Bridge Creek Wilderness

Located in the Ochoco National Forest in Oregon.

The 5,380-acre Bridge Creek Wilderness is accessed 37 miles east of Prineville, Oregon, on Forest Route #22 via Highway 26. Elevation within the area ranges from 4,360 feet to 6,607 feet. There are only 3.5 miles of hiking trails in the wilderness.

Bridge Creek is located approximately 30 miles east northeast of Prineville, Oregon. More than half of this area contains slopes of less than 30 percent gradient, although some extremely steep terrain is also present. An escarpment leading east and west essentially divides two plateaus—one with elevations over 6,000 feet, the other 400 feet lower. Only 20 percent of the area is openings. The predominant timber type is mixed conifer (63 percent) with the remainder being lodgepole pine and a small segment of a ponderosa pine.

The soil type for 70 percent of the area is ash soils, while the soils on the remaining 30 percent are characterized as rocky or very shallow. Streams in the wilderness total 5.8 miles, and Bridge Creek is the domestic water source for the community of Mitchell.

Wildlife species in the area are common to most of the Ochoco National Forest. Unusual species such as the pileated woodpecker, goshawk, and prairie falcon nest within the wilderness. The area constitutes an excellent elk wintering area, and is used by elk throughout the year. Deer also occupy the area.

For more information contact: The Ochoco National Forest