USFS · Oregon

Monument Rock Wilderness

In the southern Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon, Monument Rock, Bullrun Rock, and Table Rock tower over the many streams that form the headwaters of the Little Malheur River and the upper drainages of...

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

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Monument Rock Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateOregon
Size20,210 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1984, by Congress
Center point44.3135, -118.3133
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Monument Rock Wilderness20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.56 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.74 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.92 inches of precipitationApril: 1.66 inches of precipitationMay: 1.84 inches of precipitationJune: 1.62 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.69 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.71 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.79 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.25 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.66 inches of precipitationDecember: 3.32 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 24.8°F averageFebruary: 29.0°F averageMarch: 34.7°F averageApril: 40.4°F averageMay: 47.9°F averageJune: 54.9°F averageJuly: 63.3°F averageAugust: 62.4°F averageSeptember: 54.1°F averageOctober: 43.3°F averageNovember: 32.1°F averageDecember: 24.8°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Austin 3 S, 20 miles from the center point at 4,213 feet, station USC00350356 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 21 inches a year. The station sits about 2,500 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. 6 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

Forest Service directory · 1

The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 trailhead. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

2 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 12 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Little Malheur10.2
Table Rock2.1

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
    Salmon

    30 mi from the center point · 1,433 acres · 95% contained

  • Wildfire
    Mccully

    36 mi from the center point · 13,604 acres · 91% 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 Monument Rock Wilderness?

20,210 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Monument Rock Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Monument Rock Wilderness in?

Oregon.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Monument Rock Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1984.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Monument Rock Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Middle Fork Campground, 0.6 miles out. 6 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 Monument Rock Wilderness?

The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 trailhead. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Monument Rock Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 44.313, -118.313. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Monument Rock Wilderness right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Salmon at 30 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Monument Rock 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

Are there historic places near Monument Rock Wilderness?

1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including Unity Ranger Station.

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.