USFS · Wilderness area · California, Oregon

Red Buttes Wilderness

Red Buttes Wilderness straddles the crest of the Siskiyou Mountains (i.e., the rugged Applegate River/Klamath River divide), but has far more acreage in California than in Oregon. The twin summits of Red...

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

Wilderness20,130 acresUSFSCAORDesignated 198414 campgrounds within 10 mi3 Forest Service sites
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Red Buttes Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
1fire
active
White Rock Rx (prescribed burn) · 44 mi from the center
Interagency incident data as of 2026-09-17
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StatesCalifornia, Oregon
Size20,130 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point41.9710, -123.2799
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9)

Boundary map

1 outline

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.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 14 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 1.8 mi
Bolan Mountain Lookout
Reservable1 site
FS · 1.9 mi
Bolan Lake Campground
First-come12 sites
FS · 4.1 mi
Fort Goff Campground
First-come5 sites
FS · 4.3 mi
Carberry Group Campground
Reservable1 site
FS · 4.4 mi
Watkins Campground
First-come14 sites
NPS · 4.8 mi
Cave Creek Campground
Reservable17 sites
FS · 5.8 mi
West Branch Campground
First-come10 sites
FS · 6 mi
Tipsu Tyee Campground
First-come5 sites
Show 4 more

2 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 3

The Forest Service lists 3 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 3 trailheads. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Prescribed
    White Rock Rx

    44 mi from the center point

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

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Monument & Preserve · 5 mi
Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve
National Register listings within 15 miles · 15 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Red Buttes Wilderness?

20,130 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Red Buttes Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Red Buttes Wilderness in?

The boundary crosses California and Oregon.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Red Buttes Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Red Buttes Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Bolan Mountain Lookout, 1.8 miles out. 14 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Red Buttes Wilderness?

The Forest Service lists 3 recreation sites here, including 3 trailheads. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Red Buttes Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 41.971, -123.280. Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve is 5 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Red Buttes Wilderness right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest White Rock Rx at 44 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Red Buttes Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 9 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Red Buttes Wilderness?

Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve (5 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

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.