About the Area
The Umpqua National Forest protects 983,239 acres of forest across Douglas, Lane, and Jackson Counties. High Cascades glaciation, whitewater rapids, and explosive volcanic events have shaped the Forest's spectacular scenery and abundant natural resources. Verdant stands of hemlock, fir and cedar transition to forests of mixed conifers and hardwoods at lower elevations, while alpine ecosystems dominate high peaks like Mount Thielsen. The Forest's waterways and diverse create desirable habitat for many species of fish and wildlife, in addition to providing outstanding recreational opportunities to our local communities and visitors.
The Forest is headquartered in Roseburg and has four ranger districts: Cottage Grove, Diamond Lake, North Umpqua, and Tiller. The Forest is also the home of the Dorena Genetic Research Center and Wolf Creek Job Corps Center. The Dorena Center, located in Cottage Grove, houses breeding programs for disease-resistant trees, a native plant development program, and the National Tree Climbing Program. The Wolf Creek Job Corps in Glide is a federal tuition-free training and education program.
Recreation
The Umpqua National Forest receives over 735,000 recreation visitors each year. Recreation opportunities include:
- 530 miles of trails, including 153 miles within Wilderness areas and 30 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail
- 40 developed campgrounds
- Three Wilderness areas, including the Boulder Creek Wilderness (19,1000 acres), the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness (26,350 acres on this Forest), and the Mt. Thielsen Wilderness (21,593 acres on this Forest)
- 7 rental cabins and fire lookout facilities
- 4 recreation resorts under Forest special use permits
- 4,806 miles of Forest roads (534 miles of which are maintained for passenger car travel) and 9,488 acres of inventoried Roadless Areas
Rogue-Umpqua National Scenic Byway and North Umpqua Wild and Scenic River
The Rogue-Umpqua National Scenic Byway, extends 172 miles through the Umpqua and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests across an ever-changing wonderland of white water, waterfalls and deep gorges gouged into the deeply forested southern Cascade Mountains.
The Byway parallels 40 miles of the North Umpqua Wild and Scenic River, famed for its remarkable emerald green waters and steelhead trout habitat. In 1988, Congress designated a portion of the North Umpqua as a Wild and Scenic River in the Oregon Omnibus Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
Nature and Science
Wildlife
The Umpqua National Forest is at the juncture of several distinct geologic provinces, providing a wide spectrum of habitat for diverse plants and wildlife.
- The Forest is home to 18 fish species. Anadromous fish like Coho and Chinook salmon and steelhead trout, as well as rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout, swim, feed and spawn in the Forest's thousands of miles of rivers and streams.
- The Forest abounds with 66 mammal species. Large mammals such as elk, deer, black bear, and cougar, as well as smaller residents like squirrels, fox, raccoons, and bats are supported by the Forest's diverse habitats.
- 236 bird species, including raptors such as owls, eagles, osprey, and even peregrine falcons, can occasionally be seen soaring above the trees. Waterfowl are highly visible swimming and feeding in the lakes and rivers, while songbirds can be heard in the forests.
- The Forest is home to 27 reptile and amphibian species.
Key Watersheds
National Forests play a key role in protecting watersheds and water quality for communities downstream. The headwaters of several major rivers are located on the Umpqua, including the North and South Umpqua Rivers and the Row River.
History
The lands that are now the Umpqua National Forest were first protected in 1893 as part of the Cascade Forest Reserve. In 1908, Congress designated close to a million acres of this reserve as the Umpqua National Forest. Forest Service staff quickly began building trails, constructing bridges, fighting fires, monitoring grazing, and erecting lookouts. This effort expanded in the 1930s with the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Logging and mining on the Forest became important local industries, particularly after the road connecting Roseburg and Diamond Lake was completed in 1940. Intensive logging took place for decades, especially in the 1980s and early 1990s. After the Northwest Forest Plan was adopted in 1994, the focus of the Forest Service and its partners shifted to protecting key species, improving forest health, and restoring the watershed.
Native American Tribes
Archaeological evidence suggests that people have lived in the Umpqua Basin for over 10,000 years. As trappers and settlers arrived in the area in the mid-nineteenth century, they encountered four distinct Native American tribes: the Umpqua in the main Umpqua Valley, the Southern Molalla in the uplands of the Umpqua National Forest, the Yoncalla in the northern part of the Umpqua Valley, and the Cow Creek in the Myrtle Creek, Cow Creek, and South Umpqua drainages. The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua of Indians is the only federally recognized Tribe remaining within the upper Umpqua Basin. The Umpqua, Southern Molalla, and Yoncalla were moved to the Grand Ronde and Siletz Reservations in the mid-nineteenth century. The Umpqua National Forest formally consults with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Confederated Tribes of Siletz, and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians in management decisions.