Horse Heaven and Cathedral Rock

Tyler Roemer   Website

John Day River Basin

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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Western Rattlesnake

Western Rattlesnake

Also known as the Great Basin Rattlesnake, these pit vipers have buff-tan coloring and small, oval blotches to blend into their arid surroundings. Small heat-sensing indentations on each side of the snake’s snout detects warm-blooded prey for better striking accuracy in the dark. Source: The Oregon Encyclopedia

Latin name: Crotalus oreganus lutosus

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Stewardship Pronghorn Fence

Stewardship Pronghorn Fence

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Spring Basin Wilderness

Spring Basin Wilderness

With 10,000 acres of undulating terrain, secluded canyons and spectacular vantages of the John Day Country, Spring Basin is magnificent to explore This public treasure, forever protected as Wilderness, offers a profusion of desert wildflowers in the spring and year-round recreational opportunities for hikers, horseback riders, hunters

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Wildlife thrive in a range of homes

Mid-Columbia summer steelhead, Ferruginous Hawk and a range of wildlife thrive here. The area is particularly important winter habitat for deer, elk, and antelope.

Tyler Roemer   Website

Tyson Fisher   Website

Jim Davis   Website

Currently, both Cathedral Rock and Horse Heaven have “checkerboard” land ownership patterns, with squares of public and private land, which makes them hard to access without the concern of trespassing.

Opening land to the public

ONDA’s work will bring new conservation protection to these lands and will modify ownership and access. When we’re done, our work will open 17,000 acres of land to the public. Doing so will dramatically improve opportunities to hunt, fish, hike, camp, and explore.