Ochoco National Forest
# Ochoco National Forest

The Ochoco National Forest is located in the Ochoco Mountains in Central Oregon in the United States, north and east of the city of Prineville, location of the national forest headquarters. It encompasses 850,000 acres (3,440 $km^2)$ of rimrock, canyons, geologic oddities, dense pine forests, and high desert terrain, as well as the headwaters of the North Fork Crooked River. A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the forest was 95,000 acres (38,000 ha).

In descending order of forestland area, it occupies lands within Crook, Harney, Wheeler, and Grant counties. The national forest also administers the Crooked River National Grassland, which is in Jefferson County.

The Ochoco National Forest is composed of three ranger districts:

* Crooked River National Grassland, managed from the Paulina district office with a visitor center in Madras.
* Paulina and Lookout Mountain Ranger Districts, based in Prineville. The former Rager Ranger Station in Paulina has been closed. The former Snow Mountain Ranger District is now administered by the Malheur National Forest, as part of the Emigrant Creek Ranger District.

## Wilderness

The forest contains three wilderness areas comprising 36,200 acres (146 $km^2):$

* Mill Creek Wilderness at 17,400 acres (70 $km^2)$
* Bridge Creek Wilderness at 5,400 acres (22 $km^2)$
* Black Canyon Wilderness at 13,400 acres (54 $km^2)$

## Recreation

Popular recreational activities in the Ochoco National Forest include hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, horseback riding, stargazing, birding, rock hounding, kayaking, and rock climbing.

