Table Rock Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The Table Rock Wilderness is a small pocket wilderness
designated in 1984
in the western Cascade Mountains
in northwestern Oregon
, United States
. The wilderness area protects 5500 acres (2,225.8 ha) of forest in the historic Molalla River
–Pudding River
drainage basin, some 19 miles (31 km) southeast of Molalla, Oregon
and 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Portland
. Somewhat unusual for a wilderness in this area is that it is on BLM
land rather the nearby Mount Hood National Forest
.
which rises to an elevation of 4881 feet (1,488 m).
Table Rock offers interesting examples of columnar baslt.
, with noble fir
at higher elevations and crowds of rhododendron
on many of the upper slopes. By August huckleberry
and salmonberry
ripen on the slopes of Table and Rooster Rock. The rock slide on the north facing side of Table Rock is surrounded by a profusion of salmonberry
. At least two endangered plants bloom here - Oregon sullivantia and Gorman's aster.
There are four trailheads to the area. The main trail, Table Rock Trail, is the same path used by native Americans and was part of the larger cross-Cascades trail system. Sites of archeological interest can be found here, including petroglyph
s.
A moderately difficult hiking trail climbs 3.6 miles (5.8 km) to the summit of Table Rock where the western Cascades can be viewed. The panorama stretches from Mount Rainier
in the north to Mount Shasta
. a mere speck in the distance, in California. The higher trails are snow covered from November to May, though usually clear by Memorial Day
.
s, a small alpine herbivore.
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
designated in 1984
in the western Cascade Mountains
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
in northwestern 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...
. The wilderness area protects 5500 acres (2,225.8 ha) of forest in the historic Molalla River
Molalla River
The Molalla River is a tributary of the Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon.-Geography:Its headwaters are in Clackamas County, in the Table Rock Wilderness, near Table Rock, in the Cascade Range...
–Pudding River
Pudding River
The Pudding River is a tributary of the Molalla River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Its drainage basin covers . Among its tributaries is the Little Pudding River...
drainage basin, some 19 miles (31 km) southeast of Molalla, Oregon
Molalla, Oregon
Molalla is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 5,647 at the 2000 census.-History:Molalla was named after the Molalla River, which in turn was named for the Molala, a Native American tribe that inhabited the area. William H. Vaughan took up a donation land claim in...
and 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Somewhat unusual for a wilderness in this area is that it is on BLM
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
land rather the nearby 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...
.
Topography
The wilderness is in the densely forested and lower western Cascades, with the highest point being the namesake Table Rockwhich rises to an elevation of 4881 feet (1,488 m).
Table Rock offers interesting examples of columnar baslt.
Vegetation
The rugged Table Rock Wilderness is home to a forest of old-growth Douglas fir and western hemlockWestern Hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla. the Western Hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California.-Habitat:...
, with noble fir
Noble Fir
Abies procera, the Noble Fir, is a western North American fir, native to the Cascade Range and Coast Range mountains of extreme northwest California and western Oregon and Washington in the United States...
at higher elevations and crowds of rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
on many of the upper slopes. By August huckleberry
Huckleberry
Huckleberry is a common name used in North America for several species of plants in two closely related genera in the family Ericaceae:* Vaccinium* GaylussaciaHuckleberry may also refer to:-Plants:...
and salmonberry
Salmonberry
Rubus spectabilis is a species of Rubus native to the west coast of North America from west central Alaska to California....
ripen on the slopes of Table and Rooster Rock. The rock slide on the north facing side of Table Rock is surrounded by a profusion of salmonberry
Salmonberry
Rubus spectabilis is a species of Rubus native to the west coast of North America from west central Alaska to California....
. At least two endangered plants bloom here - Oregon sullivantia and Gorman's aster.
Trails
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
s.
A moderately difficult hiking trail climbs 3.6 miles (5.8 km) to the summit of Table Rock where the western Cascades can be viewed. The panorama stretches from Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
in the north to Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California and at is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth highest in California...
. a mere speck in the distance, in California. The higher trails are snow covered from November to May, though usually clear by Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
.
Wildlife
The rock slide on the north facing side of Table Rock is well populated by a large colony of pikaPika
The pika is a small mammal, with short limbs, rounded ears, and short tail. The name pika is used for any member of the Ochotonidae, a family within the order of lagomorphs, which also includes the Leporidae . One genus, Ochotona, is recognised within the family, and it includes 30 species...
s, a small alpine herbivore.
See also
- List of Oregon Wildernesses
- List of U.S. Wilderness Areas
- 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...