Sky Lakes Wilderness in southern Oregon protects a long, narrow stretch of the Cascade Range across the Rogue River–Siskiyou and Fremont–Winema national forests. Established in 1984 under the Wilderness Act of 1964, it includes more than 200 lakes and ponds, major elevation changes, volcanic landforms, glacially carved basins, and ash deposits from Mount Mazama’s collapse. The area has long supported varied plant and animal life and has been used for thousands of years by ancestors of the Klamath and Takelma, then by settlers, trail builders, and travelers. Today it is valued for recreation, while routes such as the Pacific Crest Trail and the historic Rancheria Trail connect its natural and human history.