Devil's Staircase Wilderness
East of Reedsport, Oregon, the Devil's Staircase Wilderness comprises some of the last remaining old-growth forest in the Oregon Coast Range. Highly unstable soil and steep slopes here have prevented the area from being logged; in the 1970s the Forest Service determined much of the area was unsuitable for timber production. Today, this remnant Coast Range old-growth forest contains large Douglas-fir, cedar, and hemlock trees. This remote and inaccessible place truly meets the definition of wild–there are no trails here or designated access points.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 30,787 acres |
| Designated | 2019, by Congress |
| Center point | 43.72° N, 123.90° 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
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 4 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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 3.3 miUmpqua River Bridge No. 01822 ↗Reedsport, OR
- 8.7 mi
- 8.7 miUmpaqua River Light House ↗Winchester Bay, OR
- 9.1 miBrown, Henry, House ↗Elkton, OR
- 14.9 miBenedict, Edwin E., House ↗Florence, OR
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
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 Devil's Staircase Wilderness?
30,787 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Devil's Staircase Wilderness?
Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service share management. The Bureau of Land Management portion is the largest in the wilderness record.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Devil's Staircase Wilderness in?
Oregon.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Devil's Staircase Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2019.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Devil's Staircase 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 Devil's Staircase Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 43.717° N, 123.897° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Devil's Staircase Wilderness?
The National Register has 5 listings within 15 miles, including Umpqua River Bridge No. 01822 and Us Coast Guard Station--Umpqua River, Administration and Equipment Buildings.
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.
- 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.