USFS · Oregon

Strawberry Mountain Wilderness

This high-country rugged Wilderness contains five of the seven major life zones in North America. Glaciation hollowed out beds in U-shaped valleys that today hold seven alpine lakes. Elevation ranges...

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

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateOregon
Size69,411 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1964, by Congress
Center point44.3005, -118.7587
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13)

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 Strawberry Mountain Wilderness20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.09 inches of precipitation, 3.5 inches of snowFebruary: 0.60 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowMarch: 1.14 inches of precipitation, 1.2 inches of snowApril: 1.49 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowMay: 1.83 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 1.30 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.43 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.50 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.52 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.04 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowNovember: 1.19 inches of precipitation, 1.0 inches of snowDecember: 1.14 inches of precipitation, 2.0 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.8°F averageFebruary: 33.7°F averageMarch: 38.9°F averageApril: 43.8°F averageMay: 51.8°F averageJune: 58.6°F averageJuly: 67.0°F averageAugust: 65.9°F averageSeptember: 57.9°F averageOctober: 46.7°F averageNovember: 36.6°F averageDecember: 29.9°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at John Day, 13 miles from the center point at 3,063 feet, station USC00354291 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 12 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 10 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 3,900 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 →

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 29 more 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 more

18 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 2

The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 day hiking, 1 horse camp. 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.

30 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 125 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.

TrailMiles
Skyline16.9
Canyon Mountain15.3
Pine Creek12.4
East Fork Canyon Creek10.2
Indian Creek6.8
Onion Creek6.2
Table Mountain6.2
Joaquin Miller6
Big Creek5.4
Strawberry Basin5.1

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

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

  • Wildfire
    Mccully

    43 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 · 5 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Strawberry Mountain Wilderness?

69,411 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Strawberry Mountain Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Strawberry Mountain Wilderness in?

Oregon.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Strawberry Mountain Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1964.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Strawberry Mountain Wilderness?

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary, including Slide Horse Camp. 30 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 Strawberry Mountain Wilderness?

The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites here, including 1 day hiking and 1 horse campground. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Strawberry Mountain Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 44.300, -118.759. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Strawberry Mountain Wilderness right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Salmon at 31 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Strawberry Mountain Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 13 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 Strawberry Mountain Wilderness?

5 National Register listings within 15 miles, including St. Thomas' Episcopal Church and Supervisor's House No. 1001.

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.