The Kalmiopsis Wilderness contains more than 180,000 acres of terrain in the rugged Siskiyou Mountains of Southwestern Oregon. It is located west of Cave Junction and includes the headwaters of the Chetco River and the Illinois River Canyon.
The original Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area was created from 76,900 acres in 1946 to preserve the very rare Kalmiopsis leachiana, a miniature rhododendron-like plant that is a relic from before the ice ages.
The Kalmiopsis has several access points in the Illinois Valley, one of the most popular being Onion Camp at the end of Eight Dollar Mountain/Fiddler Mountain Road.
