The Kalmiopsis | An American Treasure
The Kalmiopsis Mountains are an ancient, exceptionally rugged subrange of the Klamath Mountain Province. This river-rich region—lying a little inland from the Pacific Ocean in a remote corner of Southwest Oregon and Northwest California—is home to the National Wild & Scenic Illinois, Chetco and North Fork Smith rivers, plus five U.S. Forest Service eligible wild and scenic rivers, and many lesser known nationally outstanding waterbodies.
Here, across this stark diverse wildlands of extreme topographic relief, you’ll find botanically rich Jeffrey pine savannas, unique Serpentine Darlingtonia Wetlands, deep boulder strewn river canyons, knife edged ridges and broad rounded uplands, and some of the rarest plants on earth. Its entirely free flowing rivers are part of the last best wild salmon stronghold on the West Coast, south of the Olympics. They also provide downstream communities with some of the cleanest, clearest drinking water in the nation.
For millennia, this wild landscape has served as a climate refuge for species from surrounding regions. However, the ancient geology of the South Kalmiopsis Wildlands holds the greatest threat to the region’s priceless rivers and pure drinking water—strip mining for nickel. Learn more at Protect Kalmiopsis Rivers.
About this website:
The Kalmiopsis Wild site has been primarily used as an archive for older pages and posts. However, we recently updated the theme and are slowly updating images and text. You will find there’s some links that no longer work and a few incomplete pages. Overall, however, these pages still contain some of the best and most accurate background information about the Kalmiopsis Mountains, its Wilderness and large Inventoried Roadless Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers and their big wild tributaries and it’s legendary botanical treasures. Stay tuned as we continue to work on it and add new information.
NEWS OF KALMIOPSIS COUNTRY
The Biscuit Fire: Time to bury the myth
Introduction and fall of 2018 update On July 13, 2002, a lightning storm ignited five fires in southwest Oregon’s rugged river-rich Kalmiopsis region. Four of the fires, plus massive U.S. Forest Service burnout operations (part of the agency’s fire suppression…
Thunderstorms bring half inch of rain to heart of Chetco Bar fire, other parts see cooler temperatures
A series of thunderstorms moved through southwest Oregon and northwest California on September 6th and 7th bringing cooler temperatures, relief from smoke, intermittent rain, and unfortunately lightning. What effect the storms had on the Chetco Bar fire we can’t assess but…
Fall color and wild salmon on the Wild and Scenic Illinois River | Little Falls
The Wild and Scenic Illinois River, leaves civilization and heads into the wilds of Southwestern Oregon’s Kalmiopsis backcountry. This is one of the most underappreciated, beautiful stretches of river on the West Coast and fall is one of the best…
Oregon Caves National Monument Preserve celebrated
When Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve Superintendent Vicki Snitzler pointed to a ridge top marking the park’s new boundary at a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 10th, a crowd that included Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Congressman Peter…
Help permantely protect Cathedral Hills Park
Cathedral Hills Park is a 560 acre woodland minutes from downtown Grants Pass. It’s to Grants Pass, what Central Park is to New City and a delight any time of year. Best of all, enjoying its numerous amenities won’t cost you a…
Senator Wyden proposes Illinois Valley Salmon and Botanical Area
Described as a little biological gem, the proposed Illinois Valley Salmon and Botanical Area is comprised of about 15,000 acres of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management on the west side of the Illinois Valley. The special…
Cathedral Hills Park is threatened. You can help.
Cathedral Hills is to Grants Pass as Central Park is to New York—or close to it. Only no one would think of constructing a 60 foot wide road through Central Park or managing it for timber production. That’s what’s facing…
Grants Pass Courier endorses Oregon Caves expansion
In a June 25th editorial, the Grants Pass Courier endorsed the Oregon Caves expansion. Calling the National Monument the “crown jewel of Josephine County,” the Courier editorial says it’s time to act on legislation that’s been floating around Congress for six…
Expanding protection for Oregon Caves National Monument
Like most places, we have our prophets of doom in Southwest Oregon. They oppose just about everything—even the most modest proposals, such as a bill expanding protection for the Oregon Caves National Monument. The legislation will help assure clean safe drinking water…
Emily Camp, a private inholding in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness
Update and great news This post was previously updated in May of 2014. We began updating it again in early 2018 because we learned that the 2017 Chetco Bar fire burned through the part of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness where Emily…
