Mount Thielsen Wilderness
Carved majestically by glacial activity and rising 9,182 feet to a spire-shaped summit referred to sometimes as the "Lightning Rod of the Cascades," Mount Thielsen anchors the southern portion of this Wilderness. To the south is Crater Lake National Park, and on the periphery is flat to moderately rolling country, which changes to very steep and sharply dissected ridges toward the crest of the Cascade Mountains. Timberline stands at about 7,200 feet, just above a forest of mountain hemlock and fir mixed with whitebark pine. Lodgepole pine dominates the vegetation lower down. Many streams carry a substantial amount of snowmelt in spring, giving rise to an abundance of early summer mosquitoes.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 55,127 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 43.21° N, 122.02° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10) |
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 16 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
4 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
14 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 141 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| North Umpqua ↗ | 66.6 | |
| Pacific Crest NST - Ump ↗ | 30 | |
| Howlock Mtn ↗ | 6.5 | |
| Howlock Mtn. XC-Ski ↗ | 6.5 | |
| Mt. Thielsen ↗ | 4.9 | |
| Mt. Thielsen XC-Ski ↗ | 4.9 | |
| Tolo Creek ↗ | 4.8 | |
| Maidu Lake Trail ↗ | 4.5 | |
| Tenas Peak | 4 | |
| Tipsoo | 3.1 |
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
- PrescribedRx Calf Nff 5 6 &7
8 mi from the center point
- PrescribedSting 6 Rx
12 mi from the center point · 42 acres
- PrescribedRx Cold Springs
16 mi from the center point · 158 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
- 13.6 miSinnott Memorial Building No. 67 ↗Fort Klamath, OR
- 13.6 miComfort Station No. 68 ↗Crater Lake, OR
- 13.6 miComfort Station No. 72 ↗Crater Lake, OR
- 13.6 miWatchman Lookout Station No. 68 ↗Crater Lake, OR
- 13.6 miCrater Lake Lodge ↗Klamath Falls, 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 Mount Thielsen Wilderness?
55,127 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mount Thielsen Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Mount Thielsen Wilderness in?
Oregon.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mount Thielsen Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mount Thielsen 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 Thielsen Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 43.211° N, 122.017° W. Crater Lake National Park is 11 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Mount Thielsen Wilderness right now?
3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx Calf Nff 5 6 &7 at 8 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Mount Thielsen Wilderness?
Crater Lake National Park (11 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Mount Thielsen Wilderness?
The National Register has 5 listings within 15 miles, including Sinnott Memorial Building No. 67 and Comfort Station No. 68.
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.