Oregon wildfires close these popular camping, hiking spots in Cascade Mountains
Oregon’s wildfire season has been busy this year, with 38 large active wildfires burning in just about every corner of the state.
While evacuations and smoky skies are the biggest concern, it also means the closure of large tracts of public lands popular for hiking and camping.
Here’s a breakdown of recreation closures in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains — from the Columbia Gorge into southern Oregon and including some of the state’s most popular recreation sites.
Multiple agencies were working to put out the Slate Fire burning near Detroit Lake.
Whiskey Creek and Microwave Tower fires bring closures to northern cascades
The 856-acre Whisky Creek fire has caused closures of national forest lands inside the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness, east of the Pacific Crest Trail and within Mount Hood National Forest — including the following recreation areas:
Herman Creek Campground & Trailhead
Indian Springs Trailhead
Mt. Defiance South Trailhead
Rainy Lake Campground & Trailhead
Wahtum Lake Campground & Trailhead
Warren Lake Trailhead
A map shows closures for the Whiskey Creek Fire.
The 762-acre Microwave Tower in Wasco County has closed down the East and West Hatfield Trailheads which connect Hood River and Moiser.
A map shows evacuations and closures for the Microwave Tower Fire.
Slate, Pyramid and Ore fires bring closures to Old Cascades
The 45-acre Slate and 856-acre Pyramid fires have brought closures in the Santiam Junction area, including the popular Old Cascades hiking and camping area around the Middle Santiam Wilderness.
Closures include the following national forest trails, campgrounds and recreation sites:
Big Springs Snow Park
Bridge to Nowhere Trailhead
Chimney Peak Trailhead
Crescent Mountain Trailhead
Daly Lake Campgroud
Gordan Peak Trailhead
Maxwell Butte Snow Park
McQuade Creek Trailhead
North Pyramid Trailhead
Parish Lake Trailhead
Pyramids Trailhead
Pyramids bypass loop
Riggs Lake Trailhead
Scar Mountain Trailhead
South Pyramid Creek Trailhead
South Pyramid Horse Camp Campground
Swamp Peak Trailhead
Closures in the Willamette National Forest due to Slate and Pyramid fires.
Closures for the 1,223-acre Ore Fire fall within the Willamette National Forest, state, Lane and Linn County boundaries.
Closed campground and recreational sites due to the Ore fire include:
Closures due to Ore Fire.
Fires in the Oakridge lightning, Homestead and Diamond complexes bring closures to the southern Cascades
The seven fires, totaling 5,027 acres, which make up the Oakridge Lightning Complex, have brought temporary road barricades near High Prairie and Chalk Mountain as well as the following closures:
Closures for the tire Mountain Fire.
Twenty-four fires, totaling 4,166 acres, make up the Diamond Complex. The seven fires of the Homestead Complex have burned 1,179 acres. The two complexes have brought the following closures to the Umpqua National Forest:
Diamond Lake
Thielsen View
Broken Arrow Campgrounds
Castle Creek Trailhead
Skimmerhorn Trailhead
Fish Lake Trailhead
Beaver Swamp Trailhead
Acker Divide Trailhead
Homestead Complex Fire map.
A map of the Diamond Complex Fire.
Elliott Deins is an outdoors journalism intern for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon wildfires: Camping, hiking closed in Cascade Mountain spots
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