In the coming months, a hike on the Flatiron Rock trail in the Oregon Badlands Wilderness will offer stunning views of wildflowers covering the ground among lava formations, ancient juniper and beautiful views of the Cascades. Sagebrush buttercup leads the way as one of the earliest wildflowers to bloom in the area. Hedgehog cactus, Oregon sunshine and bitterroot will come into bloom by mid-April, lending a new color palette to 10,000 acres of desert wildlands forever protected as wilderness. And with wildflowers come pollinators. Native bees and bumblebees begin hatching and working these blooms as the days get warmer. You may even see pictographs as you venture through the area, as it is the ancestral land of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Northern Paiute. These fragile and important cultural artifacts are to be admired, but not touched.
Feeling up for a challenge? Hike, bike or horseback ride all 50+ miles of trails in the Oregon Badlands Wilderness at your own pace as part of our Badlands Challenge.