Ochoco National Forest
| Ochoco National Forest | |
|---|---|
 Steins Pillar (Known as the “Big One” around the area) | |
  | |
| Location | Crook / Harney / Wheeler / Grant counties, Oregon, USA |
| Nearest city | Mitchell, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 44°22′35″N 120°07′00″W / 44.37639°N 120.11667°W |
| Area | 851,033 acres (3,444.01 km2)[1] |
| Established | July 1, 1911[2] |
| Visitors | 575,000[3] (in 2006) |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Ochoco National Forest |
The Ochoco National Forest is located in the Ochoco Mountains in Central Oregon in the United States, north and east of the city of Prineville, location of the national forest headquarters. It encompasses 850,000 acres (3,440 km2) of rimrock, canyons, geologic oddities, dense pine forests, and high desert terrain, as well as the headwaters of the North Fork Crooked River. A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the forest was 95,000 acres (38,000 ha).[4]
In descending order of forestland area, it occupies lands within Crook, Harney, Wheeler, and Grant counties. The national forest also administers the Crooked River National Grassland, which is in Jefferson County.
Wilderness
[edit]The forest contains three wilderness areas comprising 36,200 acres (146 km2):
- Mill Creek Wilderness at 17,400 acres (70 km2)
- Bridge Creek Wilderness at 5,400 acres (22 km2)
- Black Canyon Wilderness at 13,400 acres (54 km2)
Administration
[edit]The land is divided into three ranger districts:[5]
- Lookout Mountain Ranger District
- Paulina Ranger District
- Crooked River Grasslands District
The Lookout Mountain and Paulina districts are located in Prineville while the Crooked River Grasslands are administered from office in Madras.[5]
The former Snow Mountain Ranger District is now administered by the Malheur National Forest, as part of the Emigrant Creek Ranger District.[6]
Ecology
[edit]The Ochoco mountains are home to numerous species of interest to the Oregon Conservation Strategy under the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife including the Pacific Marten, Ferruginous Hawk, Greater Sage Grouse, Wolverine, and Piliated Woodpecker.[7]
Due to sections of the forest representing winter range for mule deer and elk, sections of the forest prohibit the use of motorized vehicles from December through May.[8]
Recreation
[edit]Popular recreational activities in the Ochoco National Forest include hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, horseback riding, stargazing, birding, rock hounding, kayaking, and rock climbing.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
- ^ "The National Forests of the United States" (PDF). ForestHistory.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 28, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
- ^ Revised Visitation Estimates (PDF) - U.S. Forest Service
- ^ Bolsinger, Charles L.; Waddell, Karen L. (1993), Area of old-growth forests in California, Oregon, and Washington (PDF), United States Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Resource Bulletin PNW-RB-197
- ^ a b "Ochoco National Forest Offices". US Forest Service. February 3, 2025.
- ^ "About the Forest". US Forest Service. February 3, 2025.
- ^ "Ochoco Mountains – Oregon Conservation Strategy". www.oregonconservationstrategy.org. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
- ^ "Winter Range Closures". US Forest Service. February 3, 2025.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Ochoco National Forest at Wikimedia Commons
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- Ochoco National Forest
- Protected areas of Crook County, Oregon
- Protected areas of Grant County, Oregon
- National forests of Oregon
- Protected areas of Wheeler County, Oregon
- 1911 establishments in Oregon
- Protected areas established in 1911
- Oregon placenames of Native American origin
- Oregon geography stubs
- Western United States protected area stubs