Morning view of autumn at Wasson Lake in the Devil's Staircase Wilderness, Oct. 22, 2019, by Greg Shine, BLM.

The Devil’s Staircase Wilderness, nestled along the Umpqua River east of Reedsport, Oregon, is a rugged and largely inaccessible area of old-growth forest in the Oregon Coast Range.

Douglas-fir, western hemlock and cedar trees tower over underbrush of giant ferns and huckleberries, providing critical habitat for the northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet. The remoteness and steepness of the area has precluded most logging activity, and no developed trails provide present-day access to the wilderness.

The U.S. Forest Service and the BLM cooperatively manage the 30,000-acre wilderness, with the BLM responsible for approximately 6,800 acres.

Know Before You Go:

•Single lane gravel or paved roads access the area; •High clearance vehicle is recommended; •No motorized vehicles are allowed within the wilderness boundary; •There are no facilities or developed trails in the wilderness; and •Cell phone and GPS coverage in the area is intermittent.

Point of Interest:

Wasson Lake, located on the eastern boundary of the wilderness, is a pond with fluctuating water levels and is dotted with stumps from a long-ago forest.

Location:

The wilderness covers 30,000 acres of land between Reedsport and Scottsburg, Oregon, north of the Umpqua River.

Contact:

BLM Coos Bay District 1300 Airport Lane North Bend, OR 97459 Phone: 541-756-0100