Gearhart Mountain Wilderness

At 8,364 feet, Gearhart Mountain stands higher than all the other volcanic domes in this Wilderness of high mountain meadows, cirques, and U-shaped valleys. Picturesque rock formations cap most of the ridgelines, offering sweeping views of the sculpturings of long-vanished glaciers. There is only one lake here, Blue Lake, and the Wild and Scenic North Fork Sprague River sweeps past the northern boundary of the area. Lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, whitebark pine, and white fir dominate the vegetation. The terrain is fairly gentle and the forestland open, with beautiful mountain meadows of lush green ground cover, stands of aspens, and a multitude of spring flowers. The main thoroughfare, Gearhart Mountain Trail, provides about 13 miles of access for foot and horse traffic along the main ridge and to the well-visited shores of Blue Lake. Joining it from the southwest are the 3-mile Boulder Creek Trail to the Wilderness boundary and the 3.5-mile Deming Creek Trail to the Forest Trailhead. The snow starts in late September and may linger until early July. Snowshoeing and backcountry skiing are increasingly popular here. Designated in 1964 and managed by the U.S. Forest Service.