Willamette National Forest

Spanning 1.68 million acres of Oregon's western Cascades from Mount Jefferson to the Three Sisters, Willamette protects some of the most magnificent old-growth temperate rainforest remaining in the Pacific Northwest, with massive Douglas fir, western red cedar, and western hemlock trees reaching ages of 500 to 1,000 years. Seven wilderness areas spanning over 380,000 acres include the Three Sisters, Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, Diamond Peak, and Waldo Lake wilderness areas. The H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest has been a globally significant center for forest ecology research since 1948.\n\nRecreation highlights include the McKenzie River Trail, a 26-mile singletrack consistently rated among the top mountain biking trails in the world. Natural hot springs at Bagby, Terwilliger (Cougar), and McCredie draw thousands of visitors. Waldo Lake -- one of the purest lakes in the world -- offers exceptional paddling.\n\nThe forest is a critical watershed providing drinking water for Eugene-Springfield and other Willamette Valley communities, while supporting threatened northern spotted owls and salmon runs on rivers including the McKenzie and Middle Fork Willamette.