With over 1.6 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.
Before starting a trip to the Willamette National Forest, it’s important to “Know Before You Go” and understand where fire closures are and how to avoid them. There are many recreation areas, campgrounds and trails that were not impacted by the 2020 wildfires. The information below will help you decide where to go while avoiding areas that are closed.
The Central Cascades wilderness areas of Oregon are home to iconic mountain peaks, high alpine meadows and lakes, and old growth forests. Crystal clear streams, wildflower meadows, rugged mountain views, young lava flows, and much more can be found in the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington and Three Sisters Wilderness areas.
In an effort to preserve the natural beauty and wilderness experience for you and future visitors and to better manage recreation-related impacts, these areas will be managed with use limits, or quotas, to ensure the protection of these landscapes now and into the future. Find out what is new in 2021, and start planning your trip.
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
