Stories from the Oregon Desert Trail

Courtesy of Carly Swisher

fact

Connecting Trails

Connecting Trails

The Oregon Desert Trail ties into two National Recreation Trails: the Fremont National Recreation Trail and Desert Trail.

voices

Ryan “Dirtmonger” Sylva, ODT thru-hiker 2017

Ryan “Dirtmonger” Sylva, ODT thru-hiker 2017

“To me, it’s a thru-hike in an isolated place that promotes a conversation in land management, ethics and usage. Hiking across a vast and remote landscape and having a random and chance encounter with cowboys and hunters to discuss how ‘all of us’ should treat the land, how we all have a responsibility, no matter our political leanings, really showed me the pulse of the people in rural areas, especially here out west.”

listen

Western Meadowlark Dawn Chorus

Western Meadowlark Dawn Chorus

  • The adventurer known as Douchpacker has both bikepacked and hiked sections of the route.

  • Oregon Desert Trail Coordinator Renee Patrick section hiked the entire route in 2016, including a "water alternate" packraft of the Owyhee, and also skied a short section of the route.

  • See the video section for more about Sage Clegg's biking portions of the ODT in 2013.

  • Runners can check out the videos above about Christof Teuscher's speed run of the ODT in 2015 & 2016, and Jeff Browning and Jesse Haynes trip in 2016.


  • Photo by Renee Patrick

If you have a blog or link from your trip that you would like to share, please send us the link, and we’ll get it posted.

Stories from the Oregon Desert Trail

Author: Renee Patrick  |   Category: Where-to Getting ready to go on a day-long, week-long or month-long adventure on the Oregon Desert Trail? You can learn so much by seeing how […]

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Where-to: Have the Most Incredible Picnic in the Owyhee

Author: Joanna Zhang  |  Published: June 24, 2021  |  Category: Where-to Take your outdoor dining experience to the next level with one of these scenic picnic spots in the Owyhee […]

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My Desert Adventure: Paddling Oregon’s Grand Canyon

Author: Ajay Sapre  |  Published: April 2, 2021  |  Category: Profile A Portlander comes to understand that a trip down the Owyhee is about more than chasing rapids — it’s about […]

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