Badger Creek Wilderness
For the most commanding view of the Cascades and the high desert country to the east, you'll have to hike up Lookout Mountain, the highest point in the area at 6,525 feet. The mountain itself and the high ridgeland extending east feature a subalpine ecosystem, with hardy trees and rocky terrain. Then, farther east in the Wilderness, where the climate is warm and dry, you'll find a forest of ponderosa pines and extensive growths of Oregon white oak and grasslands. Three creeks–Badger, Little Badger, and Tygh–drain Badger Creek Wilderness, where slope inclines range from 30 to 70 degrees. Rocks chiseled smooth by glaciers distinguish the upper reaches of Badger Creek, and mountain hemlock dominates all three streams.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 28,915 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 45.31° N, 121.48° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9) |
Boundary map
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.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
2 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 22 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
12 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 campground, 1 trailhead. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 6 miBadger Creek Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 6 miBonney Crossing Campground ↗Campground
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
14 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 60 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Badger Creek ↗ | 12.2 | |
| Divide ↗ | 7.7 | |
| Little Badger ↗ | 7.6 | |
| Tygh Creek ↗ | 6.6 | |
| Bonney Meadows ↗ | 5.4 | |
| Gumjuwac ↗ | 4.5 | |
| School Canyon | 3.4 | |
| Badger Creek Cutoff | 3 | |
| Post Camp | 2.7 | |
| High Prairie | 2.2 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- WildfireGrasshopper
4 mi from the center point · 93,972 acres · 98% contained
- PrescribedWard Pile Rx - East
7 mi from the center point · 29 acres
- PrescribedCamp Cody Rx - East
8 mi from the center point · 32 acres
- PrescribedBronco Piles Rx East
18 mi from the center point
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
- 4.1 miSilcox Hut ↗Timberline Lodge, OR
- 6.6 miCloud Cap Inn ↗Mt. Hood, OR
- 8.5 miUpper Sandy Guard Station Cabin ↗Government Camp, OR
- 11.9 miParkdale Ranger Station ↗Parkdale, OR
- 11.9 miRies--Thompson House ↗Parkdale, OR
- 12 miValley Theater ↗Parkdale, OR
- 12.7 miMt. Hood School House ↗Mt. Hood, OR
- 12.9 mi
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Oregon
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Badger Creek Wilderness?
28,915 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Badger Creek Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Badger Creek Wilderness in?
Oregon.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Badger Creek Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Badger Creek Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Badger Creek Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 45.306° N, 121.485° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Badger Creek Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Grasshopper at 4 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Badger Creek Wilderness?
The National Register has 10 listings within 15 miles, including Silcox Hut and Cloud Cap Inn.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- 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.