Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
This high-country rugged Wilderness contains five of the seven major life zones in North America. Elevation ranges from about 4,000 feet to 9,038 feet atop Strawberry Mountain in the east-central portion. Glaciation hollowed out beds in U-shaped valleys that today hold seven alpine lakes. Large numbers of larch, the only conifer to lose its needles, turn to gold in fall, highlighting a forest of spruce, pine, and fir. Accenting the gold hues are wild strawberries that ripen to juicy redness in July, and mountain basins blooming with summer wildflowers. A native population of Rocky Mountain elk reside here with mule deer, antelope, black bears, cougars, mink, and beavers. Martens and hawks watch the wildlife action from on high.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 69,411 acres |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 44.30° N, 118.76° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13) |
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
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 10 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 day hiking, 1 horse camp. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miRoads End ↗Day hiking
- 6 miSlide Horse Camp ↗Horse camp
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
30 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 125 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Skyline ↗ | 16.9 | |
| Canyon Mountain ↗ | 15.3 | |
| Pine Creek ↗ | 12.4 | |
| East Fork Canyon Creek ↗ | 10.2 | |
| Indian Creek ↗ | 6.8 | |
| Onion Creek ↗ | 6.2 | |
| Table Mountain ↗ | 6.2 | |
| Joaquin Miller ↗ | 6 | |
| Big Creek ↗ | 5.4 | |
| Strawberry Basin ↗ | 5.1 |
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
- PrescribedBlue Mt Pile Burning Rx
13 mi from the center point · 458 acres
- PrescribedWolf A Rx
13 mi from the center point · 1,620 acres
- PrescribedSummit Rx
14 mi from the center point · 1,386 acres
- PrescribedElk 16 Rx
19 mi from the center point · 544 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
- 2.1 miSt. Thomas' Episcopal Church ↗Canyon City, OR
- 3.6 miSupervisor's House No. 1001 ↗John Day, OR
- 4 miAdvent Christian Church ↗John Day, OR
- 4.3 miJohn Day Compound, Supervisor's Warehouse ↗John Day, OR
- 6.7 miSumpter Valley Railway Passenger Station ↗Prairie City, 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 Strawberry Mountain Wilderness?
69,411 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Strawberry Mountain Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Strawberry Mountain Wilderness in?
Oregon.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Strawberry Mountain Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Strawberry Mountain 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 Strawberry Mountain Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.300° N, 118.759° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Strawberry Mountain Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Blue Mt Pile Burning Rx at 13 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Strawberry Mountain Wilderness?
The National Register has 5 listings within 15 miles, including St. Thomas' Episcopal Church and Supervisor's House No. 1001.
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.