fˈaʊndᵻd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti wˈʌn, ðə wˈaɪnmə nˈæʃənəl fˈɔːɹɪst wʌz ɪnˈɪʃəli pɹətˈɛktᵻd æz ðə kɐskˈeɪd ɹˈeɪndʒ fˈɔːɹɪst ɹɪzˈɜːv fɹʌm wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti θɹˈiː tə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvən, wˌɛn ɪt bɪkˌeɪm ðə kɐskˈeɪd sˈaʊθ nˈæʃənəl fˈɔːɹɪst.
Founded in 1961, the Winema National Forest was initially protected as the Cascade Range Forest Reserve from 1893 to 1907, when it became the Cascade (South) National Forest.