USFS · Oregon

Menagerie Wilderness

Technical rock climbers travel substantial distances to test their skills on the series of weird rock pinnacles that dominates Menagerie Wilderness. Each is named after a different animal--Roosters Tail...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Menagerie Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateOregon
Size4,965 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point44.4173, -122.3153
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 7)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Menagerie Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°January: 7.90 inches of precipitationFebruary: 6.31 inches of precipitationMarch: 7.10 inches of precipitationApril: 6.27 inches of precipitationMay: 4.60 inches of precipitationJune: 3.09 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.61 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.88 inches of precipitationSeptember: 2.27 inches of precipitationOctober: 5.48 inches of precipitationNovember: 8.94 inches of precipitationDecember: 9.64 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 38.9°F averageFebruary: 41.3°F averageMarch: 43.9°F averageApril: 47.6°F averageMay: 53.5°F averageJune: 57.7°F averageJuly: 64.0°F averageAugust: 63.7°F averageSeptember: 58.9°F averageOctober: 50.6°F averageNovember: 42.8°F averageDecember: 38.2°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 in10 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Cascadia, 8 miles from the center point at 960 feet, station USC00351433 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 63 inches a year. The station sits about 1,700 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

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

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 9 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Show 1 more

3 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 5 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Trout Creek3.4
Rooster Rock1.5
Walton Ranch Interpretive0.3

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

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-18
  • Wildfire
    Austin

    46 mi from the center point · 12,866 acres · 98% contained

  • Wildfire
    Bench

    50 mi from the center point · 67,071 acres · 90% contained

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

National Register listings within 15 miles · 1 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Menagerie Wilderness?

4,965 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Menagerie Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Menagerie Wilderness in?

Oregon.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Menagerie Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Menagerie Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Yukwah Campground, 0.1 miles out. 9 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

How do I get to Menagerie Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 44.417, -122.315. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Menagerie Wilderness right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Austin at 46 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Menagerie Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 7 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Menagerie Wilderness?

1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including Short Bridge.

Source: Register Atlas

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.