| Umatilla National Forest | |
|---|---|
 Oregon Butte in the Wenaha–Tucannon Wilderness, Umatilla NF | |
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| Location | Oregon /Washington, United States |
| Nearest city | Elgin, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°38′00″N118°11′00″W / 45.63333°N 118.18333°W /45.63333; -118.18333 |
| Area | 1,407,087 acres (5,694 km2)[1] |
| Established | July 1, 1908[2] |
| Visitors | 703,000[3] (in 2006) |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Umatilla National Forest |
TheUmatilla National Forest, in theBlue Mountains of northeastOregon and southeastWashington, covers an area of 1.4 million acres (5,700 km2). In descending order of land area the forest is located in parts ofUmatilla,Grant,Columbia,Morrow,Wallowa,Union,Garfield,Asotin,Wheeler, andWalla Walla counties. (Columbia, Garfield, Asotin, and Walla Walla counties are in Washington, while the rest are in Oregon.) More than three-quarters of the forest lies in the state of Oregon.[4] Forest headquarters are located inPendleton, Oregon. There are localranger district offices inHeppner andUkiah in Oregon, and inPomeroy andWalla Walla in Washington.[5]
The Umatilla National Forest takes its name from theUmatilla Indian word meaning "water rippling over sand." ExplorersLewis and Clark passed through the area in 1805 on theColumbia River, andMarcus and Narcissa Whitman passed through in 1836 to establish a mission at Wailatpu nearWalla Walla, Washington. Thousands of emigrants later followed theOregon Trail west, and many remained in the Blue Mountain region. Discovery of gold in Oregon in 1851 led to the settlement of the North Fork John Day River area. More than $10 million in gold and silver were mined, and remnants of the era are still visible in the National Forest. Some claims are still being mined.[6]
Umatilla was established on July 1, 1908 from part ofBlue Mountains National Forest and all ofHeppner National Forest.Wenaha National Forest was added on November 5, 1920.[7]
The forest was the site of theSchool Fire, the largest fire in thecontiguous United States of 2005.
Common wildlife in the Umatilla National Forest includemoose,[8]elk,bighorn sheep,black bear,mountain goat,mule deer,white-tailed deer,timber wolf,[9]cougar,coyote,badger,Merriam's turkeys, transplantedRio Grande wild turkeys,blue andruffed grouse,Franklin's grouse,chinook salmon,coho salmon,steelhead,rainbow trout,[6] brook trout, and lake trout.
More than 20 percent of the Umatilla National Forest is classified as wilderness:[10]
A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent ofold growth in the forest was 190,741 acres (77,190 ha).[11]
Common recreational activities in the Umatilla National Forest include OHV riding, camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, wildlife watching, skiing, and rafting.[12]Spout Springs Ski Area in Oregon andBluewood Ski Area in Washington operate under special use permit within the forest.[12]Jubilee Lake has the most popular campground in the forest.[13]
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