Located 60 miles east of Bend, this 28,422 acre area encompasses a diverse and beautiful landscape of rugged river canyons and rolling hills of juniper, sagebrush and native grasses.  The South Fork of the Crooked River cuts through a deep canyon of Columbia River Basalt, exposing beautiful basaltic columns.  This pristine riparian habitat supports a rainbow trout fishery and is home to bobcats, golden eagles, bald eagles, prairie falcons, beaver, waterfowl and a variety of other species.  The WSA also provides habitat for antelope and elk, as well as crucial winter range for mule deer.

There are significant opportunities for solitude and primitive forms of recreation, such as hiking, hunting, backpacking, camping, photography, nature study, fishing and horseback riding in the WSA.  The geography of the WSA is such that it is easy to find a secluded spot and to be engulfed in a feeling of solitude.  This is increasingly valuable in an area where population growth and development are rapidly putting pressure on surrounding wildlands.

Directly adjacent to the South Fork WSA, the Sand Hollow WSA is characterized by rolling hills desert plateaus of sagebrush and juniper.  The eastern half of the WSA, which is separated from the South Fork WSA by a road, provides crucial winter habitat for mule deer.  

Our proposal would combine the South Fork WSA and the adjacent Sand Hollow WSA to form one Wilderness area.  The resulting area would provide a unique wilderness opportunity, adding an ecosystem to the National Wilderness Preservation System that is not currently represented in Oregon and is only found in three other wilderness areas nationally.