Willamette National Forest

The Willamette National Forest stretches for 110 miles along the western slopes of the Cascade Range in western Oregon. The Forest’s northern extent is the upper reaches of the Santiam River as the melting snow flows off the glaciated slopes of Mount Jefferson; the river supplies drinking and irrigation water to canyon communities and to the City of Salem.The Forest continues south where the McKenzie River flows west from the Cascade Peaks of Mt Washington, supplying the canyon communities and the cities of Eugene and Springfield with clear, clean, cool water. The southern extent of the Forest rises to Diamond Peak where the Middle and North Forks of the Willamette create canyons and broad valleys that support communities and strong fisheries.The Forest is 1,675,407 acres in size.  The varied landscape of high mountains, narrow canyons, cascading streams, and wooded slopes offer excellent opportunities for visitors and make the Forest valuable for many purposes. The Willamette National Forest is easily accessed from the Willamette Valley cities of Salem, Albany, and Eugene. Four important highways-U.S. Route 20 and Oregon State Routes 22, 58, and 126-cross the Forest. Two National Scenic Byways, McKenzie Pass – Santiam Pass National Scenic Byway and the West Cascades National Scenic Byway take visitors on a tour of tall forests and sparkling water. Over 6,000 miles of road on the Forest offer a chance to get off the beaten path.