Autumn – The Best Time to Visit Oregon’s Desert?

Greg Burke   Website

watch

Sage-grouse Mating Dance

Sage-grouse Mating Dance

voices

John Cunningham, ONDA member and volunteer

John Cunningham, ONDA member and volunteer

Restoration is hard slow work. It takes hold, or it doesn’t, in fits and starts. The immensity of the need can be discouraging, but we must carry on. I am so thankful ONDA carries on.

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Helen Harbin on Wildlife

Helen Harbin on Wildlife

Cottonwood Canyon State Park

Enjoy 8,000 acres more or less to yourself

Jessica Brothers

Savor solitude and scenery along the John Day River

Rugged and vast, Cottonwood Canyon State Park holds vertical cliffs carved by the John Day River, deep canyons and arid, rocky grasslands that extend for miles in all directions. With 8,000-plus acres open for exploration in the park and another 10,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands surrounding the park,
you’ll have no shortage of room to roam in this unique landscape.

For hiking, you can take the Pinnacles Trail or the Lost Corral Trail to follow either side of the John Day
River downstream. Each is 4.3 miles one way. Upstream, the Hard Stone Trail travels 1.5 miles one way and is open to foot traffic only. Or, you can strike out on your own and follow old, unmaintained ranching roads that lead into the backcountry. The J.S. Burres day-use area is a popular boat launch for rafts, kayaks, canoes and drift boats. For anglers, the John Day River has steelhead, catfish, carp and smallmouth bass.

Be sure to carry plenty of water as potable water is available only at the developed day-use area and in the
campground. Note that the park doesn’t have cell phone coverage anywhere.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS The park is located on Highway 206 between Condon and Wasco. Coming from Portland, the park is about 25 miles southeast of Biggs Junction, where you exit Interstate 84. From Highway 97 north or southbound, turn onto Highway 206 at Wasco and drive for 15 miles to the park entrance. You’ll see the main park entrance sign from the highway.

Big Indian Gorge

Cooler temps and stunning fall color make this hike in the Steens Mountain region an excellent choice for autumn

Barb Rumer

Enjoy aspen and waterfalls in the Steens

To travel into the heart of the Steens Mountain Wilderness, take the Big Indian Gorge Trail to the headwall of the gorge, passing through meadows as well as cottonwood and aspen groves.

It’s easy to follow for the first 7 miles and then it fades away and becomes a cross-country hike. There are three stream crossings along the way, which can be difficult or impassable at times during spring and early summer, but should be easily crossed in fall. The U-shaped gorges, carved by glaciers, are sure to amaze, as will the waterfalls. A number of primitive campsites exist along the way.

For those hikers interested in turning the round-trip hike into a one-way trip with a shuttle on the far end,
plan for a climb out of the gorge to the Steens Loop Road and to add two miles, for a ten-mile one-way
trip. From South Steens Campground hike up the gorge until the trail starts to disappear. The drainage on
the north side of Big Indian Gorge is your exit, and is a steep 2,000’ cross-country hike up and out of the
canyon. There are intermittent traces of a trail, and you may find yourself crossing back and forth over the
seasonal creek on your climb out.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS From Burns, take State Highway 78 southeast for approximately 2 miles. Turn right onto State Highway 205 and travel south for 60 miles to Frenchglen. Travel approximately 9 miles, then turn left on the Steens Mountain Loop Road south entrance. The trailhead is found in the South Steens Campground, which is just over 18 miles from State Highway 205.

Hot Springs Campground

Combine birding with hot spring soaking and this spacious campground in the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge

Mark Darnell   Website

Soak up the silence

As the name implies, you’ll find a great soaking at the Hot Springs Campground located in the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge. Soakers can choose between two hot springs – the protected comfort of a 6-foot deep pool surrounded by wind-blocking stone walls, or a primitive pool hidden off a closed road on the backside of the parking area.

In a short stroll from this 29-site campground, you’re likely to see many birds, including Northern Harriers, Bullock’s Orioles, Yellow Warblers and Greater Sage-Grouse. Cold Creek and Bond Creek flow in from the south and southeast respectively, joining forces to create Rock Creek. Each of these riparian corridors forms long arms that extend out from the center of the basin and abound with designated campsites and hiking opportunities.

Autumn is a particularly pleasant time to visit, as the aspen trees that fill Hart Mountain’s numerous draws
and basins turn fiery red, orange and yellow, accenting the already dramatic topography of the fault block
mountain’s eastern flank. At 5,600 feet in elevation, this time of year brings the possibility of snowfall,
creating stark contrasts between the red rocks, green lichens and golden foliage.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS From the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge headquarters, head south
following signs for the Hot Springs Campground. About a mile down the well-graded gravel road, the
road splits. Stay right, following signs for the Hot Springs Campground, which is roughly 4 miles south of
headquarters.

Five for Fall

Download the descriptions for these three adventures, plus two more desert outings.

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Safety Tips

Following these suggestions will help you travel safely through the high desert of eastern Oregon and enjoy fragile places responsibly.   

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Autumn – The Best Time to Visit Oregon’s Desert?

By on September 4, 2019 | Posted in: Where-to

Spring, summer and winter are all strong contenders, but there’s mounting evidence that autumn could be the very best season to visit Oregon’s high desert. Consider … Temperature – Daytime highs are in the 70s, not the dripping-brow 90s and nighttime lows are in the lovely-for- sleeping 30s, not the teens. Color – Yes,...

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Boots, Bikes and Boats in Eastern Oregon

By on August 27, 2019 | Posted in:

As central Oregon’s trails become more and more popular, consider looking east for that next adventure and a sense of solitude. Learn about opportunities in and around the Steens Mountain Wilderness, Fremont-Winema National Forest and John Day River region. Oregon Desert Trail Coordinator Renee Patrick will share ideas for your next hiking, biking or...

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Only You Can Prevent
Sagebrush Fires

By on July 1, 2019 | Posted in: How-To

You might think of forests when you think “wildfire,” but, as OPB reported in May, nearly 75 percent of all acres burned in the west over the past two decades were on rangelands — not forest. As someone who lives in or visits sagebrush country, you have an important responsibility to help prevent human-caused...

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Carl Axelsen, member since 1999

By on June 6, 2019 | Posted in:

You folks at ONDA really have your stuff together. Such a well-planned opportunity to comment, since figuring out how to connect with the gummint is off-putting. You make it work for me.

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The Oregon Desert Trail

By on April 24, 2019 | Posted in:

Join the Oregon Desert Trail Coordinator Renee Patrick for an introduction to a long-distance adventure in Harney County. This 750-mile route traverses some stunning natural features in the high desert like the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge and Steens Mountain, and can be explored on foot, horseback, boat or even skis in the winter....

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Dark Desert Skies

By on March 29, 2019 | Posted in: How-To, Where-to

For those of us who have spent time in Oregon’s high desert, there is no need to explain how truly dark skies showcase the wonders of the stars viewable by the naked eye. Night skies relatively free from light pollution — that is, human-created artificial lighting and atmospheric disturbances such as smog — will...

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Steens Mountain Travel Plan

By on March 12, 2019 | Posted in:

Current Status Victorious! On appeal, the Ninth Circuit threw out BLM’s unlawful travel plan and critical wildlife habitat on Steens Mountain in southeastern Oregon has been protected from motorized disruption. Our goal Steens Mountain is one of the last remaining strongholds for the Greater sage-grouse, an iconic bird whose survival is threatened by fragmentation...

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Steens Mountain Fence Flagging with BHA

By on February 21, 2019 | Posted in:

Our second year partnering with BHA to flag barbed wire fence on Steens Mountain to prevent sage-grouse collisions.

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Malheur Refuge Fence Mapping

Malheur Refuge Fence Mapping

By on February 21, 2019 | Posted in:

Locate and map fence within the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge for future removal or retrofit projects.

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Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Fence Pull

By on February 21, 2019 | Posted in:

Our annual work trip to the Malheur Refuge to remove obsolete fence near the refuge headquarters.

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