BLM · Wilderness area · Idaho

Owyhee River Wilderness

The Owyhee River Wilderness is centered on the Owyhee River and its tributaries, in the southwest part of Idaho near the Oregon border. It is a land defined by rivers, cutting steep canyons out of high...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Owyhee River Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateIdaho
Size266,390 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated2009, by Congress
Center point42.2019, -116.9744
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 27)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Owyhee River Wilderness?

266,390 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Owyhee River Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Owyhee River Wilderness in?

Idaho.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Owyhee River Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 2009.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Owyhee River Wilderness?

No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How do I get to Owyhee River Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 42.202, -116.974. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Owyhee River Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 27 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

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.