Sky Lakes Wilderness: Rogue River-Siskiyou NF


Sky Lakes Wilderness

United States Congress designated the Sky Lakes Wilderness in 1984 and it now maintains 113,849 acres. It includes three major lake (former glacial) basins as it stretches along the crest of the volcanic Cascade Mountains from the border of Crater Lake National Park on the north to State Highway 140 in the south: Seven Lakes, Sky Lakes, and Blue Canyon basins. All of southern Oregon seems to lie at your feet from the rugged summit of volcano Mount McLoughlin (9,495’), and then extends out northward into Sky Lakes' broad plateau-like ridges, dotted with many lakes.

You'll find creeks and ice-cold springs grassy meadows, and scores of clear sub-alpine lakes. Several of the lakes were found, by 1980s-90s Environmental Protection Agency baseline study of acid-rain conditions in Western U.S. mountain lakes, to have among the most chemically pure water known of all lakes on the globe. Most of the area's lakes, some of them stocked with game fish, are set against a backdrop of tall trees that reach to the edge of the lakeshore.

An overall high-elevation forest consisting largely of Shasta red fir, western white pine, and mountain hemlock yields to lodgepole pine around many of the lakes, as well to moisture-loving Engelmann spruce here and there. Hardy, long-lived whitebark pines are found near the summits of Mt. McLoughlin and Devil's Peak. The forest's understory is dominated by species of huckleberry, as well as manzanita, snowbrush, and heather.

Elk herds spend much of the summer and early fall in the northern third of the region. The entire area supports roving populations of pine martens and fishers, black bears, cougars, coyotes, as well as pikas and golden-mantled ground squirrels and other species of wildlife. During October and November, migrating birds pass over in the hundreds of thousands, often stopping at the high lakes. Ospreys regularly visit Sky Lakes to try their luck at fishing. Swarms of mosquitoes hatch from snowmelt until mid-August.

Traveling via horseback into the Sky Lakes Wilderness? This brochure helps equestrians who will be exploring the Sky Lakes Wilderness to understand their role in protecting the special values of this amazing place on the RRSNF.

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At a Glance

Restrictions:

Nation-Wide Wilderness Regulations:

  • Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport is prohibited. This includes the use of motor vehicles, motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters.

Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Sky Lakes Wilderness Regulations:

  • Caching of equipment is prohibited. Storing equipment, personal property, or supplies is prohibited.
  • Possessing or storing hay or unprocessed (viable) grain is prohibited. Oregon weed free forage information.  California weed free forage information. 
  • Campsite restriction when camping with stock: Equestrians must camp in designated sites within Seven Lakes Basin and the Blue Canyon Basin, as shown on public hand-out map.
  • Campsites and fires prohibited within 100 feet from lakes; 50 feet from streams or springs; preserves water quality, vegetation, and privacy of other groups.
  • Maximum group size: 8 persons and/or 12 stock. Number of stock permitted (12) provides for up to 8 people to ride and use pack animals during a visit.
  • Stock use restrictions: 
    • ​Mandatory setback from water is 200 feet. 
    • No hitching or tethering stock to a live tree for more than 1 hour;
    • Prevent spread of barren soil areas and girdling of trees.
  • In Seven Lakes Basin and Blue Canyon Basin designated horse-camps must be used. Horses and the Sky Lakes Wilderness brochure (691 KB PDF) provides details on these camps.
Closest Towns:
  • Klamath Falls, OR
  • Medford, OR
  • Ashland, OR 
  • Prospect, OR
  • Butte Falls, OR
Operated By: Forest Service
Information Center:

General Information

Directions:

Trailheads and Trails that access Sky Lakes Wilderness at Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

Other trails within Sky Lakes Wilderness at Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

See also: Fremont-Winema National Forest Sky Lakes Wilderness information


General Notes:

Topo maps

Crystal Spring, Devils Peak, Imnaha Creek, Lake of the Woods North, Maklaks Crater, Mares Egg Spring, Mount McLoughlin, Pelican Butte, Red Blanket Mountain, Rustler Peak, Union Peak. Download free U.S. Forest Service Topo maps.

Wilderness.net

Go to Wilderness.net for online maps and other important Wilderness information.


Activities

Day Hiking

With a name like Sky Lakes, this Wilderness is obliged to deliver at least more than one impressive sapphire pool, and it does. 

Backpacking

Horse Riding

 

Horses and the Sky Lakes Wilderness brochure (691 KB PDF) provides details on camps as well as many other items of interest to horse users.

Know Before You Go

Recreation Areas

Recreation Activities