The Menagerie Wilderness, a small forested area in the South Santiam drainage, protects a singular section of the Old Cascades. Here, rock spires and arches jut out of the forested slopes, the eroded plugs of primeval volcanoes whose cones have been whittled away by millions of years of erosion. Rock climbers have found this an intriguing challenge, and the various pillars have been given names like Rabbit Ears, Hen Rock, The Possum, Camel Head, Cockatoo Tower, and Turkey Monster: thus the moniker “Menagerie.” Most of these are only accessible to climbers part of the year, as a six-month closure to protect nesting peregrine falcons is in effect. There are only two trails in the wilderness, and the closure does not affect them, however.