USFS · National forest · Oregon, Washington

Umatilla National Forest

The Umatilla National Forest, in the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon and southeast Washington, covers an area of 1.4 million acres. In descending order of land area the forest is located in parts of Umatilla, Grant, Columbia, Morrow, Wallowa, Union, Garfield, Asotin, Wheeler, and Walla Walla counties. More than three-quarters of the forest lies in the state of Oregon.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest1.5 million acresUSFSORWA62 campgrounds within 10 mi126 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
4fires
active
Top Ranch Rx (prescribed burn) · 10 mi from the center
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StatesOregon, Washington
Size1.5 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0614, region 06
Center point45.0411, -119.3693
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 16)

Boundary map

3 outlines

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 →

45 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 17 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
Alder Thicket Campground
First-comeWA
FS · Inside
Bear Wallow Creek Campground
First-comeOR
FS · Inside
Big Creek Meadows Campground
First-come3 sites
FS · Inside
Big Springs Campground
First-comeWA
FS · Inside
Bull Prairie Campground
Reservable30 sites
FS · Inside
Caretakers Cabin
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Clearwater Big House
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Clearwater Lookout Cabin
Reservable1 site
Show 4 more

50 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 126

The Forest Service lists 126 recreation sites in this forest, among them 50 trailheads, 36 campgrounds, 12 cabins, 11 interpretive sites. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 60

The 60 closest to the center point are listed; 66 more are on the Forest Service site.

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
  • Prescribed
    Top Ranch Rx

    10 mi from the center point

  • Wildfire
    Crosswhite

    44 mi from the center point · 342,923 acres · 99% contained

  • Wildfire
    Shingle

    47 mi from the center point · 2,500 acres · 99% contained

  • Wildfire
    Salmon

    48 mi from the center point · 1,433 acres · 95% 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 · 18 mi
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
National Historic Site · 24 mi
Whitman Mission National Historic Site
National Register listings within 15 miles · 94 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Umatilla National Forest?

1.5 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Umatilla National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Umatilla National Forest in?

The boundary crosses Oregon and Washington.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Umatilla National Forest?

45 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Alder Thicket Campground, Bear Wallow Creek Campground and Big Creek Meadows Campground. 62 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 Umatilla National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 126 recreation sites here, including 50 trailheads, 36 campground campgrounds and 12 cabin rentalss. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Umatilla National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 45.041, -119.369. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is 18 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Umatilla National Forest right now?

4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Top Ranch Rx at 10 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Umatilla National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 16 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 Umatilla National Forest?

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (18 mi) and Whitman Mission National Historic Site (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Umatilla National Forest?

94 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Gilliam and Bisbee Building and Hoodoo Ridge Lookout.

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: Umatilla 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.