| Black Canyon Wilderness | |
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IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
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The Black Canyon Wilderness |
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| Location | Grant / Wheeler counties, Oregon, USA |
| Nearest city | Dayville, Oregon |
| Area | 13,400 acres (5,423 ha) |
| Established | 1984 |
| Governing body | United States Forest Service |
The Black Canyon Wilderness of Oregon is a wilderness area in the Ochoco National Forest. It drainage basin of the South Fork of the John Day River. It lies in Grant and Wheeler counties of Oregon. The nearest city is Dayville, in Grant County.[1] It was established in 1984 and encompasses 13,400 acres (5,423 ha).
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The elevation ranges from 2,850 to 6,483 feet (869 to 1,976 m). There are about seventeen miles of developed trail; eighty percent of the wilderness has a grade exceeding thirty percent, typically steep canyons and sharp ridges.[2] Three sides of the canyon reach elevations to 6,000 feet (1,829 m), while waters in the gorge have downcut through basalt lava, emptying into the South Fork of the John Day River at 2,800 feet (853 m).[1][3]
Much of the Black Canyon Wilderness consists of a dry sagebrush environment, but ponderosa pine, mountain mahogany, juniper, and fir forests can also be explored.
A wide range of vegetative conditions in the Wilderness provide habitat for nearly 300 different species of wildlife, including Black Bear, cougar, deer, elk, and rattlesnake. Steelhead trout can be found in perennial streams, which they use for spawning. Wildflowers such as Crimson Columbine, Lupine, and Indian paintbrush flourish throughout the Wilderness.[1][2][4]