Red Buttes Wilderness
Red Buttes Wilderness straddles the crest of the Siskiyou Mountains (i.e., the rugged Applegate River/Klamath River divide), but has far more acreage in California than in Oregon. The twin summits of Red...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| States | California, Oregon |
| Size | 20,130 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 41.9710, -123.2799 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9) |
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. 14 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
2 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 3 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 3 trailheads. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miMiddle Fork Natl Rec Trail - Frog Pond Trailhead ↗Trailhead · Spring
- 3 miCameron Meadows Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 7 miBoundary Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
15 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 82 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Boundary Trail ↗ | 15.2 | |
| Middle Fork ↗ | 13.1 | |
| Butte Fork ↗ | 9.2 | |
| Fort Goff ↗ | 9.1 | |
| Sucker Creek ↗ | 7.1 | |
| Boundary NRT ↗ | 6.5 | |
| Fir Glade ↗ | 5.6 | |
| Frog Pond/Cameron Meadows ↗ | 5 | |
| Steve Fork | 3.2 | |
| Tanner Lake | 3.2 |
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
- PrescribedWhite Rock Rx
44 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
- 8.1 miCedar Guard Station No. 1019 ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 10.7 miLogan Wash Ditch ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 11 miAllen Gulch Townsite ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 11.2 miOsgood Ditch ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 11.2 miCameron Mine ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 11.2 miSt. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cemetery ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 11.4 miLogan Drain Ditches ↗Cave Junction, OR
- 11.7 miSquaw Peak Lookout ↗Jacksonville, OR
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Red Buttes Wilderness?
20,130 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Red Buttes Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Red Buttes Wilderness in?
The boundary crosses California and Oregon.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Red Buttes Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Red Buttes Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Bolan Mountain Lookout, 1.8 miles out. 14 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 Red Buttes Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 3 recreation sites here, including 3 trailheads. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Red Buttes Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 41.971, -123.280. Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve is 5 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Red Buttes Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest White Rock Rx at 44 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Red Buttes Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 9 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 Red Buttes Wilderness?
Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve (5 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.