Visitor’s Guides

Greg Burke

watch

Volunteer Accomplishment in Hart-Sheldon

Volunteer Accomplishment in Hart-Sheldon

voices

Jane Heisler, Sage Society Member

Jane Heisler, Sage Society Member

I love to travel and I love the desert! Supporting ONDA monthly allows me to hit the road without forgetting Oregon’s high desert—even when I’m not there.

fact

What defines Oregon’s high desert?

What defines Oregon’s high desert?

Bounded by the Cascade Mountains to the west and the Blue Mountains to the north, Oregon’s high desert covers approximately 24,000 square miles. Annual rainfall in the high desert varies from 5 to 14 inches. The average elevation is 4,000 feet; at 9,733 feet, the summit of Steens Mountain is the highest point in Oregon’s high desert. The terrain of the high desert was mostly formed by a series of lava flows that occurred between 30 and 10 million years ago.

Sources: The Oregon Encyclopedia; Wikipedia  

Devin Dahlgren   Website

Visitor’s Guide
to the Owyhee Canyonlands

Visiting the Owyhee Canyonlands calls for preparation, awareness, and self-sufficiency. Top off your gas tank when leaving gateway communities like Nyssa or Jordan Valley and carry a spare gas can, because once you leave the blacktop you will not find services or amenities. Roads within the canyonlands are often unmaintained, rocky, and rutted. A...

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Sean Bagshaw   Website

Visitor’s Guide
to Steens Mountain Region

The Steens may look like a small mountain range, but it is actually just one massive mountain. When you visit the largest fault-block mountain in North America, expect extremes. Snow falls earlier and lingers longer than you might expect in the high country here, so be sure to check road reports before heading out....

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Visitor’s Guide
to the Greater Hart-Sheldon Region

This fascinating region offers the opportunity to see pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, Greater Sage-Grouse and more. Visitors of all ages and abilities can find a recreational opportunity to pursue here. Some visitor services exist on the Hart and Sheldon National Wildlife Refuges, but, to get away from it all, the BLM land in between...

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Tyler Roemer   Website

Visitor’s Guide
to the Central Oregon Backcountry

With rolling plains of sagebrush, dramatic river canyons and dense forests of old-growth juniper, the Central Oregon Backcountry provides visitors with a wide-ranging introduction to Oregon’s high desert. This wild country is within a short 1- to 2-hour drive from Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Sisters and other Central Oregon communities. Whether you are looking for...

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Sage Brown   Website

Visitor’s Guide
to the John Day River Basin

See for yourself the rugged allure of the John Day River Basin, with its vast expanses of windswept high desert, endless mountains, and picturesque meandering rivers. Within a few hours drive of Bend lies a scenic wonderland of big sky and stunning geography. The John Day River Basin offers day hikes, backcountry rambling, river...

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