Pole Creek Wilderness
The landscape within the Pole Creek Wilderness, in the southwest part of Idaho near the Oregon border, is diverse, ranging from river canyons over a thousand feet deep to vast expanses of sagebrush and grassland plateaus. This ecosystem provides habitat for sage grouse, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, songbirds, raptors, and numerous rare plant species. The river canyons in Owyhee County have been called the largest concentration of sheer-walled volcanic rhyolite and basalt canyons in the western United States. Elevations within the Wilderness boundaries range from 5,200 to 5,700 feet and many of the canyons are more than 1,000 feet deep, nearly twice as deep as the Washington Monument is tall.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| State | Idaho |
| Size | 12,556 acres |
| Designated | 2009, by Congress |
| Center point | 42.54° N, 116.58° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24) |
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.
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
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.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRx Bosh Piles
23 mi from the center point · 121 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.
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Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Pole Creek Wilderness?
12,556 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Pole Creek Wilderness?
The Bureau of Land Management.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Pole Creek Wilderness in?
Idaho.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Pole Creek Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2009.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Pole Creek Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 42.542° N, 116.575° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Pole Creek Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx Bosh Piles at 23 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
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.