
Explore Oregon Podcast: The state's most beautiful places and biggest issues
Oregon's wildest place: The Kalmiopsis Wilderness and why it's stunning in spring (repost)
Apr 25, 2025
01:14:08
In this edition, host Zach Urness takes a deep dive into perhaps the wildest place in Oregon — the Kalmiopsis Wilderness.
This episode, originally published in 2022, focuses on the 180,000-acre wilderness in southwest Oregon. It's home to deep river canyons, wildflowers found nowhere else on earth and rivers so clear they seem made of liquid glass.
Zach is joined by Gabe Howe, executive director of the Siskiyou Mountain Club, to pick their 10 favorite hikes and backpacking routes in the Kalmiopsis, including the Illinois River Trail, Vulcan Lake and the pristine Upper Chetco River.
The Siskiyou Mountain Club and other trails groups in Oregon have been significantly impacted by the federal cuts and are all looking to raise money to support their mission of keeping trails clear.