Roads into Devil’s Staircase Wilderness Closing, Aug. 7

BLM release – NORTH BEND, Ore. – Beginning August 10, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service will close 25 miles of road leading into and through the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness in Douglas County to motorized and mechanized use (mechanized use includes bicycles). By taking action to prohibit vehicle use within the wilderness areas, the two agencies are cooperating to advance and preserve the undeveloped character of the area, as required by the Wilderness Act. Legally closed since 2019, the agencies will now physically close roads at up to 20 locations where existing roads intrude upon the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness boundary. The closure will include Forest Service Road 4100, which traverses the wilderness from west to east, as well as smaller spur roads.  Visitors to the area can still travel the roads that border the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness. Non-motorized use in the wilderness is also allowed, including foot travel and pack animal transportation; however, there are no developed trails and visitors should anticipate remote terrain that is extremely difficult to navigate. The wilderness is characterized by steep creek drainages, sheer sandstone cliff faces, unstable soils, and dense vegetation. Cell phone signals and GPS devices are not reliable in this area. Congress designated the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness in the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-9). The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management manage the 30,621-acre wilderness as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Maps of road barrier locations are available at www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/oregon-washington/devils-staircase.