With over 1.5 million acres, the Willamette National Forest is home to eight wilderness areas, including the popular Three Sisters Wilderness and Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, a variety of backpacking and day hiking opportunities, waterfalls, wildflowers, mountain biking trails, boating, swimming and much more! The varied landscape of high mountains, narrow canyons, cascading streams, and wooded slopes offers excellent opportunities for visitors and make the forest valuable for many purposes. Learn More About The Forest.

Find more activities from our recreation section.

Features

Preserving Wilderness Character: Balancing Increasing Visitor Use with Impacts

Between 2011 and 2016 the Forest Service noted substantial increases in visitation to the five Central Cascades Wilderness Areas coinciding with notable increases in vegetation trampling, loss of meadow and riparian vegetation, tree damage, human and dog waste, widening and braiding of trails, overcrowding and unsafe parking conditions, and compaction of sites in these areas. Despite wilderness rangers taking enforcement measures and doing daily outreach, education and patrolling of these wilderness areas the impacts continued to increase as annual visitation grew.

In the winter of 2016 Forest Supervisors reached the conclusion that a change in management strategies for the wilderness areas was needed. In January 2017 they created a team of resource specialists to gather data and devel-op a range of management strategies to meet the mandates of the Wilderness Act, as established by Congress.…learn more

Santiam Pass Ski Lodge Restoration

The USDA Forest Service is entrusted with the responsibility of preserving cultural resources, and nominated the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. On May 10^th, 2018, the Willamette National Forest signed the operating plan and special use permit for the restoration of the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge. The new permittees, Susan and Dwight Sheets will be working with community members and foundations to renovate the CCC-built Lodge to its former condition...learn more

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Spotlights

Explore the Forest

Explore distinctive recreation opportunities on each of the four ranger districts. From camping to hiking to biking to boating and more...go play

Interactive Visitor Map

The interactive visitor map lists recreation areas, roads and trail systems, so you can digitally explore and find your next adventure.

Recreation Conditions

Displays area conditions for all camping and cabins on the Willamette National Forest as well as popular recreation sites.

Accessible Adventures

We strive to offer areas in the forest where everyone can experience the many natural wonders the area has to offer. Watch our Accessible Adventure Videos