Steens Mountain Wilderness
Located in Oregon’s high desert, Steens Mountain Wilderness is one of the crown jewels of the state's wildlands. Rising from 4,200 feet to 9,773 feet on Steens Mountain, it is some of the wildest and...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 170,202 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 2000, by Congress |
| Center point | 42.6023, -118.6984 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 19) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
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. 3 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Fire nearby
- WildfireJackass Butte
33 mi from the center point · 24,724 acres · 92% contained
- WildfireStubble
41 mi from the center point · 15,673 acres · 93% 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
- 2.7 miFrenchglen Hotel ↗Frenchglen, OR
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Steens Mountain Wilderness?
170,202 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Steens Mountain Wilderness?
The Bureau of Land Management.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Steens Mountain Wilderness in?
Oregon.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Steens Mountain Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2000.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Steens Mountain Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Page Springs Campground, 0.2 miles out. 3 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
How do I get to Steens Mountain Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 42.602, -118.698. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Steens Mountain Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Jackass Butte at 33 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Steens Mountain Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 19 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Steens Mountain Wilderness?
1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including Frenchglen Hotel.
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.
- 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.