Copper Salmon Wilderness
The Copper Salmon Wilderness is tucked away in the northwest corner of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, 11 miles east of Port Orford on the Elk River, and includes the North and South Forks of Elk River and the upper Middle Fork of Sixes River. The area contains one of the nation's largest remaining stands of low-elevation old-growth forest, and in the north Fork of the Elk, one of the healthiest salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout runs in the continental United States. Its forests feature Douglas fir trees as large as 10 feet in diameter and up to 300 feet in height, and large disease-free stands of Port-Orford cedar.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 13,724 acres |
| Designated | 2009, by Congress |
| Center point | 42.73° N, 124.19° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 7) |
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 12 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 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 beachcombing. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miLaird Lake ↗Beachcombing
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 4 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Barklow Mountain | 4 |
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 11.4 miPort Orford City Jail ↗Port Orford, OR
- 11.5 miLindberg, Peter John, House ↗Port Orford, OR
- 12.1 miSixes Hotel ↗Sixes, OR
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 Copper Salmon Wilderness?
13,724 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Copper Salmon Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Copper Salmon Wilderness in?
Oregon.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Copper Salmon Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2009.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Copper Salmon 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 Copper Salmon Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 42.732° N, 124.188° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Copper Salmon Wilderness?
The National Register has 3 listings within 15 miles, including Port Orford City Jail and Lindberg, Peter John, House.
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.