Greater Hart-Sheldon Region
Jim Davis Website
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Aaron Tani, Sage Society Member
Aaron Tani, Sage Society Member
“It feels good to support ONDA on a monthly basis, because I know they never stop supporting our public lands. ONDA works to help make our lands a better place for the future, and I feel like I’m a part of that every month with my support.”
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Michelle Frisella, member since 2017
Michelle Frisella, member since 2017
So proud of ONDA and its members and volunteers. Such hard work gets done. To use an overused word, this is patriotism!
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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.
A Wildlife Stronghold Waiting to Be Explored
Imagine a place where more than 350 species of wildlife, from stately bighorn sheep to tiny pygmy rabbits, are found in an abundance you’d expect from remote Alaska or Yellowstone. This is the Greater Hart-Sheldon Region.
The public land of the Greater Hart-Sheldon Region spans from the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in southeastern Oregon to the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in northern Nevada. These refuges are collectively managed by federal land management agencies as the Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Between these two refuges, you’ll find other scenic public lands, including Beatys Butte, Hawk Mountain, and the Warner Valley.
This vast, remote, and wildlife-rich region is one of the largest intact swaths of sagebrush steppe left in the West. It has been recognized as one of the six most critical areas for the long-term survival of the Greater sage-grouse.
Where the Antelope Roam
Pronghorn, the fastest land mammal in North America, race across this region, as they migrate from one refuge to the other.
Both Sheldon and Hart Mountain refuges were initially established in the 1930s to protect the pronghorn antelope and the vast lands that support the species. Each refuge provides important habitats for pronghorn during different times of the year.
By collaring pronghorn, scientists identified critical pronghorn migrations routes and high-use areas in the region. The study found that pronghorn migrate between the two refuges and that the animals heavily rely on an area of unprotected Bureau of Land Management land between the two refuges known as Beatys Butte in the winter.
Petroglyphs Depict a Deep Cultural History
The past is present in the Greater Hart-Sheldon Region. The area holds one of the richest cultural resource records in North America due to the number and age of sites known to have been utilized by people for thousands of years. Recent efforts to date prehistoric sites in the Hart-Sheldon region and across eastern Oregon’s high desert have documented some of the oldest known evidence of human habitation in North America.
Petroglyphs are often found among the region’s large boulders and rock gardens. These artistic depictions lead viewers to wonder who created these carvings, and why. The visual history captured in rock art helps people today understand the past of the people who have lived in this stunning part of Oregon for thousands of years.
Our Favorite Places in the Greater Hart-Sheldon Region
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Where To Stay
Our picks for campsites and cabins in the region.
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Where to Eat
What you need to know about your options for fueling yourself for adventure.
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Activities
There's so much to discover in this wide-open country. Here are a few highlights.
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Resources
A collection of links and further reading to help you plan your exploration.
Our Commitment
Oregon Natural Desert Association works closely with land managers to protect the region’s most outstanding public land and promote ecosystem health. In the face of development pressures, we’re advocating for the protection of essential public lands between the two refuges, preserving critical wildlife habitat, cultural resources, and the natural values of the area people have come to know and love. For more than 20 years, ONDA has organized restoration projects to remove unneeded barbed-wire fence from Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge. This effort, in coordination with other groups, took 300 miles of fence off the refuge, taking down barriers for pronghorn and other wildlife, and allowing them to roam freely across this landscape. And, to grow public participation on our conservation efforts, ONDA is raising the profile of this spectacular, but little-known region through films and photography and by providing informational resources, like our Visitors Guide.
Questions?
To learn more about this region, contact Jeremy Austin, our Greater Hart-Sheldon Region Coordinator, at jeremy@onda.org or call (541) 330-2638.
Protecting the Greater sage-grouse
The Greater sage-grouse, a bird native to Oregon’s high desert and other parts of the West, faces serious threats to its survival due to habitat loss caused by poorly managed livestock grazing, invasive species, wildfire, energy development and other human land uses. ONDA is taking positive, proactive steps to ensure that sage-grouse are protected for […]
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