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McKenzie
Travel Corridor
Three
Sisters Wilderness
Acres: 242,400
Elevation: 2,000' - 10,358'
Topography: Major peaks are: the North, Middle, and South Sisters
(all above 10,000'), along with Broken Top, the best example in the Pacific
Northwest of the effect of glaciation. Collier Glacier is the largest glacier
in Oregon. Other geologic features include Rock Mesa, Collier Cone, and
Yapoah Crater. Alpine meadows, waterfalls, lava fields, glaciers, and glacial
lakes are abundant. Fish populations include brook and rainbow trout.
Trails: There are approximately 260 miles of trail within the
wilderness. The Pacific Crest
National Scenic Trail traverses the wilderness for 40 miles. Most trails
entering the wilderness begin in dense forests of Douglas-fir on the western
slopes of the Cascades and ponderosa pine on the eastern slopes.
Vegetation: Forest in this Wilderness consists mainly of Douglas-fir,
silver fir, sub-alpine fir, mountain hemlock, western hemlock, true fir,
lodgepole pine, and ponderosa pine. Alpine meadows are abundant.
Access: Three Sisters Wilderness can be reached from the Willamette
Valley by the Old McKenzie Highway (State 242) and from Central Oregon
by the Cascade Lakes Highway (State 46) and by various forest roads (19,
2643, 1957, 1993). Many trailheads access the wilderness.
High-Use Areas: Green Lakes, Obsidian, Sunshine, Erma Bell Lakes,
South Sister Climbing Trail. Recreational use in Three Sisters Wilderness
is the highest of all wildernesses in the Willamette National Forest. Use
has doubled from 1982 to 1992.
Permits: Day and overnight visitors entering the wilderness
are required to obtain a permit between Memorial Day and October
31. They are free of charge and must be self-issued at trailheads.
Click
here for more information about wilderness permits.. Exception:
All visitors entering the Obsidian Limited Entry Area must obtain
a limited
entry permit from McKenzie
Ranger District (Willamette NF) or Sisters Ranger District (Deschutes
NF).
Contact Points: McKenzie
River, Middle Fork (Willamette NF), Sisters, and Bend (Deschutes
NF) Ranger Districts.
Special Area Regulations:
Area Name |
Limited Entry Area |
Designated Campsites |
Fire Ban |
Camping Setback |
Obsidian Area |
X |
|
X |
X |
N. Matthieu Lk |
|
X |
|
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S. Matthieu Lk |
|
X |
X |
|
Golden Lake |
|
|
X |
|
Husband/EileenLks |
|
|
X |
X |
Chambers Area |
|
|
X |
|
Green Lakes |
|
X |
X |
|
Moraine Lake |
|
X |
X |
|
Sisters Mirror Lake |
|
|
X |
|
Otter Lake |
|
X |
|
|
Irma Bells Lake |
|
X |
|
|
Linton Meadows |
|
|
|
X |
|
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