Sky Lakes Wilderness
With a name like Sky Lakes, this Wilderness is obliged to deliver at least two impressive sapphire pool, and it does. In fact, it takes in three major lake (former glacial) basins as it stretches along the crest of the volcanic Cascade Mountains from the border of Crater Lake National Park on the north to State Highway 140 in the south: Seven Lakes, Sky Lakes, and Blue Canyon basins. All of southern Oregon seems to lay at your feet when viewed from the rugged summit of the beautiful volcano Mount McLoughlin (elev. = 9,495 feet a.s.l.), and then extends out northward into Sky Lakes' broad plateau-like ridges, dotted with many of the Wilderness's lakes.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 113,571 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 42.62° N, 122.23° 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 14 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.
Show 4 moreHide
2 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 trailhead. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 7 miBlue Canyon Trailhead ↗Trailhead · June to October
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
42 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 163 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| PCT: RRS-FW Sky Lakes N ↗ | 17.9 | |
| Pacific Crest Trail ↗ | 15.8 | |
| Middle Fork ↗ | 13.1 | |
| Willow Prairie East Loop ↗ | 8.2 | |
| Snow Lakes ↗ | 6.5 | |
| Alta Lake ↗ | 6.3 | |
| McKie Camp ↗ | 5.9 | |
| Pacific Crest Trail ↗ | 5.7 | |
| Seven Lakes ↗ | 5.5 | |
| Blue Canyon ↗ | 5.4 |
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
- PrescribedRx Long Prairie
37 mi from the center point · 112 acres
- WildfireW Fork Evans Creek
40 mi from the center point · 283 acres · 75% contained
- PrescribedRx Calf Nff 5 6 &7
44 mi from the center point
- PrescribedRx Cold Springs
48 mi from the center point · 158 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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 miHoneymoon Creek Snow--Survey Cabin ↗Ashland, OR
- 0.7 miFish Lake Shelter ↗Ashland, OR
- 2 miImnaha Guard Station ↗Butte Falls, OR
- 2.3 miParker Meadows Shelter ↗Butte Falls, OR
- 2.5 miWillow Prairie Cabin ↗Butte Falls, OR
- 2.9 miLake of the Woods Ranger Station--Work Center ↗Klamath Falls, OR
- 3.4 miBig Elk Guard Station ↗Ashland, OR
- 3.9 miLodgepole Guard Station ↗Butte Falls, OR
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Oregon
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 Sky Lakes Wilderness?
113,571 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Sky Lakes Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Sky Lakes Wilderness in?
Oregon.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Sky Lakes Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Sky Lakes 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 Sky Lakes Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 42.619° N, 122.232° W. Crater Lake National Park is 10 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Sky Lakes Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx Long Prairie at 37 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Sky Lakes Wilderness?
Crater Lake National Park (10 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Sky Lakes Wilderness?
The National Register has 20 listings within 15 miles, including Honeymoon Creek Snow--Survey Cabin and Fish Lake Shelter.
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.