Black Canyon Wilderness
Thickets of willow and brush line the banks of Black Canyon Creek, which drops from 6,483 feet to 2,850 feet as it drains the Black Canyon Wilderness easterly into the South Fork John Day River. Cliffs...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Oregon |
| Size | 13,090 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 44.3386, -119.6540 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14) |
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
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 5 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 3 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 2 trailheads, 1 backpacking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 3 miBlack Canyon West Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 4 miBoeing Field Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 1 miBlack Canyon Wilderness ↗Backpacking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
6 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 24 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Black Canyon ↗ | 11.6 | |
| South Prong ↗ | 5.5 | |
| Payten | 3.6 | |
| Kelsey | 1.7 | |
| Coffee Pot | 0.9 | |
| Owl Creek | 0.5 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- WildfireShingle
15 mi from the center point · 2,500 acres · 99% contained
- WildfireHenry
21 mi from the center point · 29,844 acres · 99% contained
- Wildfire0821
26 mi from the center point · 10 acres
- PrescribedTop Ranch Rx
41 mi from the center point
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
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Black Canyon Wilderness?
13,090 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Black Canyon Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Black Canyon Wilderness in?
Oregon.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Black Canyon Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Black Canyon Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Mud Springs Horse Camp, 0.8 miles out. 5 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
Where are the trailheads in Black Canyon Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 3 recreation sites here, including 2 trailheads and 1 backpacking. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Black Canyon Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.339, -119.654. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is 19 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Black Canyon Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Shingle at 15 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Black Canyon Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 14 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near Black Canyon Wilderness?
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (19 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
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.