Sky Lakes Wilderness, Protected wilderness in Cascade Range, Oregon

Sky Lakes Wilderness is a protected area spanning across the Cascade Range with more than 200 lakes nestled between volcanic peaks and thick forests. The landscape displays volcanic rock formations and alpine meadows that spread across the terrain, creating a natural pattern of water, stone, and trees.

Native American ancestors of the Klamath and Takelma hunted game and gathered huckleberries here for thousands of years, leaving stone tools behind. After 1906 the U.S. Forest Service built trails and fire lookouts. The area was established in 1984 under the Wilderness Act of 1964, which had created the legal framework for such protection two decades earlier.

Ancestors of the Klamath and Takelma peoples hunted game and gathered huckleberries here for several thousand years, though the short mild season limited their stays. Settlers later picked huckleberries at Stuart Falls and Twin Ponds. The Twin Ponds Trail follows the old Rancheria Trail, a Native American route widened in 1863 as a military wagon road between Jacksonville and Fort Klamath.

The Pacific Crest Trail crosses the entire wilderness from north to south for about 35 miles. The three main lake basins, especially the larger lakes, draw anglers, hikers and campers, and hunting is popular, particularly for elk. Trails also follow the old Rancheria wagon road route, where segments of the historic route remain visible.

A tree at Island Lake bears carvings from 1888 left by early travelers exploring the mountains. These modest inscriptions are a surprising link to how people moved through these peaks more than a century ago.