Mt. Hood National Forest, Near Rhododendron, Oregon
Clackamas Wilderness does not offer reservations through Recreation.gov. Please take a look at the area details below for more information about visiting this location. Enjoy your visit!
The 9,181 acre Clackamas Wilderness consists of five widely separated tracts of road-less land, scattered on either side of the Clackamas River over 50 miles. These pieces include Big Bottom, Clackamas Canyon, Memaloose Lake, Sisi Butte and South Fork Clackamas. With some of the largest trees in northwest Oregon, the Clackamas Wilderness protects clean drinking water for many Oregonians as well as habitat for many species.
A popular hike in the Clackamas Wilderness is the trail to Memaloose Lake. It climbs through an old-growth forest 1.4 miles to the lake, and then continues a mile up to a viewpoint atop South Fork Mountain. The word memaloose means "dead" in Chinook jargon, the old Indian trade language of the Northwest. The old-growth forest around the lake is a rare example of mature forest habitat surrounded by lands that have been historically logged.