The Strawberry Range, also known as the Strawberry Mountains, is a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. It is east of John Day, within

Malheur National Forest The Malheur National Forest is a United States National Forest, National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon. It contains more than in the Blue Mountains (Pacific Northwest), Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. The forest consists of Great Basin ...

. The highest peak is Strawberry Mountain. The Strawberry Range is part of the larger Blue Mountains range, and contains the

Strawberry Mountain Wilderness Strawberry Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area of the Strawberry Mountain Range, within Malheur National Forest in the Blue Mountains of east Oregon. The area comprises , including mountain peaks and several lakes, and contains more than o ...

. Pioneers named Strawberry Mountain after observing prolific wild strawberries growing in a nearby valley. The area has extremely diverse ecological composition, which includes five of seven major life zones in North America. Indigenous populations of

Rocky Mountain Elk The Rocky Mountain elk (''Cervus canadensis nelsoni'') is a subspecies of elk found in the Rocky Mountains and adjacent ranges of Western North America. Habitat The winter ranges are most common in open forests and floodplain marshes in the lo ...

exist as well as

mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whit ...

, antelope, black bear, cougar, California bighorn sheep, ruffed and blue grouse, pileated woodpecker, sharp-shinned hawk, bald eagle, pine marten, mink, beaver. There are 378 animal and 22 fish species present. Mountain goats are seen at the higher elevations of the Palisades ridge as of Aug 7, 2016. A hunting tag for mountain goats on the Strawberry Mountain was issued for the first time in 2014 by the

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. The agency operates hatcheries, issues hunting and ...

Recreation

Normal hiking season is July to November, though snow may be encountered at any time of the year at higher elevations. Strawberry Camp, downstream from the Strawberry Lake along Strawberry Creek, is connected to the lake by a hiking trail. The trail continues upstream from the lake to Strawberry Falls and then another to Little Strawberry Lake. Another trail leads from Strawberry Falls to the peak of Strawberry Mountain. Sullivan, William L. (2009), ''Atlas of Oregon Wilderness'', pp. 247–52, Eugene, Oregon: Navillus Press Strawberry Lake (Oregon)

References

External links

*{{commons-inline Mountain ranges of Oregon Mountain ranges of Grant County, Oregon Malheur National Forest