Table Rock Wilderness
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Table Rock Wilderness | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area) | |
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| Location | Oregon, USA |
| Nearest city | Molalla, Oregon |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 5,500 acres (22.3 km²) |
| Established | 1984 |
| Governing body | Bureau of Land Management |
The Table Rock Wilderness is a small pocket wilderness designated in 1984[1] in the western Cascade Mountains in northwestern Oregon, United States. The wilderness area protects 5,500 acres (8.6 mi², 22 km²) of mature timber in the Molalla River drainage basin, some 19 miles southeast of Molalla, Oregon and 50 miles southeast of Portland. Despite its small size, the wilderness spans Clackamas and Marion counties. Somewhat unusual for a wilderness in this area is that it is on BLM land instead of nearby Mount Hood National Forest.[1]
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[edit] Topography
The wilderness is in the densely forested and lower western Cascades, with the highest point being the namesake Table Rock[2] which rises 4,881 feet above sea level.[3]
[edit] Vegetation
The rugged of Table Rock Wilderness is home to a forest of old-growth Douglas fir and western hemlock, 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.[4] 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.[1]
[edit] Trails
There are four trailheads to the area.[1] The main trail, Table Rock Trail, is the same path used by native Americans and was part of the larger cross-Cascades trail system. Site of archeological interest can be found here, including a petroglyph rock.[5] A moderately difficult hiking trail climbs 3.6 miles to the summit of Table Rock where the western Cascades can be viewed. The panorama stretches from Mount Rainer 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.
[edit] Wildlife
The rock slide on the north facing side of Table Rock is well populated with a large colony of pikas, a small alpine rodent.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Table Rock Wilderness. wilderness.net. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ There are eight distinct points in Oregon named Table Rock according to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names database.
- ^ Sources disagree on the elevation of the summit. US Board of Geographic Names gives 4,810 feet; Wilderness.net gives 4,881 feet; TopoZone gives 1488 m (4,882 feet).
- ^ Like Table Rock, there are five listed locations in Oregon named Rooster Rock.
- ^ Oregon's Historic Trails: Klamath Trail, 19th Century. Oregon Historic Trails Fund. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Table Rock Wilderness
This is the the wilderness reference point according to the USGS
- Table Rock Wilderness is at coordinates Coordinates:
[edit] Table Rock summit
- Table Rock Wilderness is at coordinates Coordinates:
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