Black Canyon
Most of the hikes in the area ascend Sutton Mountain, but this Black Canyon hike offers a nice change of pace. Its relatively flat bottom is perfect for any hiker who wants to experience the serenity of Oregon’s high desert. Along with the sagebrush and juniper characteristic of the high desert, Sutton Mountain provides...
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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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Sutton Mountain
At 4,700 feet tall, Sutton Mountain towers over the surrounding landscape. With a steep, craggy west side and a rolling, grassy eastern face, the mountain has a mysterious Jekyll and Hyde quality. Sutton Mountain is home to bountiful wildflowers in the spring and vibrant herds of pronghorn, elk, and mule deer. Here solitude is...
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Horse Heaven and Cathedral Rock
Deep canyons, remnant old-growth pine forests, and rolling hills covered with juniper, sagebrush, and bunchgrass define the character of the remarkable public lands included in the Horse Heaven and Cathedral Rock proposed wilderness areas.
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Lower John Day
Drawn to the exhilarating rapids, remote canyons, and thriving fishery, more than 10,000 people float the 72-mile long Clarno to Cottonwood stretch of the Lower John Day River each year.
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Our Take on Sec. Zinke’s Secret Monuments Report
The public finally has access to the Trump administration’s report on the review of 27 national monuments, but only because it was leaked to the press. Astonishingly, Zinke’s memo to the president still fails to provide key details on changes he’s recommending to these jewels of our public lands. Zinke’s report lacks clarity on...
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How to Talk to Your Friends about Public Lands
For most outdoor recreationists, talking about being out in nature comes, well, naturally. We share photos from our trips. We rave about the views we enjoyed and the wildlife we encountered. We invite our friends to join us on our next adventure. But, when it comes to talking about the policies that govern the public...
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Kirk Richardson: Alice Elshoff Award winner
For more than a decade, Kirk Richardson has been a strong voice for protecting Oregon’s high desert. He’s served on the Oregon Natural Desert Association Board of Directors, helped dream up the Live Monumental effort to protect areas like the Owyhee through his position at KEEN Footwear, and now is the recipient of the...
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Climate change in the sagebrush sea
Dr. Megan Creutzburg is a researcher at Oregon State University’s Institute for Natural Resources, where she provides technical coordination for the Oregon Sage Grouse Conservation Partnership (SageCon). With climate marches happening across the nation on Saturday, ONDA’s Corinne Handelman sat down with Megan for an interview about her research on sagebrush landscapes and climate change...
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