USFS · National forest · Oregon, Idaho

Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

The Wallowa–Whitman National Forest is a United States National Forest in the U.S. states of Oregon and Idaho. Formed upon the merger of the Wallowa and Whitman national forests in 1954, it is located in the northeastern corner of Oregon, in Wallowa, Baker, Union, Grant, and Umatilla counties, and includes small areas in Nez Perce and Idaho counties in Idaho. The forest is named for the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce people, who originally lived in the area, and Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, Presbyterian missionaries who settled just to the north in 1836. Forest headquarters are located in Baker City, Oregon with ranger districts in La Grande, Joseph and Baker City.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest2.5 million acresUSFSORID122 campgrounds within 10 mi173 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
2fires
active
Weasel Rx (prescribed burn) · 47 mi from the center
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StatesOregon, Idaho
Size2.5 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0616, region 06
Center point45.2333, -117.4717
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13)

Boundary map

4 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 →

55 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 67 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
Anthony Lake
Reservable41 sites
FS · Inside
Anthony Lake Guard Station
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Antlers Guard Station Cabin
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Arrow Forest Camp
First-comeOR
FS · Inside
Bird Track Springs Campground
First-come22 sites
FS · Inside
Black Lake Campground
First-comeID
FS · Inside
Blackhorse Campground
First-comeOR
FS · Inside
Boulder Park Campground
First-comeOR
Show 4 more

110 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 173

The Forest Service lists 173 recreation sites in this forest, among them 47 campgrounds, 24 trailheads, 16 backpackings, 16 viewpoints. 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; 113 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
    Weasel Rx

    47 mi from the center point

  • Wildfire
    Mccully

    48 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 Register listings within 15 miles · 53 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Wallowa-Whitman National Forest?

2.5 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Wallowa-Whitman National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in?

The boundary crosses Oregon and Idaho.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Wallowa-Whitman National Forest?

55 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Anthony Lake, Anthony Lake Guard Station and Antlers Guard Station Cabin. 122 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 Wallowa-Whitman National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 173 recreation sites here, including 47 campground campgrounds, 24 trailheads and 16 backpackings. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Wallowa-Whitman National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 45.233, -117.472. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Wallowa-Whitman National Forest right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Weasel Rx at 47 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Wallowa-Whitman 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

Are there historic places near Wallowa-Whitman National Forest?

53 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Antlers Guard Station and Billy Meadows Guard Station.

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: Wallowa–Whitman 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.