Did you know that there is a high desert region in the state of Oregon? When most travelers think of Oregon, they undoubtedly envision lush evergreen rainforests, mountains, and alpine lakes. However, Oregon’s high desert located east of the Cascade Mountain range makes up roughly a quarter of all land in Oregon! When we left Portland for the Painted Hills, we had no idea just how magical our 5-day trip would become. Our Eastern Oregon road trip locations included several notable stops. Stops included the before-mentioned Painted Hills, Owyhee Canyonlands, Steens Mountain, Alvord Desert Playa and Borax Hot Springs, and Smith Rock State Park.
If you have more than 5 days, there are several other places in Eastern Oregon’s high desert to visit. There is a trail where you can view the wagon ruts from the original Oregon Trail. Hells Canyon and the Wallowa Mountains are a must as well. There’s even an enormous crack in the ground called, well, Crack in the Ground, that was formed by volcanic activity. Below is a walkthrough of each location we visited, with some insider tips we picked up along the way.
Day 1: Are the Painted Hills in Oregon Worth Visiting?
The Painted Hills are a geological wonder located in Wheeler County, Oregon. The hills are part of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument and are renowned for their vibrant, colorful layers of stratified rock, formed over millions of years by volcanic activity, ancient floods, and erosion.
The hills are named for their vivid hues, which range from deep reds to bright yellows, oranges, and golds, and appear to change color depending on the light and time of day. The area is also rich in fossilized plant and animal remains, providing important insights into the region’s prehistoric ecosystems. However, the Forest Service strongly discourages the collection of fossils anywhere in the National Monument, so please refrain so that all can enjoy them. Don’t forget to practice Leave No Trace principles!
Things to do at Painted Hills, Oregon
If you live in the Portland area, you can take Highway 26 East all the way to the Painted Hills, which are a popular destination for hikers, photographers, and nature enthusiasts, and there are several trails and overlooks in the area that offer stunning views of the landscape. In fact, you can take Highway 26 for an entire Eastern Oregon road trip on its own. The national monument also includes two other units, the Sheep Rock and Clarno units, each with its own unique geological formations and fossil finds.
What to expect
If you go in the winter as we did, the colors of the hills are still incredibly stunning, and you may have the place to yourself as we did! The landscape is as close to being on the surface of Mars as you can get! The trails are easy to walk with only moderate elevation, and the park is enormous. There are several sections to visit, and there’s something for everyone in the family. Highly recommend it, and make sure you visit the boardwalk while you are there!
Where we stayed overnight
Continuing on Highway 26 East, we traveled through the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, and that entire drive is absolutely incredible; rock formations are everywhere, and views you would never expect in Oregon. Our destination was the Holiday Inn in Ontario. Ontario is a small town split in half by the Oregon-Idaho border. the Holiday Inn was a cost-effective choice, and we only needed it for one night. Why do I include these details? Because I wouldn’t stay there for more than one night! Amenities were lite, and the hotel is maintained at an “acceptable” level. Standards must be low out there because the hotel has a great Google rating. Really any of the hotels in this area will do for an overnight stay.
We headed out to dinner at the Tacos El Zarape in Ontario. We waited for our food for about 30 minutes even though the place was sparsely populated, and we brought our food back to the hotel room. Several items from our order were missing when we unpacked everything, and the food was meh. Oh well, they can’t all be winners, and we got a good night’s sleep before venturing back out on the road the next morning.
Ontario was a solid place to stop because it helped us transition easily from Highway 26 East to Highway 95 South. We took Highway 95 most of the way to Leslie Gulch and the Owyhee Canyonlands.
Day 2: Why is it Called the Owyhee Canyonlands?
The Owyhee Canyonlands is a vast and remote wilderness area located near Jordan Valley, Oregon. It covers more than 2 million acres of rugged and scenic terrain, including deep canyons, towering cliffs, and rolling sagebrush-covered hills. If you’re planning Eastern Oregon road trip locations, Owyhee is a must-see!
The Owyhee Canyonlands is home to a diverse range of plant and animal life, including rare and endangered species such as the California bighorn sheep and the greater sage-grouse. The area is also rich in cultural and historical significance, with evidence of human habitation dating back thousands of years.
The uncharted frontier is filled with unseen wonders and immense dangers
The term “Owyhee” comes from the original Wild West English spelling of “Hawaii.” Did you know that several Hawaiian immigrants assisted pioneers to discover and settle land in the 1800s? The most widely accepted explanation for the name comes from a tale of exploration and tragedy.
Donald Mackenzie, a brigade leader for the Canadian North West Company was leading yearlong trapping expeditions on the Snake and Columbia Rivers in the Oregon Territory in the early 1800s.
About one-third of Mackenzie’s men on his 1818-1820 Snake River expedition were Kanakas, the term used for Hawaiian immigrants living in the Western United States. Mackenzie and his party spent winters among the Snake Indians in 1819 and 1820.
Peter T. Young’s blog on the topic is a worthwhile read. Here is how he describes the story,
“Mackenzie sent three of his Kanakas to another area to hunt beaver. However, the men never returned to camp. Mackenzie sent out a search party which “found the place where they had been hunting, and where they had been murdered (believed to be by a band of Bannock Indians;) the skeleton of one of them was found, but nothing else.”
The river in the area was thereafter known as the Owyhee (in honor of the three Hawaiians.) (Some early references also note the name as “Sandwich Island River.”)
The earliest surviving record of the name is found on a map dating to 1825, drawn by William Kittson (who was previously with Donald Mackenzie in 1819-1820.)
Things to do in the Owyhee Canyonlands of Oregon
The Owyhee Canyonlands remain unprotected, and the area is nearly the size of Yellowstone, with no state governance or funding. This means that while there are several sections in this area, the roads alternate between pavement and gravel. There are several areas where the road is uneven and on the edge of steep cliffs, so make sure you have a vehicle with AWD or 4×4 and some decent tires.
Once out there, the area is separated into several gulches, including Leslie Gulch (a must), Timber Gulch, and Juniper Gulch. Cathedrals of ancient volcanic rock and several rock spires rise from the ground here. Rumor has it you can find Oregon Thundereggs in Leslie Gulch, although we never found any. There are several trails out here that take you up to the high cliffs of the rocks, and the views are incredible. Juniper Gulch offers the best opportunity for day hiking and elevated views.
The Owyhee River is stunning as well, and there are many local agencies offering rafting tours throughout its entire length.
Camping, fishing, rock climbing, and birding are all popular activities in the Owyhee area. I got my drone out here and had a ball all day while flying around the tops of the rocks.
Where we stayed overnight
After leaving the Canyonlands we traveled to Fields Station Motel. The sun was setting as we arrived, and we were treated to brilliant, vibrant colors emerging from behind Steens Mountain and the Pueblo Mountain range. There was a 60-mile (yes, SIXTY) gravel road on the way into the Alvord Desert. I white-knuckled that drive a bit but tried to enjoy the pronghorn sheep and cattle as we drove in. Fields Station Motel has a very Bates Motelesque appearance, but the owner is very friendly and accommodating. Fields Station also includes a local market, gas station, and dinner spot, all run by the same owner.
You must be enthusiastic about the “middle of nowhere” concept to appreciate this place. The entire town of Fields, Oregon has a population of around 100 people, and amenities are slim. Our goal was to wake up and immediately hit the Alvord Desert Playa before crossing over Steens Mountain back toward Bend.
Where we found dinner
The town of Fields doesn’t actually have any restaurants, so we headed south on Highway 205 into Denio, Nevada. Just a few hundred feet from the border was a little dive called the Diamond Inn Bar. This bar at night was like something out of a Hollywood western. The place seemed to be lost in time. Old-timer cowboys at the bar, a pool table where the kids were playing, and a shuffleboard that has seen some better days. The burgers we ordered were amazing, and the locals were very friendly. Leave politics and your masks in the car if you’re planning a stop here. You won’t find Fields, Oregon on many Eastern Oregon road trip locations lists, but it’s definitely a cultural experience like no other.
We headed back to the motel quickly after dinner. Our goal was to wake up and immediately hit the Alvord Desert Playa at sunrise before crossing over Steens Mountain back toward Bend.
Day 3: Can You Drive on the Alvord Desert?
The Alvord Desert is a remote desert located in the extreme southeastern part of Oregon. It is a (mostly) dry lake bed that stretches for about 84 square miles (217 square kilometers) and is surrounded by mountains on all sides.
The Alvord Desert is known for its unique landscape, which includes salt flats, hot springs, and rugged terrain. Some of the hot springs are owned and operated by locals, while others are not. We visited Borax Lake on the Alvord Desert Playa. We missed our turn-in and ended up driving over sagebrush to reach the lake. However, the lifted 4Runner had no trouble driving on this surface, and in February the soil is dry and bitterly cold. We had no trouble driving on the playa, although, in the fall and spring, the locals warn of soft spots where tourists often get stuck.
Borax Lake
Borax Lake’s water stays year-round at about 105 degrees. It was quite the contrast to the 20-degree Fahrenheit weather in February! The Alvord Desert Playa surrounding Borax Lake looks like it’s covered in snow, but it’s actually very white salt that accumulates as the soil dries. This place might actually be better in the summer if you want photos of the famous dry scales of dirt on the playa.
Again, we were the only people out there all morning. I got the drone out and got several shots of the desert playa with Steens Mountain and the Pueblo Mountains rising in the distance. Steens Mountain looks like a very long mountain range, but it’s technically just one mountain with several smaller high points surrounding it. If you are in the middle of an Eastern Oregon road trip, the drive through the Steens Mountain area is worth it on its own.
Day 4: Headed Towards Home from the Alvord Desert to Bend
After leaving the Alvord Desert Playa, we drove through the Steens Mountain area and were treated to views of old Wild West homesteads lost to time. There were also several places to stop to view the valley from views perched high up on the rocks. We also had to dodge several cattle crossings and clean some cow pies off the 4Runner’s steps when we arrived in Bend.
When we arrived in Bend, we caught the sunset from the top of Pilot Butte. On a clear day on Pilot Butte, you can see several mountain peaks such as the Three Sisters and Broken Top, Mount Jefferson, Mount Bachelor, and more.
Where we found dinner
We are avid pho eaters, but honestly, we were really disappointed with our takeout order. Just couldn’t have any luck with our meal choices aside from the Diamond Bar Inn. I forge the name of the place, but that’s because their food was forgettable. But we were on this trip more for the sights, and a couple of bad meals weren’t going to ruin our time.
Where we stayed for the night
In Bend, we stayed at the Riverhouse on the Deschutes. This is a very well-maintained hotel, and our room was very clean. There is a pool and hot tub here, with high-speed internet and several other amenities. Highly recommend!
Day 5: Smith Rock is an absolute gem
Smith Rock State Park is a popular outdoor recreation area located in Terrebonne, Oregon, about a 45-minute drive north of Bend. The park is known for its towering rock formations, scenic hiking trails, and world-class rock climbing opportunities. We might consider Smith Rock to be more of a Central Oregon attraction than an Eastern Oregon road trip location, and fair enough. But I included it here because it was on the way home and a perfect mid-point.
The park covers over 650 acres and is situated along the Crooked River, with the towering Smith Rock formation serving as its centerpiece. The rock formation, which rises over 500 feet above the surrounding landscape, is a popular destination for rock climbers from around the world.
In addition to rock climbing, Smith Rock State Park offers a variety of other recreational activities, including hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and wildlife viewing. The park is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including eagles, hawks, and river otters.
Some of the most popular hiking trails in the park include the Misery Ridge Trail, which begins below Monkey Face Rock and offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The Crooked River winds around the entire park, and drones are allowed here as long as they don’t disturb the park’s visitors.
Make sure to get to this parking lot early, as this park is popular year-round. You will have to pay for parking, but it’s definitely worth it! I recommend doing the canyon trail left to right from the parking lot, so you can hit Misery Ridge in the middle and cut back toward the parking lot on the backside of the rock. There truly isn’t a bad view in this park, but you’ll need strong knees and calves to get to the top of Misery Ridge (it’s called that for good reason!). Misery Ridge is a series of switchbacks straight up the side of the rock, but the payoff is unparalleled views from the top.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed reading about our Eastern Oregon road trip. There is certainly no one way to view everything in Eastern Oregon, but we found that doing it this way allowed us to see everything on our itinerary without rushing, and going in mid-February was amazing. Having these places mostly to ourselves (except Smith Rock) was worth bundling up and bearing the cold. Other tips:
- Gas up wherever you can, and bring an extra jug of gas just in case. There are long stretches of road without help and you don’t want to get stranded.
- If you can, bring a spare tire and a way to change it. Rocks, sticks, and other debris are everywhere out there.
- If you’re staying in Eastern Oregon overnight, plan to camp, or embrace the simple things in life. There are no extravagant hotels out here, but there are places to lay your head if you’re not into camping.
- Bring a cooler and plenty of snacks. As with gas stations, restaurants, and markets become sparse when you’re nowhere near any towns. When you fuel up, make sure to restock the cooler too!
If you’re still reading this, congrats on the stamina! I look forward to sharing more places with you via this blog and make sure to check out Walupt Creek Falls if you’re ever in Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
