Black Canyon Wilderness
Thickets of willow and brush line the banks of Black Canyon Creek, which drops from 6,483 feet to 2,850 feet as it drains the Black Canyon Wilderness easterly into the South Fork John Day River. Cliffs line the creek's winding lower gorge. North-south ridges and steep side slopes along the waterway defer to rolling and then flat benches on the Wilderness edges. Dry sagebrush covers these exposed ridge tops as well as the lowlands, with a dense forest of mixed conifers (fir and pine), including park-like stands of ponderosa pine, flourishing in between. Elk and deer graze openly year-round, with black bears, coyotes, and mountain lions spotted less often. If you visit in summer, beware the danger of rattlesnakes.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 13,090 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 44.34° N, 119.65° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14) |
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
None of the 5 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 3 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 2 trailheads, 1 backpacking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 3 miBlack Canyon West Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 4 miBoeing Field Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 1 miBlack Canyon Wilderness ↗Backpacking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
6 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 24 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Black Canyon ↗ | 11.6 | |
| South Prong ↗ | 5.5 | |
| Payten | 3.6 | |
| Kelsey | 1.7 | |
| Coffee Pot | 0.9 | |
| Owl Creek | 0.5 |
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
- PrescribedStarr 33 Rx
26 mi from the center point · 347 acres
- PrescribedBlue Mt Pile Burning Rx
35 mi from the center point · 458 acres
- PrescribedWolf A Rx
49 mi from the center point · 1,620 acres
- PrescribedJane 102 Rx
49 mi from the center point · 3,000 acres
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
Guidebooks for Oregon
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Black Canyon Wilderness?
13,090 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Black Canyon Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Black Canyon Wilderness in?
Oregon.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Black Canyon Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Black Canyon 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 Black Canyon Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.339° N, 119.654° W. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is 19 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Black Canyon Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Starr 33 Rx at 26 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Black Canyon Wilderness?
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (19 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
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.