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 Buttes (highest elev. 6,739' a.s.l.) anchor the southern extreme of the area in California, where reddish peridotite rock, nudged up from a 425-million-year-old seafloor by plate shifts in the earth's crust, now supports unusual plant communities. The area's geology is ancient and very complex; some of the highest points were carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| States | California, Oregon |
| Size | 20,130 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 41.97° N, 123.28° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9) |
Boundary map
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.
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 12 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.
Trailheads and sites
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.
- 2 miMiddle Fork Natl Rec Trail - Frog Pond Trailhead ↗Trailhead · Spring
- 3 miCameron Meadows Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 7 miBoundary Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
15 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 82 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Boundary Trail ↗ | 15.2 | |
| Middle Fork ↗ | 13.1 | |
| Butte Fork ↗ | 9.2 | |
| Fort Goff ↗ | 9.1 | |
| Sucker Creek ↗ | 7.1 | |
| Boundary NRT ↗ | 6.5 | |
| Fir Glade ↗ | 5.6 | |
| Frog Pond/Cameron Meadows ↗ | 5 | |
| Steve Fork | 3.2 | |
| Tanner Lake | 3.2 |
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
- PrescribedSrf 2026 Rx Implementation
48 mi from the center point · 500 acres
- WildfireW Fork Evans Creek
48 mi from the center point · 283 acres · 75% contained
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
- 8.1 miCedar Guard Station No. 1019 ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 10.7 miLogan Wash Ditch ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 11 miAllen Gulch Townsite ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 11.2 miOsgood Ditch ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 11.2 miCameron Mine ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 11.2 miSt. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cemetery ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 11.4 miLogan Drain Ditches ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 11.7 miSquaw Peak Lookout ↗Jacksonville, OR
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for California
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 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?
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 Red Buttes Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 41.971° N, 123.280° W. 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?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Srf 2026 Rx Implementation at 48 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
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
Are there historic places near Red Buttes Wilderness?
The National Register has 15 listings within 15 miles, including Cedar Guard Station No. 1019 and Logan Wash Ditch.
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.