West Side of the Steens, Harney County, Oregon

Reflected in the pale blue water of Benson Pond, Steens Mountain dominates the distant horizon in the shimmering high desert air. A slight breeze rustles the leaves of a few hardy trees. Your horse’s tail swishes impatiently. You lean back in the saddle and wipe the dust from your face with a faded blue bandana.

Okay, it is more likely you will be in an air conditioned car and wiping sun screen on your face. But things haven’t changed much since transportation meant horseback in the southeast corner of Oregon. Harney County is 10,200 square miles of wide open
spaces and a total population of around 7,600. Well over half of those people live in the twin “cities” of Burns and Hines. You’ve come to the right place to “get away from it all.”

Steens Mountain, the most formidable feature of the county, stretches for miles and rises to 9,733 feet. It is also the site of Oregon’s newest Wilderness Area. In summer, bump along a gravel loop road on the gentle west slope to within a half-mile of the summit, passing campgrounds, alpine lakes and fantastic glacier-carved gorges, including the Kiger Gorge. In the fall, campgrounds fill with hunters. Winter snows collect on the mountain, then, come spring, flow in rivulets and streams to eventually form the Blitzen River, where fishermen (and women) can try their luck.

Snow melt from the Steens spreads through the Malheur Basin, forming one of the premier birding areas in Oregon. We, along with the other birding faithful, flock to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters during spring and fall migration to check the list of bird sightings and watch white pelicans soar over Malheur Lake.

In the Diamond Craters area, the results of volcanic activity are still raw. Domes, craters and the twisted rope-like remnants of the last big lava flow are visible from the road and invite further exploration. More evidence that the earth may not be finished forming here are the hot springs bubbling up in Alvord and Crystal Crane, and a real live geyser at Mickey Hot Springs.

While you can drive for miles and not see a house, car or people, there are a few signs of man’s activities. One of the most fascinating is the Peter French Round Barn, where Peter French and his cowboys spent winters breaking horses in the late 1800's. Now the only critters there are hundreds of cliff swallows, their mud nests forming an avian apartment house all over the ceiling of the barn.

Though it seems a world apart the population centers of Oregon or Idaho, Boise is only 190 miles to the east of Burns, and Portland, Oregon is about 5 hours away by car--not a long way to go for a trip back in time.

Pilot Butte-Bend, Oregon

One of the most prominent features in Bend is also a state park, with a swirling 1.1 mile roadside trail gaining 500 feet to the top. A large circular platform offers 360 degree views with interpretive signs and mountain and butte identifying markers.  Early travelers coming from the east used the butte to "pilot" them to an area where the Deschutes River could be forded.

From 3rd St/Hwy 97 business route in Bend, turn toward Burns on Hwy 20/Greenwood Rd. Look for the State Park sign.

Lava Cast Forest

Part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, this one mile trail gets you up close and personal with the results of volcanic lava flows.

Drive south of Bend to Cottonwood Rd., 14.8 miles on Hwy. 97. This route is temporary while work continues at the Sunriver exchange. Bright orange signs show the detour route. Brown signs take over once you reach the detour’s end. Travel eleven miles from the highway, most of it over a gravel road to road’s end. As this is a fee site, a Forest Pass or Golden Age Passport is necessary. A day pass can be purchased on site and picnic tables are available for a quick lunch.

The paved path begins from the top of the parking area at the end of the road and we recommend that you start here because of the layout of the path. Be sure to pick up a brochure for the interpretative markers along the trail.

This trail could be named the Sensory Trail. Sights include the lava molds and the bleached and twisted remains of trees that temporarily survived the lava outpouring. You will also see Mt. Bachelor, the Three Sisters, Broken Top and the northwest rim of Newberry Crater. Listen to the breeze sigh through the trees, the metallic clink of volcanic stones striking together and the songs of rock wren. Smell the ponderosa forest, fresh air at elevation and the occasional whiff of flowering wild currant. Even on a cool morning, feel the heat waves off the black rock. Run your fingers over the smoothed surface of lava re-melted in the fiery revenge of burning trees sent to their grave by the onslaught.

Shevlin Park-Bend, Oregon

Just outside of Bend lies this very nice park for hiking, biking or picnicking. Trails criss-cross the park, but the two main trails are the Tumalo Creek Trail and a loop trail of 4.7 miles (ignore the signs that say it's 6 miles, we measured it with a GPS unit). Drive the center road to reach the various stream side picnic areas and a covered bridge at Hixson Crossing. The paved road ends at the Fremont Meadow picnic area—large RVs will have difficulty turning around there.

To take the loop trail, drive west on Shevlin Park Road from Bend and turn left into the park just after crossing Tumalo Creek. Park in the parking lot adjacent to the road. Walk past the entrance gate and immediately turn left onto a trail that begins through an aspen grove. Take the left fork, which crosses the creek via a foot bridge. Follow the loop trail signs to climb to the valley rim which, for nearly the first mile, straddles a 1990 fire line. After joining a wider path for about ¼ mile turn right, then fork right, back into the unburned ponderosa forest. After 1.8 miles, veer right again to descend to a creekside meadow and a short footbridge. The trail then climbs before descending again to cross another, longer footbridge. Look for American dippers on the rocks and, if we were better at botany, we could pick out the rare Engleman Spruces here.

Just past this bridge, the trail begins its loop back. At a confusing intersection near the bridge, follow the trail pointer in the direction of the park entrance, left of the dirt road. Climb gradually to the opposite valley rim. You will see the paved road to your right most of the way back and get a view of the covered bridge. Continue on the trail without getting confused with a dirt road to a supply yard. (The trail is skinnier). The trail then gradually descends to the paved road. Turn left to return to your car. Download a park map here.