Mount Jefferson Wilderness
Five glaciers mantle the slopes of stately Mount Jefferson, the dominant feature in this region of the High Cascades: Whitewater, Waldo, Milk Creek, Russell, and Jefferson Park. At 10,497 feet, Mount Jefferson challenges hikers with the steepest, most difficult climb of Oregon's high summits. The southern portion of the area rests beneath 7,841-foot Three Fingered Jack. The vast Warm Springs Indian Reservation shares a long northeastern border. Most of the high country of this Wilderness is wide open, almost like a park, with scattered tree cover, long talus slopes, rocky outcroppings, alpine meadows, and year-round patches of snow.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 109,098 acres |
| Designated | 1968, by Congress |
| Center point | 44.59° N, 121.83° 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
None of the 45 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.
Show 4 moreHide
33 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 day hiking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 9 mi
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
53 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 225 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Crest Trail - Wif4 ↗ | 48.4 | |
| Old Summit ↗ | 10.8 | |
| Blue Lake ↗ | 9.6 | |
| Jefferson Lake ↗ | 9.2 | |
| Cabot Lake ↗ | 8.9 | |
| Hunts Creek ↗ | 6.8 | |
| Lake of the Woods ↗ | 6.7 | |
| Outer Mountain View Loop ↗ | 6.5 | |
| Triangulation ↗ | 6.3 | |
| South Breitenbush ↗ | 6.1 |
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
- PrescribedTriple Butte Rx
21 mi from the center point · 40 acres
- PrescribedSlow Dxp/Lemiti Piles Rx - West
23 mi from the center point
- PrescribedSpike Timber Sale Piles Rx - West
25 mi from the center point
- WildfireAustin
30 mi from the center point · 12,888 acres · 98% 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
- 0.5 miSantiam Pass Ski Lodge ↗Sisters, OR
- 1.3 miIndependence Prairie Ranger Station ↗Marion Forks, OR
- 1.8 miMarion Forks Guard Station ↗Marion Forks, OR
- 3.1 miOlallie Lake Guard Station ↗Estacada, OR
- 5.7 miOlallie Meadows Guard Station ↗Estacada, OR
- 8.5 miCamp Sherman Community Hall ↗Camp Sherman, 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 Mount Jefferson Wilderness?
109,098 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mount Jefferson Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Mount Jefferson Wilderness in?
Oregon.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mount Jefferson Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1968.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mount Jefferson 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 Mount Jefferson Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.591° N, 121.835° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Mount Jefferson Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Triple Butte Rx at 21 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Mount Jefferson Wilderness?
The National Register has 6 listings within 15 miles, including Santiam Pass Ski Lodge and Independence Prairie Ranger Station.
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.