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 desert, and sagebrush plateaus which range from about 4,200 to 5,600 feet in elevation. It’s also a landscape lacking trails and only rough, non-wilderness roads to gain access to open land. Hiking cross-country — without trails — requires a focus on landmarks, a compass or GPS assisted sense of direction, a good map and an interest in scrambling. The attractions are many: fields of lupine, stark bitterroot flowers, cougars, bighorn lambs, prairie falcons, and pronghorn antelope.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| State | Idaho |
| Size | 266,390 acres |
| Designated | 2009, by Congress |
| Center point | 42.20° N, 116.97° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 27) |
Boundary map
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
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.
Explore
Guidebooks for Idaho
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 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
How do I get to Owyhee River Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 42.202° N, 116.974° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
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.