Badger Creek Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The Badger Creek Wilderness is a 29057 acres (11,759 ha) wilderness area located east of Mount Hood
in the northwestern Cascades of Oregon
, United States
. It is one of six designated wilderness areas in the Mount Hood National Forest
; the others being Mark O. Hatfield
, Salmon-Huckleberry
, Mount Hood
, Mount Jefferson
, and Bull of the Woods
.
Three creeks drain the Wilderness - Badger, Little Badger, and Tygh.
It's a also located in Idaho where it is available for girls camp.
ecosystem, with hardy trees and rocky terrain. Penstemon
, Indian paintbrush
, yellow avalanch lilies
, and stonecrop are common in the area. Farther east in the Wilderness the climate is warm and dry, where ponderosa pine
forest and extensive growths of Oregon white oak and grasslands are common. Larkspur
, shooting star
, lupine
, balsamroot, death camas
, and purple onion
can be found in the area.
, camping
, wildlife watching, cross-country skiing
, and horseback riding. There are approximately 55 miles (88.5 km) of developed trails in the Wilderness. These trails lead to Lookout Mountain, Flag Point fire lookout, Badger Lake, and along Badger, Little Badger, and Tygh Creeks. There are several primitive campsites in the wilderness.
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
in the northwestern Cascades of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is one of six designated wilderness areas in the Mount Hood National Forest
Mount Hood National Forest
The Mount Hood National Forest is located east of the city of Portland, Oregon, and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes...
; the others being Mark O. Hatfield
Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness
The Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness is a wilderness area located on the northern side of Mount Hood in the northwestern Cascades of the U.S. state of Oregon, near the Columbia River Gorge and within Mount Hood National Forest...
, Salmon-Huckleberry
Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness
The Salmon–Huckleberry Wilderness is a wilderness area located on the southern side of Mount Hood in the northwestern Cascades of Oregon, United States. It lies within the Mount Hood National Forest and comprises of land...
, Mount Hood
Mount Hood Wilderness
The Mount Hood Wilderness is a protected wilderness area inside the Mount Hood National Forest which is located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The area, covering , includes the peak of Mount Hood and its upper slopes, and ranges from temperate rain forests at the lower elevations, to glaciers and...
, Mount Jefferson
Mount Jefferson Wilderness
The Mount Jefferson Wilderness is a wilderness area located on and around Mount Jefferson in the central Cascade Range of Oregon in the United States. It is situated where the Willamette, Deschutes, and Mount Hood National Forests meet...
, and Bull of the Woods
Bull of the Woods Wilderness
The Bull of the Woods Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Mount Hood National Forest in the northwestern Cascades of Oregon, United States. It was created in 1984 and consists of including prime low-elevation old growth forest, about a dozen lakes of at least and many large creeks and...
.
Topography
The elevation of Badger Creek Wilderness ranges from 2100 to 6525 ft (640.1 to 1,988.8 m). Steep walled glacial valleys lead to the top of Lookout Mountain, at 6525 feet (1,988.8 m). Annual precipitation in the Wilderness ranges from 80 inches (203 cm) on the western ridges to 20 inches (51 cm) in the dry eastern lowlands.Three creeks drain the Wilderness - Badger, Little Badger, and Tygh.
It's a also located in Idaho where it is available for girls camp.
Vegetation
Lookout Mountain and the high ridgeland extending east support a subalpineSubalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
ecosystem, with hardy trees and rocky terrain. Penstemon
Penstemon
Penstemon , Beard-tongue, is a large genus of North American and East Asian plants traditionally placed in the Scrophulariaceae family. Due to new genetic research, it has now been placed in the vastly expanded family Plantaginaceae...
, Indian paintbrush
Indian Paintbrush
Indian Paintbrush most often refers to:* Castilleja spp.Indian Paintbrush may also refer to:* Butterfly weed* Hawkweed* Steven Rales' production company, whose productions include The Darjeeling Limited, Towelhead and Fantastic Mr. Fox...
, yellow avalanch lilies
Erythronium grandiflorum
Erythronium grandiflorum is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by several common names, including yellow avalanche lily, glacier lily, and dogtooth fawn lily....
, and stonecrop are common in the area. Farther east in the Wilderness the climate is warm and dry, where ponderosa pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
forest and extensive growths of Oregon white oak and grasslands are common. Larkspur
Larkspur
Larkspur may refer to:* Larkspur, California* Larkspur, Colorado* Larkspur radio system, used by the British Army* Delphinium, a genus of 300 flowers with widespread nativity* Consolida, a genus of 40 flowers native to central and western Eurasia...
, shooting star
Dodecatheon
Dodecatheon is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the Primrose family Primulaceae. The species have basal clumps of leaves and nodding flowers that are produced at the top of tall stems that rise from where the leaves join the crown. They are commonly called Shooting Stars because of the...
, lupine
Lupine
Lupine may be one of several things:*Something that is like, or relating to, a wolf .*A variant spelling for lupin, a flowering plant.*Lu Pine Records, a record label in Detroit.*Lupine Games, a computer game company....
, balsamroot, death camas
Death Camas
Zigadenus venenosus, commonly called death camas or meadow deathcamas, is a flowering plant in the genus Zigadenus belonging to the Melanthiaceae. It grows up to 70 cm tall with long, basal, grass-like leaves. The bulbs are oval and look like onions but do not smell like onions...
, and purple onion
Allium
Allium is a monocot genus of flowering plants, informally referred to as the onion genus. The generic name Allium is the Latin word for garlic....
can be found in the area.
Recreation
Common recreational activities in Badger Creek Wilderness include hikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, wildlife watching, cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
, and horseback riding. There are approximately 55 miles (88.5 km) of developed trails in the Wilderness. These trails lead to Lookout Mountain, Flag Point fire lookout, Badger Lake, and along Badger, Little Badger, and Tygh Creeks. There are several primitive campsites in the wilderness.
See also
- List of Oregon Wildernesses
- List of U.S. Wilderness Areas
- Old growth
- List of old growth forests
- Wilderness ActWilderness ActThe Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...