Wallowa–Whitman National Forest | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
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Location in Oregon and Idaho | |
Location | Oregon / Idaho, United States |
Nearest city | Baker City, Oregon |
Coordinates | 45°20′00″N 117°00′05″W / 45.33333°N 117.00139°WCoordinates: 45°20′00″N 117°00′05″W / 45.33333°N 117.00139°W |
Area | 2,392,508 acres (9,682 km2) |
Established | May 6, 1905 |
Visitors | 505,000 (in 2006) |
Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
Website | Wallowa-Whitman National Forest |
The Wallowa–Whitman National Forest is a United States National Forest in the U.S. states of Oregon and Idaho. Formed upon the merger of the Wallowa and Whitman national forests in 1954, it is located in the northeastern corner of the state, in Wallowa, Baker, Union, Grant, and Umatilla counties in Oregon, and includes small areas in Nez Perce and Idaho counties in Idaho. The forest is named for the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce people, who originally lived in the area, and Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, Presbyterian missionaries who settled just to the north in 1836. Forest headquarters are located in Baker City, Oregon.
The national forest may be divided into several distinct sections, which together cover 2,300,000 acres (9,300 km2) of land, including 600,000 acres (2,400 km2) of designated wilderness.
A large section of the forest is located in the rugged Wallowa Mountains, south of Joseph, Oregon, in the upper reaches of the Wallowa, Minam, and Imnaha drainage basins. The alpine area in the heart of the mountain range is designated as the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Bordering the national forest on the north, Wallowa Lake State Park is located on the shore of Wallowa Lake.