Strawberry Mountain Wilderness Access Road

Forest Service Road 16 climbs from John Day Valley through ponderosa pine into the heart of Strawberry Mountain Wilderness, ending at Strawberry Lake where mining claims once dotted every creek. The route passes remnants of the old Strawberry Mine before switchbacking through stands of lodgepole and subalpine fir. At Strawberry Campground, the road becomes high-clearance only as it pushes toward the wilderness boundary and trailheads accessing the 9,038-foot Strawberry Mountain.

Stock high-clearance vehicles handle the route fine in dry conditions, but spring snowmelt and fall rains turn the upper sections into rutted mud. Snow typically blocks access from November through May. No permits required for the road, though wilderness entry requires self-service registration. Dispersed camping along lower sections, developed sites at Strawberry Campground. The reward is access to some of Oregon’s least-visited alpine country and genuine solitude in the Blues.