Santiam, Oregon

Terrain ranges from flat and rolling Willamette Valley farmland below 1,000 feet in the west, through forested foothills between 1,000 and 3,500 feet, to rugged high-Cascade terrain in the east featuring long ridges, deep river canyons, rocky pinnacles, and volcanic peaks topping 10,000 feet. Total elevation range is approximately 300 to 10,500+ feet. Slopes in the public-land core are predominantly steep; roughly 80% of accessible terrain has slopes of 29 degrees or less.

Primary highway corridors: US-20 (Santiam Highway, Lebanon to Santiam Pass), OR-22 (North Santiam Highway, Salem to Santiam Pass), OR-26 (Mount Hood Highway, Sandy to Government Camp), OR-35 (Mount Hood Loop east side), OR-211, OR-213, and OR-216. The unit divides into distinct access areas by these roads. Mount Hood National Forest (Supervisor's Office: Sandy, OR; (503) 668-1700) covers the northern and northeastern portions; key forest roads off OR-26 and OR-35 provide hunter access. Willamette National Forest (Supervisor's Office: Springfield, OR; (541) 225-6300) covers the southern and eastern portions, with the Sweet Home Ranger District providing access off US-20 via Quartzville Scenic Byway (FR 11) into the Middle Santiam drainage. Wilderness areas within or adjacent to the unit: Bull of the Woods Wilderness (36,731 ac, accessed via OR-224/FR-46), Table Rock Wilderness, Mount Jefferson Wilderness (104,523 ac, accessed from Santiam Pass via US-20/OR-22), Middle Santiam Wilderness (accessed via US-20 and FR-11, with trailheads including McQuade Creek, Gordon Peaks, Bridge to Nowhere, and Chimney Peak), and Mount Hood Wilderness. Hunters with a valid ODFW deer, elk, or mountain goat tag are exempt from the Central Cascades Wilderness overnight permit requirement during hunting season. ATVs assist access on primitive forest roads; most forest roads are open June through late October. The NW Santiam sub-unit (north of OR-22, west of the Mt. Hood/Willamette NF exterior boundary) has approximately 22% public land with substantial private timberland. The SW Santiam sub-unit (south of OR-22, west of the Willamette NF western boundary) has approximately 30% public land. Private timber company lands in both sub-units allow public hunting; access conditions vary by operator. The Abiqua Basin area has A&H (Access and Habitat) program lands. The McQuinn Strip portion of the former White River Unit and the Warm Springs Indian Reservation are closed to public hunting since September 21, 1992 (no reopen date announced). Warm Springs Reservation forms part of the unit's eastern boundary.

Lower western portions contain Willamette Valley farmland, pasture, and oak woodland that grade into Douglas-fir/western hemlock foothills. The mid-elevation forest zone — the bulk of the unit — is dominated by dense old-growth and managed stands of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar. Extensive clearcut and second-growth areas in various regrowth stages provide important browse (vine maple, huckleberry, Oregon grape, forbs) for deer and elk. Logged private timberlands in the NW and SW Santiam sub-units intersperse with national forest. Higher elevations transition to mountain hemlock, Pacific silver fir, and subalpine parkland near the Cascade crest. Riparian corridors along the Santiam, Clackamas, Sandy, and their tributaries provide travel routes and winter habitat.

Roosevelt elk and Columbian black-tailed deer are the primary big game. The western low-elevation sub-units hold resident deer year-round with rut activity from late October through late December. Elk use a mix of clearcuts, young timber, and old-growth cover, with significant herds in both the national forest core and private timberlands of the north and south Santiam drainages. Blacktail-mule deer hybrids occur where the unit approaches the Cascade crest. Black bear are present throughout the forested portions; spring bear hunters target riparian corridors and south-facing clearcuts during green-up. Cougar are present unit-wide following deer and elk populations. Rocky Mountain goats inhabit the high-Cascade crags near Mount Jefferson in the southern unit. Wild turkey, ruffed grouse, and mountain quail provide small-game hunting. Mountain whitefish, steelhead, and trout inhabit the Santiam and Clackamas river systems.