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All of Oregon’s Wildernesses

Posted: December 19th, 2021, 11:37 am
by bobcat
Over the past several years, as I’ve traveled around the state, I’ve been slowly gathering Oregon’s wilderness areas, especially those I’d never visited before. This year, I got to the last one, so here’s a sort of presentation (not a trip report) of that group of 48 units. In most of these, I hiked in several miles or backpacked. In a few of the smaller ones, I penetrated as far as I could.

There are 48 wilderness areas in Oregon, putting it fifth overall among the states (equal with Alaska) in terms of the total number of units (California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah have more). Oregon falls further down the list to 9th in terms of wilderness as a percentage of state land area (4% - tied with the likes of Florida, Hawaii, and Montana).

Two of Oregon’s wilderness areas are off limits to the public (and thus to me) but can be readily scoped out from the mainland: the Oregon Islands Wilderness and Three Arch Rocks Wilderness. Other than these island wildernesses, several of the wildernesses do not have official trails although they all have abandoned trail routes, old road tracks, and established user trails: Bridge Creek, Devils Staircase, Lower White River, Rock Creek, Spring Basin. Oregon shares three wildernesses: Red Buttes with California, Wenaha-Tucannon with Washington, and Hells Canyon with Idaho (photos are from the Oregon portions).

Here’s the list, with a photo for each, in the order they were designated as wilderness (acreage has been added to many of the earlier wildernesses with subsequent legislation).



Diamond Peak Wilderness

Designated: 1964, Willamette National Forest/Deschutes National Forest
Mt. Yoran from Vivian Lake.jpg

Eagle Cap Wilderness

Designated: 1964, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
Frazier Lakes, Glacier Peak and Eagle Cap.jpg

Gearhart Mountain Wilderness

Designated: 1964, Fremont-Winema National Forest
Upper Palisade and The Dome, Gearhart Mountain.jpg

Kalmiopsis Wilderness

Designated: 1964, Rogue-River Siskiyou National Forest
Descending to Vulcan Lake, Vulcan Lake Trail, Kalmiopsis.jpg

Mount Hood Wilderness

Designated: 1964, Mt. Hood National Forest
Mt. Hood and Eliot Glacier, Cooper Spur.jpg

Mount Washington Wilderness

Designated: 1964, Willamette National Forest/Deschutes National Forest
Looking down the summit ridge, Belknap Crater, McKenzie Pass.jpg

Mountain Lakes Wilderness

Designated: 1964, Fremont-Winema National Forest
Zeb Lake reflections, Mountain Lakes Loop, Mountain Lakes Wilderness.jpg

Strawberry Mountain Wilderness

Designated: 1964, Malheur National Forest
Lower peak, Strawberry Mountain.jpg

Three Sisters Wilderness

Designated: 1964, Willamette National Forest/Deschutes National Forest
Three Sisters and Bend Glacier, Viewpoint pass, Broken Top.jpg

Mount Jefferson Wilderness

Designated: 1968, Willamette National Forest/Deschutes National Forest
Mt. Jefferson, Scout Lake, Jefferson Park.jpg

Oregon Islands Wilderness

Designated: 1970, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Needle Rock and Double Rock, Rogue River Reef, from Otter Point.jpg

Three Arch Rocks Wilderness

Designated: 1970, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Arch Rock, Netarts Spit.jpg

Hells Canyon Wilderness

Designated: 1975, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest/Nez Perce National Forest/Payette National Forest/Bureau of Land Management
Descending across the wilderness, Nee Mee Poo Trail.jpg

Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness

Designated: 1978, Umatilla National Forest
Balsamroot near Crooked Creek, Wenaha River Trail.jpg

Wild Rogue Wilderness

Designated: 1978, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest/Bureau of Land Management
Yew forest, Mt. Bolivar.jpg

Badger Creek Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Mt. Hood National Forest
Badger Creek valley from the Palisades.jpg

Black Canyon Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Ochoco National Forest
Mountain lady slippers (Cypripedium montanum), Black Canyon Trail, Black Canyon Wilderness.jpg

Boulder Creek Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Umpqua National Forest
Douglas-firs, Pine Bench, Bradley Trail, Boulder Creek Wilderness.jpg

Bridge Creek Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Ochoco National Forest
View to Gable Creek Meadow from Northwest Point, Bridge Creek Wilderness.jpg

Bull of the Woods Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Mt. Hood National Forest
Pansy Lake, Bull of the Woods.jpg

Cummins Creek Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Siuslaw National Forest
Sitka spruce, Cummins Creek Wilderness.jpg

Drift Creek Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Siuslaw National Forest
Ferny shore, Drift Creek.jpg

Grassy Knob Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) acorns, Grassy Knob.jpg

Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Mt. Hood National Forest/Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Rainy Lake and Mt. Defiance from Green Point Mountain, Gorton Creek Trail.jpg

Menagerie Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Willamette National Forest
View to Chicken and Rooster Rocks, Trout Creek Trail, Menagerie Wilderness.jpg

Middle Santiam Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Willamette National Forest
Tree eating sign, Gordan Peak Trail junction, Chimney Peak Trail.jpg

Mill Creek Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Ochoco National Forest
The West Pillar and outcroppings, Twin Pillars Trail, Mill Creek Wilderness.jpg

Monument Rock Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Malheur National Forest
Bullrun Mountain and the Wallowas, Bullrun Rock, Monument Rock Wilderness.jpg

Mount Thielsen Wilderness

Designated: 1984, DeschutesNational Forest/Umpqua National Forest/Fremont-Winema National Forest
West face of Mt. Thielsen.jpg

North Fork John Day Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest/Umatilla National Forest
Home Mines Cabin (Bigfoot Hilton), North Fork John Day River.jpg

North Fork Umatilla Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Umatilla National Forest
Wildflower meadow, Ninemile Ridge.jpg

Red Buttes Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest/Klamath National Forest
Outlet stream, Tanner Lake, Red Buttes Wilderness.jpg

Rock Creek Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Siuslaw National Forest
Rock Creek at the ford, Rock Creek Wilderness.jpg

Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Umpqua National Forest/Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
View to Buckeye and Cliff Lakes, Grasshopper Mountain, Rogue-Umpqua Divide.jpg

Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Mt. Hood National Forest
The Catwalk, Hunchback Mountain.jpg

Sky Lakes Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest/Fremont Winema National Forest
Heather and blueberries, Puck Lake, Sky Lakes Wilderness.jpg

Table Rock Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Bureau of Land Management
Trail to summit, Table Rock.jpg

Waldo Lake Wilderness

Designated: 1984, Willamette National Forest
Bingo Lake, High Divide Trail.jpg

Opal Creek Wilderness

Designated: 1996, Willamette National Forest
Battle Ax and Mt. Jefferson, Henline Mountain lookout.jpg

Steens Mountain Wilderness

Designated: 2000, Bureau of Land Management
View across meadows to the headwall, Big Indian Gorge.jpg

Clackamas Wilderness

Designated: 2009, Mt. Hood National Forest
Rhododendron-silver fir fringe, Memaloose Lake.jpg

Copper Salmon Wilderness

Designated: 2009, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
View to Star Mountain, Barklow Mountain Trail.jpg

Lower White River Wilderness

Designated: 2009, Mt. Hood National Forest/Bureau of Land Management
Lone oak, McCubbins Meadow, Lower White River Wilderness.jpg

Oregon Badlands Wilderness

Designated: 2009, Bureau of Land Management
View to the Sisters from The Castle, Badlands Wilderness.jpg

Roaring River Wilderness

Designated: 2009, Mt. Hood National Forest
At the Roaring River, Grouse Point Trail.jpg

Soda Mountain Wilderness

Designated: 2009, Bureau of Land Management
View to Pilot Rock from Little Pilot Peak.jpg

Spring Basin Wilderness

Designated: 2009, Bureau of Land Management
View to the Palisades, Horse Mountain, Spring Basin.jpg

Devils Staircase Wilderness

Designated: 2019, Siuslaw National Forest/Bureau of Land Management
Reflections and snags in Wasson Lake, Devils Staircase Wilderness.jpg

Re: All of Oregon’s Wildernesses

Posted: December 19th, 2021, 1:00 pm
by Webfoot
Nice compendium.

Re: All of Oregon’s Wildernesses

Posted: December 19th, 2021, 3:52 pm
by Splintercat
Wow! Truly impressive, John! Love that your list is in order of enactment -- a reminder that none of these came easily, and are a product of nearly 60 years of effort by conservationists and lawmakers.

-Tom

Re: All of Oregon’s Wildernesses

Posted: December 19th, 2021, 5:06 pm
by arieshiker
Epic Bobcat......as were the trail reports after you completed the visits. Informative, educational and interesting.

Re: All of Oregon’s Wildernesses

Posted: December 19th, 2021, 5:13 pm
by Charley
That's a terrific accomplishment! Congratulations and thank you for your write-up, as well.

Re: All of Oregon’s Wildernesses

Posted: December 19th, 2021, 7:56 pm
by justpeachy
Wow, well done! Scrolling through the list I see several I didn't get to visit before they were badly burned in wildfires: Kalmiopsis, Gearhart Mountain, Strawberry Mountain, Three Sisters.

Re: All of Oregon’s Wildernesses

Posted: December 19th, 2021, 8:47 pm
by ioscode
Whoah, I'm surprised at the number, but going down the list I am reminded of many I have forgot. There's many I've never head of also. Very cool, makes me feel fortunate to have so many great places around us.

Re: All of Oregon’s Wildernesses

Posted: December 20th, 2021, 12:53 am
by greenjello85
Wow! Congratz on the accomplishment and thanks for sharing. Love that opal creek shot! 2009 was quite the year for Oregon Wilderness.

Re: All of Oregon’s Wildernesses

Posted: December 20th, 2021, 8:44 am
by BaileyBoy
Wow, just wow what an impressive accomplishment. I really appreciate all the informative trip reports you produce and always find a new trail or area to hike.

Thanks much

Re: All of Oregon’s Wildernesses

Posted: December 20th, 2021, 4:15 pm
by Titogoeshiking3
What a fantastic accomplishment! Thank you for sharing.