Recreation area

Rock Creek Wilderness

Siuslaw National Forest · Oregon — managed by USDA Forest Service

Open recreation area — no reservation needed

About this campground

Rock Creek Wilderness is one of the Siuslaw’s most remote wildernesses with no developed trails or trailheads. You'll need to travel cross country using a map and compass - a real wilderness experience. Pristine rain forest canyons run with crystalline water pouring into either Rock Creek itself in the heart of the Wilderness or Big Creek on the southern boundary. Mossy big leaf maple and red alder hang suspended over both creeks as they make their way toward the salty waves of the Pacific Ocean. Near the coast, tremendous old-growth Sitka spruce sometimes reach nine feet in diameter, giving way to old Douglas fir farther inland. Pink-blossomed rhododendron bloom in May, joining salal, salmonberry, and sword fern in their efforts to keep the ground perpetually shaded. Look carefully for Oregon Silverspot butterflies on the tall ridge between Rock and Big Creeks; these orange-and-brown butterflies live only here and in two other places on earth. Salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout migrate up creek to spawn. Fog cools the area almost all of every summer; and winters are usually snow free. View larger map

Getting there

Rock Creek Wilderness is located in the Oregon Coast Range south of Waldport and north of Florence, Oregon. Off the Coastal Highway 10 miles south of Yachats, Oregon. Topo Maps Download free U.S. Forest Service Topo maps here. Buy maps online Go to the National Forest Store. Wilderness.net  Go to Wilderness.net for online maps and other important Wilderness information.

Activities

  • HIKING
  • WILDLIFE VIEWING

Nearby federal campgrounds

Explore more Oregon camping

Rock Creek Wilderness doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby Oregon campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.

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Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.