Malheur National Forest

The 1.7 million acre Malheur National Forest is located in the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon. The diverse and beautiful scenery  of the forest includes high desert grasslands, sage and juniper, pine, fir and other tree species, and the hidden gems of alpine lakes and meadows. Elevations vary from about 4000 feet (1200 meters) to the 9038 foot (2754 meters) top of Strawberry Mountain. The Strawberry Mountain range extends east to west through the center of the Forest. For many years, these forested lands have been important to the people who live here. Native Americans hunted game, gathered roots and berries, and traded and socialized with each other sustaining their lives and cultures. These lands are still important to them. As explorers, fur trappers, and gold miners discovered this area, the forest and its many resources played an important role in the development of local communities, a role that continues today. Residing in this forest is the world's largest organism, The Humongous Fungus. This honey mushroom stretches across more than 2,300 acres of forest in eastern Oregon. Though underfoot, the Armillaria ostoyae fungus is hard to see: Its black filaments are one millimeter in diameter and woven like netting throughout the soil and beneath the bark of infected trees. In the fall, the gigantic organism produces fruit, sending out clusters of diminutive brown mushrooms