Post Fire Recreation ~ Mt. Jefferson Wilderness

Many popular areas were burned in the fire which affects visitors' experience and use of the area.

• Safety concerns still remain in the areas burned by the fire.
• Impacts on use and future management
  Monitoring is underway to track recreation-related conditions in this area to protect the wilderness values

Wonder what your favorite area is like now? Take a Tour to see a 360 degree panorama of the B&B Post Fire area as well as photos and aerial photos of several spots.

Post Fire Safety

The 2003 Booth & Bear wildfire along with the 2006 Puzzle Fire created numerous hazards for people recreating in the burned over areas of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness.

Hazards will continue for many years as burned trees continue to deteriorate. Safety Tips for traveling in burned areas.

The pictures and captions below show some of the hazards.

Please Note: The information we have here is for the portion of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness on the west side of the crest of the Cascades (within the Willamette National Forest). The portion of the Wilderness on the east side of the crest is in the Deschutes National Forest. Post fire conditions on the drier, east side can be different from the west side.

Contact Detroit Ranger District for more information on west side conditions
503-854-3366

Contact the Deschutes National Forest for information on east side conditions
541-383-5300

Numerous hazard trees have been left in a very precarious position and can fall at anytime.

Numerous log bridges have been destroyed or damaged creating unsafe crossings

Impacts on Use

Many popular areas were burned in the B&B Fire, including parts of the Eight Lakes Basin, around Three Fingered Jack, and the southern portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. The fire burned some areas completely and left other areas virtually untouched.

The Puzzle Fire affected the Marion Lake Basin including the Lake of the Woods area.

Many visitors may experience a change in the character of their favorite locations. Some people may find that their favorite place to camp has been burned, while other people may appreciate the opportunity to examine a landscape following a natural fire.

Nearby unburned areas may get additional use as a result of people seeking out greener territory. Regardless of exactly how, the fire affects many visitors’ experiences and activity within the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness.

Surveys & Monitoring

Since this area is visited by so many people, the Forest Service is interested in finding out how visitors’ use of the area has changed, what impacts to wilderness values might result from these changes, and what can be done to prevent any negative changes. The results of this study will be used for the development of a monitoring plan to track recreation-related conditions within the burned portion of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness.

In Summer 2005, a study was conducted within the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness to inventory the ecological and social conditions following the fire for later use in an ongoing monitoring plan.

This is a graduate project conducted through Oregon State University in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, Detroit Ranger District, with the help of students in the Service Learning Program at the University of Oregon.

Funding for this project has been provided through a grant from the National Forest Foundation, designed to assist projects that advance wilderness stewardship as laid out by the Chief’s Wilderness Stewardship Challenge. This grant was obtained through a partnership with the Northwest Youth Corps.

What's Next?

The results of the study started in Summer 2005 is being used to develop a monitoring plan to track recreation-related conditions within the burned portion of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. This plan will be used to guide future management of the impacted area.