Oregon Desert Trail

voices

Ryan “Dirtmonger” Sylva, ODT thru-hiker 2017

Ryan “Dirtmonger” Sylva, ODT thru-hiker 2017

“To me, it’s a thru-hike in an isolated place that promotes a conversation in land management, ethics and usage. Hiking across a vast and remote landscape and having a random and chance encounter with cowboys and hunters to discuss how ‘all of us’ should treat the land, how we all have a responsibility, no matter our political leanings, really showed me the pulse of the people in rural areas, especially here out west.”

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Sage Steppes

Sage Steppes

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The Last Darkness

The Last Darkness

Immerse yourself in Oregon's desert

The Oregon Desert Trail traverses some of the most spectacular natural areas of the state’s dry side, including the Oregon Badlands Wilderness, Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, Steens Mountain, the Pueblo Mountains and the Owyhee Canyonlands.

We hope you’ll see for yourself the value of these unique natural landscapes and join us in advocating for their protection and long-term care.

Wildhorse Lake on Steens Mountain

Renee Patrick

Abert Rim

Jamey Pyles   Website

Hart Mountain

Pueblo Mountains

Renee Patrick

West Little Owyhee

Tim Neville

Real adventure awaits

Perhaps you grew up playing the Oregon Trail video game? Well, here’s your chance to face Oregon Trail style challenges in a very real world setting.

The Oregon Desert Trail is a 750-mile route located on public land and public rights-of-way that stitches existing hiking trails, old Jeep tracks, and historical wagon roads together with long stretches of cross-country travel.

As you can read in About the ODT, ONDA imagined and planned this route to encourage explorers to take a choose-your-own-adventure approach to getting to know this region’s many wonders.

Whether you are looking to go a day hike, enjoy a multi-day trip or attempt a complete thru-hike, our Plan A Trip page has the resources you need. All sections of the trail can be explored on foot, and some sections can be travelled on horseback, by boat, by bike, or on skis. Some sections offer easy walks along well-marked paths, while many areas require GPS skills, significant outdoor experience and serious preparation — particularly for water sources. (Follow our water caching advice and you will surely avoid dysentery!)

Where Recreation Meets Conservation

By connecting the remote and stunning regions in Oregon’s high desert with a navigable path, ONDA is immersing hikers in the lands we’ve been striving to protect since the 1980s. Our hope is that by introducing more people to these amazing landscapes, we’re creating new advocates and inspiring people to accept the responsibility to protect, defend and restore Oregon’s high desert for generations to come.

Jeremy Fox

About the ODT

Oregon Natural Desert Association developed the Oregon Desert Trail to showcase the most spectacular natural areas of the state’s dry side, including Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, Steens Mountain, and […]

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Renee Patrick

Community

Get Involved in Desert Conservation The Oregon Natural Desert Association’s mission is to protect, restore, and defend Oregon’s desert areas, and Oregon Desert Trail explorers are integral in these efforts.  […]

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Renee Patrick

Plan A Trip

Be advised! Stretches of the Oregon Desert Trail route are exceedingly remote. Read the Oregon Desert Trail guidebook descriptions in detail and seriously consider any notes on water scarcity or […]

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