USFS · National forest · Oregon

Malheur National Forest

The Malheur National Forest is a National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon. It contains more than 1.4 million acres (5,700 km2) in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. The forest consists of high desert grasslands, sage, juniper, pine, fir, and other tree species. Elevations vary from about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) to the 9,038-foot (2,755 m) peak of Strawberry Mountain. The Strawberry Mountains of eastern Oregon extend east to west through the center of the forest. U.S. Route 395 runs south to north through the forest, while U.S. Route 26 runs east to west.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest1.8 million acresUSFSOR64 campgrounds within 10 mi53 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
2fires
active
Salmon · 36 mi from the center · 1,433 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateOregon
Size1.8 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0604, region 06
Center point44.2045, -118.5619
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

32 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 32 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Big Creek Campground
Reservable15 sites
FS · Inside
Billy Fields Campground
First-come2 sites
FS · Inside
Buck Spring Campground
First-comeOR
FS · Inside
Deer Creek Guard Station Cabin
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Deerhorn Campground
First-comeOR
FS · Inside
Delintment Lake Campground
Reservable29 sites
FS · Inside
Dixie Campground
First-comeOR
FS · Inside
Emigrant Campground
First-comeOR
Show 4 more

52 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 53

The Forest Service lists 53 recreation sites in this forest, among them 26 campgrounds, 6 cabins, 6 backpackings, 5 trailheads. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 53

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Salmon

    36 mi from the center point · 1,433 acres · 95% contained

  • Wildfire
    Mccully

    45 mi from the center point · 13,604 acres · 91% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Monument · 25 mi
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
National Register listings within 15 miles · 10 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Malheur National Forest?

1.8 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Malheur National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Malheur National Forest in?

Oregon.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Malheur National Forest?

32 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Big Creek Campground, Billy Fields Campground and Buck Spring Campground. 64 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Malheur National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 53 recreation sites here, including 26 campground campgrounds, 6 cabin rentalss and 6 backpackings. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Malheur National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 44.205, -118.562. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is 25 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Malheur National Forest right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Salmon at 36 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Malheur National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 13 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Malheur National Forest?

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (25 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Malheur National Forest?

10 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Allison Ranger Station and John Day Compound, Supervisor's Warehouse.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: Malheur National Forest on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.