BLM OREGON - WASHINGTON WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS
The BLM manages 85 WSAs in Oregon (over 2.6 million acres) and one WSA in Washington (5,700 acres). Congress, through the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, extended wilderness inventory, study, and management authority to the BLM and mandated that the BLM conduct wilderness inventories of its lands. Those lands found to possess wilderness values are to be managed to protect those values until such time as Congress either designates them as wilderness or releases them from further wilderness consideration.
Featured Wilderness Study Area: Steelhead Falls Wilderness Study Area
The long narrow canyon that surrounds the Deschutes River in the Steelhead Falls area pulls visitors away from nearby human influences and places them in a spectacular steep-sloped channel of unique character. Noise from human infrastructure is masked by the roar of the river at the falls, and hikers become entranced by the colors of the stream-side vegetation and the textured reds and browns of the cliff walls. The Steelhead Falls Wilderness Study Area is a 3,240-acre area along the west side of Crooked River Ranch. This segment of the Deschutes River is designated “scenic” under the Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
BLM Oregon - Washington Wilderness Study Areas
A complete list of the BLM OREGON - WASHINGTON wilderness study areas is below
- Malheur River-Bluebucket Creek
- Stonehouse
- Lower Stonehouse
- Wildcat Canyon
- Heath Lake
- Table Mountain
- West Peak
- Alvord Desert
- East Alvord
- Winter Range
- Mahogany Ridge
- Red Mountain
- Pueblo Mountains
- Rincon
- Basque Hills
- High Steens
- South Fork Donner und Blitzen
- Home Creek
- Blitzen River
- Bridge Creek
- Sheepshead Mountain
- Devil Garden Lava Bed
- Squaw Ridge Lava Bed
- Four Craters Lava Bed
- Sand Dunes
- Diablo Mountain
- Orejana Canyon
- Abert Rim
- Fish Creek Rim
- Guano Creek
- Spaulding
- Hawk Mountain
- Sage Hen Hills
- Mountain Lakes
- Strawberry Mountain - Pine Creek
- Strawberry Mountain - Sheep Gulch
- Strawberry Mountain - Indian Creek
- Aldrich Mountain
- Thirtymile
- Lower John Day
- North Pole Ridge
- Deschutes Canyon/Steelhead Falls
- North Fork
- South Fork
- Sand Hollow
- Gerry Mountain
- Hampton Butte
- Cougar Well
- Pat’s Cabin
- Sutton Mountain
- Castle Rock
- Beaver Dam Creek
- Camp Creek
- Cottonwood Creek
- Gold Creek
- Sperry Creek
- Cedar Mountain
- Dry Creek
- Dry Creek Buttes
- Owyhee Breaks
- Blue Canyon
- Upper Leslie Gulch
- Slocum Creek
- Honeycombs
- Wild Horse Basin
- Lower Owyhee Canyon
- Saddle Butte
- Palomino Hills
- Bowden Hills
- Clarks Butte
- Jordan Craters
- Willow Creek
- Disaster Peak
- Fifteenmile Creek
- Oregon Canyon
- Twelvemile Creek
- Upper West Little Owyhee
- Lookout Butte
- Owyhee River Canyon
- McGraw Creek
- Homestead
- Sheep Mountain
- Chopaka Mountain