Indian Heaven Wilderness, Nature reserve in Skamania County, United States.
Indian Heaven Wilderness is a federally protected wilderness area on a forested plateau in Skamania County, Washington State. It lies within Gifford Pinchot National Forest and is scattered with volcanic peaks, along with a large number of lakes, ponds, and wetlands spread across the high country.
Congress designated this area as wilderness in 1984, giving it formal protection under federal law. Before that, it had been used by Indigenous peoples for an extremely long time, long before European settlers arrived in the region.
For thousands of years, Native tribes traveled to this highland each season to fish, hunt, and gather berries. The name "Indian Heaven" itself reflects this long history of use by Indigenous peoples, whose connection to the land is still recognized today.
The Pacific Crest Trail passes through the area and connects most of the lakes and ridges, making it the main route for exploring on foot. Once inside, there are very few facilities, so visitors should come prepared for changing mountain weather and self-sufficient travel.
Beneath the plateau lies a volcanic field with around 60 separate eruptive centers along a single fissure zone. The lava flows from these centers are what created the flat surface of the plateau and the depressions that later filled with water to form the lakes.
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