Month: February 2022

Categories
Hiking

Hiking Oregon’s Counties

A couple of years ago, while going over some maps, I realized that we were probably pretty close to having hiked in all 36 of the Oregon’s counties. Some further analysis revealed that not only were we close but there were only two counties that we had yet to hike in – Umatilla and Gilliam. (At first I thought it was three including Union but we had actually crossed into Union County on two different days during at 2016 backpacking trip in the Eagle Cap Wilderness.)

While there were hikes in Umatilla County in our plans, several of Sullivan’s featured hikes are in that county, we had no planned hikes in Gilliam County. With little public land agriculture is the primary economy with an average farm size of 4,200 acres. At first glance I wondered if there were any hikes to be found but as luck would have it the John Day River acts as the divide between Gilliam and Sherman County. Along that divide is Cottonwood Canyon State Park with the Lost Corral Trail (post) located on the Gilliam County side. That hike was quickly added to the 2021 schedule and the pieces were in place to finish another hiking goal. That goal was reached on June 13th when we stepped onto a trail at the Cold Springs Wildlife Refuge in Umatilla County (post).

More information on Oregon’s counties can be found on the Oregon Secretary of State County Government page here. Below is a list of the counties with some basic statistics and one memorable photo from each.

Baker Area 3,089 Sq ft Population 16,910 Year Est. 1862
First Hike – 2017 Total Days – 8
Summit LakeSummit Lake, Elkhorn Mountains

Benton Area 679 Sq ft Population 94,665 Year Est. 1847
First Hike – 2009 Total Days – 12
South side of Mary's Peak summitWildflowers on the summit of Mary’s Peak

Clackamas Area 1,884 Sq ft Population 426,515 Year Est. 1843
First Hike – 2012 Total Days – 42
Mt. Hood from Yocum RidgeMt. Hood from Yocum Ridge

Clatsop Area 1,085 Sq ft Population 39,455 Year Est. 1844
First Hike – 2013 Total Days – 10
View from Ecola State ParkEcola State Park

Columbia Area 687 Sq ft Population 53,280 Year Est. 1854
First Hike – 2018 Total Days – 2
Oak IslandOak Island

Coos Area 1,629 Sq ft Population 63,315 Year Est. 1853
First Hike – 2017 Total Days – 8
Cape Arago Lighthouse from the Oregon Coast TrailCape Arago Lighthouse

Crook Area 2,991 Sq ft Population 23,440 Year Est. 1882
First Hike – 2012 Total Days – 6
Wildflowers along the Independent Mine TrailIndependent Mine Trail, Ochoco National Forest

Curry Area 1,648 Sq ft Population 23,005 Year Est. 1855
First Hike – 2016 Total Days – 12
LupineBoardman State Park

Deschutes Area 3,055 Sq ft Population 197,015 Year Est. 1916
First Hike – 2006 Total Days – 45
Middle and North SisterThree Sisters Wilderness

Douglas Area 5,071 Sq ft Population 112,530 Year Est. 1852
First Hike – 2012 Total Days – 23
Upper Kentucky FallsUpper Kentucky Falls

Gilliam Area 1,223 Sq ft Population 1,990 Year Est. 1885
First Hike – 2021 Total Days – 1
Jeep track dropping into Esau CanyonEsau Canyon

Grant Area 4,528 Sq ft Population 7,315 Year Est. 1864
First Hike – 2017 Total Days – 15
Strawberry Mountain from the Onion Creek TrailStrawberry Mountain

Harney Area 10,228 Sq ft Population 7,280 Year Est. 1889
First Hike – 2018 Total Days – 9
Surnise from the Borax Hot Springs TrailheadBorax Springs Trailhead

Hood River Area 533 Sq ft Population 25,640 Year Est. 1908
First Hike – 2012 Total Days – 33
Mt. Hood from Owl PointMt. Hood from Owl Point

Jackson Area 2,801 Sq ft Population 223,240 Year Est. 1852
First Hike – 2015 Total Days – 15
View from Lower Table RockView from Lower Table Rock

Jefferson Area 1,791 Sq ft Population 24,105 Year Est. 1914
First Hike – 2008 Total Days – 27
Goat Peak and Mt. JeffersonMount Jefferson Wilderness

Josephine Area 1,641 Sq ft Population 86,560 Year Est. 1856
First Hike – 2016 Total Days – 5
Paradise Lost room, Oregon CavesParadise Lose, Oregon Caves National Monument

Klamath Area 4,105 Sq ft Population 68,075 Year Est. 1882
First Hike – 2012 Total Days – 20
Crater Lake from Mt. ScottCrater Lake National Park

Lake Area 8,359 Sq ft Population 8,075 Year Est. 1874
First Hike – 2037 Total Days – 9
Barnhardy RoadHart Mountain National Antelope Refuge

Lane Area 4,620 Sq ft Population 381,365 Year Est. 1851
First Hike – 2011 Total Days – 74
South Sister from Husband LakeSouth Sister from Husband Lake

Lincoln Area 992 Sq ft Population 48,305 Year Est. 1893
First Hike – 2010 Total Days – 15
God's ThumbGod’s Thumb

Linn Area 2,297 Sq ft Population 127,320 Year Est. 1847
First Hike – 2007 Total Days – 50
Mt. Jefferson from the junction of the Hunts Creek Trail and Pacific Crest TrailMount Jefferson Wilderness

Malheur Area 9,926 Sq ft Population 32,105 Year Est. 1887
First Hike – 2018 Total Days – 3
Timber GulchTimber Gulch

Marion Area 1,194 Sq ft Population 349,120 Year Est. 1843
First Hike – 2006 Total Days – 46
Sawmill FallsSawmill Falls

Morrow Area 2,049 Sq ft Population 12,825 Year Est. 1885
First Hike – 2019 Total Days – 1
McCormack SloughMcCormack Slough

Multnomah Area 465 Sq ft Population 829,560 Year Est. 1854
First Hike – 2012 Total Days – 13
Upper McCord FallsUpper McCord Falls

Polk Area 745 Sq ft Population 83,805 Year Est. 1845
First Hike – 2010 Total Days – 7
North Fork Siletz RiverNorth Fork Siletz River

Sherman Area 831 Sq ft Population 1,795 Year Est. 1889
First Hike – 2017 Total Days – 3
View from the Ferry Springs TrailDeschutes River State Recreation Area

Tillamook Area 1,125 Sq ft Population 26,530 Year Est. 1853
First Hike – 2010 Total Days – 18
Cape LookoutCape Lookout

Umatilla Area 3,231 Sq ft Population 81,495 Year Est. 1862
First Hike – 2021 Total Days – 5
High point on Ninemile RidgeNorth Fork Umatilla Wilderness

Union Area 2,038 Sq ft Population 26,840 Year Est. 1864
First Hike – 2016 Total Days – 3
Glacier Peak and Glacier Lake from Eagle CapGlacier Peak from Eagle Cap, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Wallowa Area 3,153 Sq ft Population 7,160 Year Est. 1887
First Hike – 2016 Total Days – 11
Ice LakeEagle Cap Wilderness

Wasco Area 2,396 Sq ft Population 27,295 Year Est. 1854
First Hike – 2014 Total Days – 10
Tom McCall Point TrailRowena Plateau

Washington Area 727 Sq ft Population 620,080 Year Est. 1843
First Hike – 2015Total Days – 8
Henry Haag LakeHaag Lake

Wheeler Area 1,715 Sq ft Population 1,440 Year Est. 1899
First Hike – 2016 Total Days – 5
Painted HillsPainted Hills, John Day Fossil Beds

Yamhill Area 718 Sq ft Population 108,605 Year Est. 1843
First Hike – 2015 Total Days – 3
Niagara FallsNiagara Falls

Happy Trails!

Categories
Hiking

Progress Report – 500 “Featured Hikes” – February, 2022 Update

Sometime back in 2016 we committed to making a serious attempt to complete a couple of hiking goals that we had discussed. One was visiting all of the federally designated wilderness areas in Oregon, which we accomplished in 2021 (post), and the other was hiking at least a portion of all 100 featured hikes in at least one edition of William L. Sullivan’s “100 Hikes” guidebook series. Sullivan splits the State up into five areas, Oregon Coast & Coast Range, NW Oregon & SW Washington, Central Oregon Cascades, Southern Oregon & Northern California, and Eastern Oregon. Five areas times 100 featured hikes in each comes to a grand total of 500 featured hikes.

In 2020 we completed the Central Oregon Cascades Area (post) and followed that up in 2021 by finishing both the Oregon Coast (post) and NW Oregon (post) featured hikes leaving just Eastern and Southern Oregon & Northern California.

In our 2020 update we stated that we ended that year having checked off 401 out of the 500 featured hikes based on the following editions of Sullivan’s books:
“100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades” 4th Edition 2012
“100 Hikes/Travel Guide Oregon Coast & Coast Range” 4th Edition 2016
“100 Hikes/Travel Guide Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington” 4th Edition 2018
“100 Hikes/Travel Guide Eastern Oregon” 3rd Edition 2015
“100 Hikes/Travel Guide Southern Oregon & Northern California” 4th Edition 2017

In order to finish the Oregon Coast book we switched from the 2016 4th edition to his earlier 2009 3rd edition due to the continued closure of the Salmonberry Railroad which lowered the number from 401 to 397. So while we sit at 99/100 for that 4th edition reverting to the 3rd edition made it possible to check that area off. We also had failed to count our Collings Mountain Loop (post) in Southern Oregon as having completed a portion of Sullivan’s Applegate Lake hike so we were actually at 398 of 500. (We plan on hiking more of the trails at Applegate Lake in 2022.)

In addition to the 9 hikes to finish out the Oregon Coast Book, and 6 hikes for NW Oregon, we managed to check off 13 featured hikes from the Eastern Oregon book ending the year at 73. Unfortunately we made no headway on the Southern Oregon & Northern California book. The impacts of various wildfires thwarted all our plans to visit that area in 2021 and in all honesty making us question if we will ever actually be able to finish that one. We do have several trips planned this year and over the next couple in hopes of making our goal but if the wildfire seasons of the past couple of years continue it is going to be difficult. We did move from the 2017 4th edition to the 2021 4.2 edition due to Sullivan swapping out a couple of fire damaged hikes for more accessible ones.

If conditions cooperate we will remain on track to complete the Southern book in 2024 and the Eastern book in 2025. Nearly all of the hikes remaining in the Eastern book are located either in the Wallowa Mountains or Hells Canyon in the NE corner of the State. Mount Ireland is the lone hike outside of those two areas and it is on this years list.

Finally in 2021 we also completed the 5th edition of the Central Oregon Cascades book. When we completed that area in 2020 the final hike, Erma Bell Lakes, technically finished both the 3rd and 4th editions but it was the 4th we were focusing on due to some crossover between that 3rd edition and the 3rd edition of the Eastern Oregon book.

As we head into the 2022 hiking season we are at 426 out of 500 featured hikes or 85.2% of our goal.
100/100 – “100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades” 4th Edition 2012 (also 3rd & 5th editions)

100/100 – “100 Hikes/Travel Guide Oregon Coast & Coast Range” 3rd Edition 2009

100/100 – “100 Hikes/Travel Guide Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington” 4th Edition 2018

73/100 – “100 Hikes/Travel Guide Eastern Oregon” 3rd Edition 2015

53/100 – “100 Hikes/Travel Guide Southern Oregon & Northern California” 4th Edition 2021

With Sullivan continuing to release new editions and updated versions I’m sure we will have plenty of ideas going forward. We are also working our way through hikes in several of Matt Reeder’s guidebooks (The Ruddy Hill Press).

Whether or not we actually reach our goal of all 500 is secondary to the all of the amazing places our chasing the 500 has led us to. Happy Trails!

Categories
Hiking

Yakona Nature Preserve – 02/05/2022

After several hectic weeks at work for both Heather and I we celebrated the start of a new month (and a favorable forecast) by heading out on our second hike of the year. Our destination for this outing was the Yakona Nature Preserve, an area brought to our attention by our friends Susan and John. The preserve encompasses over 300 acres of a peninsula located at the south end of Newport in Yaquina Bay which as been acquired through various purchases since 2013. Several trails have been built in recent years with construction ongoing as the Yakona Nature Preserve works to fulfill its vision “to preserve and restore native forest land on the bay, with day use access for families, hikers and people of all abilities.”

I reached out to the folks at the preserve to check on any permit or reservation requirements to visit. They were quick to answer and provided me with the information we needed. As of our hike (and this report) there are two ways to visit the preserve, on a group hike led by the Yakona Nature Preserve or by obtaining a permit to hike 1.75 miles through private timber land to reach the preserve. We were informed that a group hike was tentatively planned for later in the month but we really needed to spend a day on the trails sooner rather than later and we couldn’t pass up a partly sunny day so we opted to go the permit route. If you’re interested in visiting the preserve please reach out via their contact page or message them on Facebook for more information.

With our permit obtained we headed to Newport and parked near the Wilder Dog Park and disc golf course just beyond the Wolf Tree Brewery and Taproom on SE Harborton Street. SE Harborton is gated at the start of the private land (do not block the gate) and becomes Road 200.
Emery Investment permit information at Road 200Permit info at the gate.

Road 200 gate at the Wilder Trails areaLooking back to the gate from Road 200.

From the gate we took Road 200 (the middle of three roads) and followed it for three quarters of a mile to King Slough where the road passes through the estuary.
Road 200

Big trees on an even bigger nursery stumpIt’s hard to get an idea of size here but the two trees growing over the large nursery stump were good sized.

Road 200

Kings Slough

Kings Slough

Hooded mergansersHooded Mergansers

After a brief stretch amid some trees, where we stayed left at another 3-way fork, we crossed another arm of King Slough.
Road 200 to the leftRoad 200 to the left.

King Slough

On the far end of the slough on the right side of the road was a trail signed “3rd World”
3rd World Trail at Road 200

This wasn’t the first trail we’d seen leading off to the right, we had passed at least three earlier some of which appeared to be part of the disc golf course, but this was the first that we would pass both ends of. A half mile further up Road 200 we passed the upper end of the 3rd World Trail and decided that we would take that trail on our way back. The various trails which are open to mountain bikes, trail runners and hikers can be viewed here. (Don’t forget your permit.)
3rd World TrailUpper end of the 3rd World Trail.

We had stayed on Road 200 through which climbed uphill via a wide curve. As we gained elevation we spotted a couple of elk in the brush on the hillside above.
Elk

It turned out that there were quite a few elk in the area and for the next third of a mile or so we occasionally spotted them in the road or heard them crashing through the brush.
Elk with breakfast

Road 200

Two tenths of a mile beyond the upper end of the 3rd World Trail we came to a split in the road on a ridge top. Road 200 turned left while Road 250 continued straight.
Road 200Approaching the ridge top.

We turned left on Road 200 passing a sign for the Yakona Nature Preserve.
Road 200

Sign for the Yakona Nature Preserve

In another 0.2 miles we came to a gate which we passed around per the directions received from the preserve.
Gate at the Yakona Nature Preserve boundary

As of yet there are no maps available of the nearly 4 miles of trails here so we were operating on the directions we’d received via email: “There is a good road all the way to the edge of the forest and you’ll pass, on your right, the clear cut we’ve replanted. Most of the trails take off into the forest from there, and the road continues for another 3/4 mile, traverses forest, and ends at a wetland. There are multiple trails off that forest road. We’re still developing a trails map, but as a general rule, when you’re ready to exit Yakona and not sure where you are, head UPHILL to return to the road you hiked in on. Uphill is your way out. All of our trails connect to one another or to the road. Keep in mind that we are still in the build out stage.” We also had found a map for a 30k race that went through the preserve to give us a bit of an idea where some of the trails were located. We turned left off the main road where the race had with the plan being to work our way clockwise around the peninsula sticking as close to the edge as the trails allowed. We had one specific goal in mind which was to find the Yakona Bridge, a replica of the Yaquina Bridge spanning Yaquina Bay. We knew that the bridge had been part of the race course but were unsure where along the route it was located.
Yakona Nature PreserveHeading off the main road.

Yakona Nature Preserve

It was clear that there had been a lot of work done to establish the trails and that that work was still continuing. The trails dipped and climbed bringing us to the bay at times and to views above at others.
Kings Slough

Female common goldeneyeCommon goldeneye

Great blue heron and buffleheadsGreat blue heron and buffleheads

Rough skinned newtRough skinned newt

Coral fungusCoral fungus

Kings Slough

Northern pintail, heron, seagulls and possible some green winged tealsNorthern pintail, heron, seagulls and some green winged teals.

American wigeons?American wigeons

Bench at the Yakona Nature PreserveOne of a number of unique benches located along the trails.

Yakona Nature PreserveStone steps

Bridges in the Yakona Nature PreserveA pair of footbridges.

Rough skinned newtAnother rough skinned newt, there were many.

MushroomMushroom

Bench at the Yakona Nature PreserveAnother bench at a viewpoint.

Yakona Nature Preserve

Bench at the Yakona Nature Preserve

Bench at the Yakona Nature PreserveSeveral benches were inlaid with rocks such as this which was a really neat feature.

Yakona Nature PreserveSmall footbridge ahead.

Beyond the little footbridge the trail climbed to a ridge top on the NE side of the peninsula where looking down the other side we spotted the Yakona Bridge.
Yakona Nature Preserve

Footbridge at the Yakona Nature Preserve

Footbridge at the Yakona Nature PreserveYakona Bridge.

After spending some time admiring the bridge we climbed up the other side where we came to Maryann’s Wind Phone, an unexpected surprise.
Footbridge at the Yakona Nature Preserve

Maryann's Wind Telephone at Yakona Nature Preserve

Sign for Maryann's Wind Telephone at Yakona Nature PreserveInformational sign for the wind phone.

We continued with our “stay as far to the outside as possible” plan which resulted in us passing a pair of wells before winding up at the end of the entrance road.
Yakona Nature Preserve

Four trunks from oneThis trunk had split into four.

Well at the Yakona Nature Preserve

Well at the Yakona Nature Preserve

Yakona Nature PreserveDropping down to another estuary.

Yakona Nature Preserve

Bench at the Yakona Nature Preserve

Bench at the Yakona Nature Preserve

Yakona Nature PreserveBack up we go!

Yakona Nature PreserveFound the road.

We had covered approximately 3 miles on the trails and now we hiked back along the road which passed several trails leading off the road and another interesting bench overlooking the replanted clear cut.
Yakona Nature Preserve

Yakona Nature PreserveBench on the far hillside above the clear cut.

Yakona Nature Preserve

Yakona Nature PreserveShort path to the bench.

Banches at the Yakona Nature Preserve

Yakona Nature Preserve benches

Yakona Nature PreserveOne of the trails.

We spotted our first wildflowers of the year on our way out. A lone violet and some blooming evergreen huckleberry.
Violet

Evergreen huckleberry blossom

Woolly bear caterpillarA rather damp woolly bear caterpillar.

When we reached the 3rd World Trail we turned off Road 200 and followed it downhill through the forest.
3rd World Trail

Mushroom

This took at least two tenths of a mile off our return trip by cutting out the wide curve in the road walk.
3rd World Trail at Road 200 near Kings SloughBack to Road 200 near Kings Slough.

Kings Slough

Once we were back on Road 200 we followed it back to the Wilder Area. We finally saw some other people when a group of trail runners popped onto the road from the unsigned Drop Zone Trail. By the time we were back at the car we had hiked 8.8 miles with a surprising amount of ups and downs providing a decent amount of elevation gain (1000-1500′). It will be interesting to keep an eye on the progress the Yakona Nature Preserve makes in restoring and developing the area. While it was free to visit we did make a donation via their website to help them fulfill their vision. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Yakona Nature Preserve

Categories
Hiking

Progress Report – Oregon Wilderness Areas (Completed)

Several years back we set several hiking goals, one of which being to hike in all of Oregon’s federally designated wilderness areas. At that time there were 47 such areas in the State with two of those being off-limits to visitors (Three Arch Rocks & Oregon Islands are also National Wildlife Refuges that provide nesting habitat for sea birds as well as serving as pupping sites for marine mammals. To prevent disturbances public entry to any of the rocks/islands is prohibited and waters within 500 feet of the refuge are closed to all watercraft from May 1 through September 15.) In 2019 Congress added the Devils Staircase Wilderness to the list giving us a total of 46 designated wilderness areas to visit in order to complete this goal. Staring in 2019 we began posting annual updates on our progress (2020 & 2021) and we are excited to report that, unless any new wilderness areas are established in the future, this will be our last update. We managed to make it to the final four wilderness areas on our list, the North Fork Umatilla, Devils Staircase, Black Canyon, and Monument Rock, in 2021. We have to give credit to Bruce (Van Marmot) over at Boots on the Trail for not only getting to all 46 first but also providing inspiration and a lot of helpful information.

A little over 2.5 million acres are designated as wilderness throughout the State and range in size from 15 acres (Three Arch Rocks) to 355,548 acres (Eagle Cap). Oregon shares a wilderness with three of its bordering states. The Wenaha-Tuccanon is shared with Washington, Hells Canyon with Idaho, and Red Buttes with California. The areas are managed by three different federal agencies. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) manages the Oregon Islands and Three Arch Rocks areas while the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages nine and the Forest Service manages forty-one. If you do the math those numbers add up to fifty-two. The reason for that is four of the areas, the Devils Staircase, Lower White River, Hells Canyon, and Wild Rogue are managed jointly by the Forest Service and BLM. Seven of the areas have no official trails, the two off-limit areas, and the Devils Staircase, Rock Creek, Lower White River, Bridge Creek, and Spring Basin wildernesses. Although irregularly shaped (except for the exactly 6 square mile Mountain Lakes Wilderness) the majority of the areas are a single unit. In addition to the Oregon Islands and Three Arch Rocks the Mount Hood (4), Mark O. Hatfield (2), Badger Creek (2),Salmon-Huckleberry (3), Clackamas (5), Soda Mountain (2), North Fork John Day (4), and Steens Mountain (2) consist of multiple separate areas.

We visited our first Oregon Wilderness in 2009 when we visited Henline Falls in the Opal Creek Wilderness. Since then we have spent parts of 215 days in these special places. For sixteen of the areas it was only a single day while we’ve spent part of 30 days in the Three Sisters Wilderness. Below are some of our best memories from each of the wilderness areas. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed visiting them.

Badger Creek: 28,915 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-6
Divide Trail entering the Badger Creek Wilderness

Badger Creek

Mt. Hood from the helispot

Black Canyon: 13.088 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Black Canyon Wilderness sign

Black Canyon Trail

Black Canyon Trail crossing Black Canyon Creek

Boulder Creek: 19,911 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Boulder Creek Wilderness sign

View from the Boulder Creek Trail

Boulder Creek

Bridge Creek: 5,337 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Bridge Creek Wilderness sign

Bridge Creek Wilderness

View to the north from the Bridge Creek Wilderness

Bull of the Woods: 36,869 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-6
Bull of the Woods Wilderness sign

Lake Lenore

Emerald Pool

Mt. Jefferson and Three Fingered Jack

Mt. Hood and Big Slide Lake from the Bull of the Woods Lookout

Clackamas: 9.465 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-2
Clackamas Wilderness sign

Memaloose Lake

Big Bottom

Copper-Salmon: 13,724 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Barklow Mountain Trail entering the Copper-Salmon Wilderness

View from the summit of Barklow Mountain

Cummins Creek: 9,026 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Wilderness sign at the upper trailhead

Cummins Ridge Trail

Devils Staircase: 30,787 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Informational sign for the Devil's Staircase Wilderness

Devil's Staircase Wilderness

Devil's Staircase Wilderness

Devil's Staircase

Diamond Peak: 52,477 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-7
Trapper Creek Trail entering the Diamond Peak Wilderness

Small waterfall on Trapper Creek

Diamond Peak from Karen Lake at sunset

Diamond Lake from an unnamed lake along the Crater Butte Trail

Climbers trail to Diamond Peak

Drift Creek: 5,792 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-2
Drift Creek Wilderness sign

Drift Creek

Eagle Cap: 355,548 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-5
Eagle Cap Wilderness sign

Ice Falls

Ice Lake

Basin between the Matterhorn and Sacajawea

Mountain goats

Eagle Cap from the Matterhorn

Glacier Lake

Eagle Cap from Mirror Lake

The Matterhorn and Moccasin Lake from Eagle Cap

Horseshoe Lake

Gearhart Mountain: 22,587 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Gearhart Mountain Wilderness sign

The Palisades in the Gearhart Mountain Wilderness

Gearhart Mountain Wilderness

View from Gearhart Mountain

Grassy Knob: 17,176 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Grassy Knob Wilderness sign

View from Grassy Knob

Hells Canyon: 131,337 acres in OR (217,613 in ID) Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Trail sign at a junction with Marks Cabin Trail along the Summit Ridge Trail at the Hells Canyon Wilderness Boundary

Looking into Hells Canyon from Freezeout Saddle

Kalmiopsis: 179,550 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Kalmiopsis Wilderness sign

Ridge to the south of the Vulcan Peak Trail

Vulcan Lake

California pitcher plant (Darlingtonia californica) at Little Vulcan Lake

Lower White River: 2,871 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Lower White River Wilderness Sign

White River

Mark O. Hatfield: 65,420 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-12
Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness sign

Triple Falls

View from Chindrie Mountain

Twister Falls

Mt. Hood from Green Point Mountain

Menagerie: 4,952 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-2
Menagerie Wilderness sign

Rooster Rock from the Trout Creek Trail

Rooster Rock from a viewpoint in the Menagerie Wilderness

Middle Santiam: 8,845 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-2
Middle Santiam Wilderness sign

Overgrown trail

Donaca Lake

Mill Creek: 17,173 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Mill Creek Wilderness sign

Twin Pillars Trail

Monument Rock: 20,210 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Wilderness sign for the Monument Rock Wilderness

Monument Rock Wilderness

Cairn on Monument Rock

Little Malheur River

Monument Rock Wilderness

Mountain Lakes: 23,036 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-2
Mountain Lakes Wilderness sign

Eb Lake

Aspen Butte

Mt. McLoughlin, Whiteface Peak, Pelican Butte, and Mount Harriman from Aspen Butte

Mount Hood: 64,742 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-22
Mt. Hood Wilderness sign

Mt. Hood from the Paradise Park Loop Trail

Mt. Hood from the Timberline Trail

Mt. Hood from the Timberline Trail near Elk Cove

Mt. Hood and Burnt Lake from East Zig Zag Mountain

Mt. Hood from Paradise Park

Morning from Paradise Park

Mt. Hood from Yocum Ridge

Mt. Hood from the Newton Creek crossing of the Timberline Trail

Hawk flying over the wildflowers in Paradise Park below Mt. Hood

Langille Crags, Compass Creek, Mt. Hood and Barret Spur

Ramona Falls

Mt. Hood and Barret Spur from Elk Cove

Mt. Hood

Cooper Spur Shelter

Mount Jefferson: 108,909 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-27
Enterng the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness

Mt. Jefferson, Russel Lake, and Sprauge Lake from Park Ridge

The trail ahead

You can still see the purple lupine in the upper meadow

Mt. Jefferson from Russell Lake

Mt. Jefferson from Boca Cave

Marion and Gatch Falls

Mt. Jefferson from Jefferson Park

Park Butte from Bays Lake

Mt. Jefferson and Hunts Cove from the Hunts Creek Trail

Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson beyond the Eight Lakes Basin

Mt. Jefferson from Bear Point

Mt. Jefferson and Goat Peak

North Cinder Peak from the Cabot Lake Trail

Mt. Jefferson from Table Lake

Goat Peak and Mt. Jefferson

Carl Lake

Three Fingered Jack from Lower Berley Lake

Three Fingered Jack and Square Lake

Mount Thielsen: 55,151 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-5
Mt. Thielsen Wilderness sign

Howlock Mountain and Mt. Thielsen

Tipsoo Peak from Maidu Lake

Mt. Thielsen

Thielsen Creek

Howlock Mountain and Mt. Thielsen from Howlock Meadows

Mt. Thielsen and Cottonwood Creek Falls

Mt. Thielsen from a spring feeding Cottonwood Creek

Mount Washington: 54,410 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-7
Wt. Washington Wilderness sign

Belknap Crater

Mt. Washington and Mt. Jefferson from the Pacific Crest Trail

The largest of the Tenas Lakes

Benson Lake

Patjens Lake Trail

Mt. Washington from Mt. Washington Meadows

North Fork John Day: 120,694 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-8
North Fork John Day River

North Fork John Day River Trail

Blue Mountain Trail

Elk on the Baldy Creek Trail

Mt. Ireland from Baldy Lake

Tower Mountain Trail

North Fork Umatilla: 20,225 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-3
North Fork Umatilla wilderness sign

Ninemile Ridge

Ninemile Ridge

North Fork Umatilla River

Opal Creek: 20,774 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-6
Whetstone Mountain Trail

Opal Lake

Larkspur and paintbrush

Battle Ax Creek

One of the Marten Buttes

Henline Falls

Bull-of-the Woods and Whetstone Mountain from the lookout site

Oregon Badlands: 28,182 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-2
Oregon Badlands Wilderness sign
Ancient Juniper Trail - Oregon Badlands Wilderness

View from Flatiron Rock

Badlands Rock

Another canyon in the Oregon Badlands Wilderness

Oregon Islands: 925 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-0
Signboard for the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge

Bandon Islands

Simpson Reef

Sea lions on Shell Island

Gull Rock

Red Buttes: 3,777 acres in OR (20,133 in CA) Days Spent in Wilderness-2 in OR, (4 in CA)
Red Buttes Wilderness sign

Swan Mountain

Figurehead Mountain and Red ButtesThis photo is from CA but it actually shows the namesake Red Buttes

Roaring River: 36,548 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Entering the Roaring River Wilderness

Middle Rock Lake

Unnamed pond

Serene Lake

Rock Creek: 7,273 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Rock Creek Campground sign along Highway 101Closest thing to a “wilderness sign” we saw for this one.

Rock Creek

Frosty meadow in the Rock Creek Wilderness

Rogue-Umpqua: 35,749 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-6
Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness sign

Hummingbird Meadows

View from the Buck Canyon Trail

View from the old road to Abbott Butte

Pup Prairie from the Acker Divide Trail

Rattlesnake Mountain from the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Trail

Salmon-Huckleberry: 62,061 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-11
Entering the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness on the Eagle Creek trail

Rhododendron in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness

Eagle Creek Trail in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness

Mt. Hood

Plectritis and larkspur

Boulder Ridge Trail

Mt. Hood

Devil's Peak Lookout

Cliffs along the Salmon River Canyon

Frustration Falls

Hunchback Trail

Sky Lakes: 113,687 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-3
Sky Lakes Wilderness sign

Mt. McLoughlin from Fourmile Lake

Meadow with a lily pad pond across the Badger Lake Trail from Badger Lake

Island Lake

Mt. McLoughlin

Fourmile Lake from Mt. McLoughlin

Soda Mountain: 24,707 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-2
Soda Mountain Wilderness sign

PCT entering the Soda Mountain Wilderness

Boccard Point and Mt. Shasta in the distance

Looking west from Boccard Point

Larkspur

Pilot Rock

Spring Basin: 6,404 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-1
Spring Basin Wilderness

Spring Basin Wilderness

John Day River from the Spring Basin Wilderness

Horse Mountain in the Spring Basin Wilderness

Hedgehog cactus

Steens Mountain: 170,202 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-5
Entering the Steens Mountain Wilderness

Registration box at the Pike Creek Trail

View from the Pike Creek Trail

Big Indian Gorge

Wildhorse Lake

Wildhorse Lake Trail

Kiger Gorge

View from the Little Blitzen Trail

Little Blitzen Gorge

Little Blitzen Trail

Little Blitzen River

Strawberry Mountain: 69,350 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-5
Strawberry Mountain Wilderness sign

Indian Creek Butte

Strawberry Mountain

Volcanic ash along the Pine Creek Traii

Strawberry Basin Trail

Strawberry Mountain

Strawberry Lake

Slide Lake

Skyline Trail

High Lake

Mountain Goats above High Lake

Canyon Mountain Trail

High Lake

Table Rock: 5,784 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-3
Old Table Rock Wilderness signboard

High Ridge Trail

Table Rock

Mt. Jefferson and the Three Sisters from Table Rock

Trail to the Rooster Rock viewpoint.

Mt. Jefferson and Rooster Rock

Meadow below Rooster Rock

Three Arch Rocks: 15 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-0
Three Arch Rocks Wilderness

Three Sisters: 283,619 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-30
Broken Top near Crater Ditch

Black Crater Trail

Middle and South Sister from Linton Meadows

Middle and South Sister from Eileen Lake

Duncan Falls

Upper portion of Upper Linton Falls

Falls on Fall Creek

The Wife

Linton Springs

Middle Sister and a Chambers Lake

South Sister from Camp Lake

Phoenix Falls

Lower Linton Falls

Upper Linton Falls

Mt. Washington's spire, Three Fingered Jack and Mt. Jefferson

Indian Holes Falls

French Pete Creek

Middle and North Sister beyond Golden Lake

Broken Top, a tarn, and some Lupine

Thayer Glacial Lake

Monkeyflower along Soap Creek

No Name Lake

The third Green Lake

North Sister

Pacific Crest Trail

Old cabin at Muskrat Lake

Meadow along the Olallie Mountain Trail

View from Subsitute Point

The Chambers Lakes and Cascade Peaks from South Sister

Broken Top and Moraine Lake

South Sister from Morraine Lake

South Sister from Denude Lake

Proxy Falls

The Three Sisters from a wildflower meadow along the Rebel Rock Trail

Broken Top

The Three Sisters

Waldo Lake: 36,868 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-6
Waldo Lake Wilderness sign

Rigdon Butte

Lillian Falls

Fuji Mountain from Black Meadows

Diamond Peak and Fuji Mountain from Waldo Lake

Mt. Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington, The Husband, Middle & South Sister, Broken Top, and Mt. Bachelor

Upper Salmon Lake

Wenaha-Tuccanon: 65,266 acres in OR (176,737 in WA) Days Spent in Wilderness-2
Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness sign

Wenaha River Trail

Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness

Wenaha River Trail

Milk Creek and South Fork Wenaha River confluence

Wild Rogue: 35,221 acres Days Spent in Wilderness-2
Wild Rogue wilderness sign

Hanging Rock

Flora del Falls

Rogue River Trail

Rogue River