce conflicts between types of use.
Consult specific trail information at http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/conditions/trail_conditions.shtml
Learn more about why regulations may be necessary in wilderness.
