To know wilderness is to love it.
And people who love wilderness, like so many Oregonians, are the best folks to help protect it. This is why Wilderness is you. Thanks to everyone who celebrated 50 years of the Wilderness Act with us in 2014 in our 50 Hikes Challenge!
How to join the adventure:
- Register for the Challenge here. (check back in Spring 2015!)
- Hike in as many of the 50 Oregon Wilderness areas listed here as possible between May 1 and October 31 and earn great prizes – not to mention serious bragging rights!
- Use the 50 Hikes Challenge Log to check off each Wilderness hike accomplished.
- Take photos for proof of your Wilderness adventures. You can either:
- Upload them to Instagram using the hashtag #iamwilderness.*
- Email your digital photos to [email protected]
- When you’ve reached your goals, send us your Challenge Log, Instagram username and/or digital photos by:
- Scanning/emailing [email protected] OR
- Mail your log (photos must still be digital or on Instagram) to:
Attention: Marielle Cowdin
5825 N. Greeley Ave
Portland, OR 97217
Registration is free and automatically enters you into a raffle for two tickets to our biggest party of the year, Call of the Wild, on October 16 at Leftbank Annex in Portland.
Oregon Wild member challengers will receive great prizes upon completing different 50 Hikes Challenge levels including:
- An Oregon Wild Klean Kanteen (10+ hikes completed)
- A Columbia Sportswear backpack (25+ hikes completed)
- Two (2) VIP tickets to Call of the Wild (25+ hikes completed)
- Prize TBD & two (2) VIP tickets to Call of the Wild (50 hikes completed)
You must be an Oregon Wild member to get these great incentives, and you can become a member here.
Register and start your adventure today.
*All 50 Hikes challengers will be recognized at Call of the Wild, where we’ll announce the winners of the Oregon Wild Outdoor Photo Contest, including the best #iamwilderness 50 Hikes Challenge Instagram photo as a special fifth category.
Other resources to guide you:
- Download the 50 Hikes Challenge Log for the complete list of Wilderness areas and visit the 50 Hikes Wilderness Checklist page for links and an interactive map.
- Follow @oregonwild on Instagram and "Like" the Oregon Wild Facebook page to track other challengers, get ideas, and watch for your photos to be showcased!
- Check out Bill Sullivan's great hiking guidebooks
- Wilderness.net (note the official 50 Hikes Challenge list does not include the Oregon Islands or Three Arch Rocks Wilderness areas but does include several proposed Wilderness areas not listed on this site.)
- Oregon Wild suggested hikes (still in progress - not all hikes listed are Wilderness hikes but many are!)
- A neat resource from Nature NW (the store that sells all the great maps) - Wilderness Area Directory
- For Eastern Oregon hiking resources, visit our friends at Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA)