Sky Lakes Wilderness
With a name like Sky Lakes, this Wilderness is obliged to deliver at least more than one impressive sapphire pool, and it does. In fact, it takes in three major lake (former glacial) basins as it stretches...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 113,571 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 42.6186, -122.2319 |
| 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.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 19 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
7 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.
Fire nearby
- WildfireWrights Spring
28 mi from the center point · 55,134 acres · 98% 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
- 0 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.
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?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Fourmile Lake Campground, 0.1 miles out. 19 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 Sky Lakes Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 trailhead. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Sky Lakes Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 42.619, -122.232. 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?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Wrights Spring at 28 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Sky Lakes 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 Sky Lakes Wilderness?
Crater Lake National Park (10 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.