The High Desert of Harney County is a far cry from the Oregon west of the Cascades. Covered with juniper and sagebrush, and dotted with dramatic mountain ranges, this is true frontier country, a remnant of the wild west.

The High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway guides you through the heart of this sparsely populated region, offering broad panoramas of wide-open spaces so seldom encountered today. This byway serves as a gateway to awe-inspiring Steens Mountain, the Diamond Craters, the Malheur Refuge, the Peter French Round Barn and the Alvord Desert. It's austere beauty offers incredible solitude; alone in the high desert, you feel a bit like a cowboy or pioneer from another era. As a modern day pioneer exploring this frontier, plan accordingly as basic services are few and far between.

Scenic Byway Map

Discovery Map

Burns to the Refuge

The High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway begins at Burns, which rests at the junction of HIghways 20, 78 and 395. From Burns, proceed south on Highway 205. Wright's Point provides stunning views of the Blue Mountains to the north and Steens Mountain to the south. At the Narrows interpretive site, Mud Lake and Harney Lake offer pleasant vistas to the west. To the east, Malheur Lake and the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge offers a veritable oasis amidst the arid range lands. The Refuge stretches 39 miles wide and 40 miles long, and is home to 320 bird species. Spring is the most spectacular season. Northern pintails and tundra swans begin to arrive, followed by sandhill cranes and large concentrations of snow, Ross' and white-fronted geese. Waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds hit high number peaks as well. As the flurry of migration settles, broods of trumpeter swans and other waterfowl can be seen on most Refuge ponds and migrant shorebirds congregate on mud flats and alkali playas. Activity increases again in the fall as migration begins. One of the Refuge's greatest attractions occurs when greater sandhill cranes "stage," or gather, in the southern Blitzen Valley. Also look for large flocks of ducks, Canada geese and tundra swans. Winter is the quietest season at the Refuge, although a variety of raptors, including bald eagles and rough-legged hawks can be seen.

On to Frenchglen

Skirting the marshes of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, you'll soon pass the turnoff for the Diamond Loop Tour Route, which leads to the Peter French Round Barn. Continue to follow the route that parallels ancient basalt flows until you reach the southern end of the Blitzen Valley and the community of Frenchglen. Frenchglen provides services for Steen Mountain visitors and is the point of departure for the Steens Loop Tour Route. You may also access the Donner und Blitzen River from here which offers excellent angling for redband trout, a species of rainbow trout indigenous to the high desert region. Outdoor activities within the area include hiking, horseback riding, camping, birding, fishing and winter recreation.  One of the focal points of Frenchglen is the historic Frenchglen Hotel which was built in the mid-1920s and remodeled in 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  It’s an excellent example of American Foursquare architecture and is still open today, providing lodging and family-style meals. 

Mr. French and Mr. Glen

In the 1850s, word of the lush grassland around current day Frenchglen attracted stockmen, who moved their cattle to the region.  Among them was John W. "Peter" French, who arrived from California in 1872 with 1000 head under the auspices of Hugh Glen, a wealthy California stock owner and his father-in- law.  French soon fenced the entire Blitzen River Valley for his herd numbering over 40,000.  Some valley residents resented French and his empire.  In 1897, he was allegedly shot and killed by a homesteader named Ed Oliver over a fencing dispute; Oliver was acquitted.

Catlow Rim to Fields

Heading south from Frenchglen, you’ll soon pass the turnoff for the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.  This primitive road leads to the 275,000 acres of high-desert habitat that was set aside in 1936 to provide spring, summer and fall range for the region’s pronghorn antelope herds.  Continuing south, Route 205 parallels Catlow Rim and Catlow Valley, home to some of the region’s wild horse herds and big horn sheep which can frequently be seen from the road.  The High Desert Discovery Byway ends in the ranching community of Fields.  At the turn of the century, borax was collected around Borax Lake, providing a significant source of revenue.  Fields is an excellent staging area for outdoor adventures in the nearby Trout Creek and Pueblo Mountains.  The privately owned Alvord Hot Springs is currently open for public use.  Fields offers some essential traveler’s services such as food, gas and lodging.  From here, you can loop north on the East Steens Tour Route, which ends back in Burns.

Distance: 131 miles

Minimum Time:  5-7 hours

Best Time:  Late Spring through the Fall, year round is OK too.

Winding through a variety of high desert habitats, the Diamond Loop Tour Route offers views of the high desert from mountains to the sage covered hills.  The route offers opportunities to view wild life, historic ranches of the Diamond Valley, the Round Barn, along with the geologic formations of the Diamond Craters.

Diamond Loop Map

Along the Marsh

You’ll begin on the Diamond Loop Tour Route by heading east on South Diamond Lane, through the southern section of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.  An important stopping point along the Pacific Flyway, the Refuge offers a wonderful opportunity for viewing of a variety of bird species from waterfowl and shorebirds to hawks and eagles.  Mule deer and antelope also make their home here. 

Diamond in the Rough

Diamond is a small ranching community that takes its name from rancher Mace McCoy’s diamond brand.  It was established as a major supply center for ranchers, sheepherders, and travelers.  Today, the town of Diamond has the Pete French Round Barn, the Round Barn Visitor's Center, the recently renovated Hotel Diamond, and a few residences.  East of Diamond, an eleven mile dirt road leads to the Kiger Mustangs Viewing Area.  These distinctive wild horses are believed to closely resemble the horses brought to North America by the Spaniards in the late 16th century. (Recommended for 4-wheel drive, high clearance vehicles and dry weather travel only.)

Historic Round Barn

Continuing north, you’ll reach the Peter French Round Barn, built in the late 1870's or early 1880's by its namesake.  The barn is 100 feet in diameter featuring a 60-foot round stone corral surrounded by a 20-foot wide outer circle paddock with an umbrella-type center truss and centrally supported rafters.  Its unusual design was perfectly suited for its purpose:  breaking horses during long eastern Oregon winters.  A recently constructed Visitor Center at the site offers exhibits and souvenirs. 

Diamond Craters

Driving west on Lava Beds Road, you’ll soon come to Diamond Craters Outstanding Natural Area, home to some of America’s most diverse basaltic volcanic formations.  The craters were formed when molten basalt spilled from fissures in the earth and flooded in a thin layer over a dry lake bed.  Before the initial layer cooled completely, more basaltic magma injected underneath, creating six arching structural domes.  A self-guided tour highlights Lava Pit Crater, Graben Dome and other noteworthy features of the site. 

Distance: 69 miles 

Minimum Time:  3-5 hours

Best Time:  Year round, however April through November is the best time. 

Steens Loop Tour Route

This 59-mile loop departs from Frenchglen and climbs to the top of Steens Mountain, which rests in the clouds at nearly 10,000 feet.  Along the way, you’ll have ample opportunities to view wildlife and take in the grandeur of a national treasure. 

Steens Loop Map

Remarkable Rocks

Steens Mountain is an example of a fault-block mountain, formed when massive internal pressure forced the east edge upward along a fault line.  From the east rim overlook, the Steens Mountain drops over a vertical mile to the Alvord Desert floor.   There are five major glaciated canyons on the Steens.  The Kiger Gorge overlook offers the visitor a breathtaking opportunity to stand at the headwall of a classic textbook example of a massive “U” shaped canyon.

The Dry and the Moist

Steens Mountain acts as a great moisture collector, creating vastly different ecosystems from the valley floor to the mountain top.  While the upper west slope of the mountain may receive as much as 25” of precipitation, the Alvord Desert in its shadow receives less than six inches.  Making your way to the summit, take note of evolving plant life.  Sagebrush dominates in the lower, drier environs, giving way to dense stands of juniper, then quaking aspen and mountain mahogany as the moisture levels increase.  Cattlemen, as well as Irish and Basque sheepherders, were once drawn to the upper mountain in the summer to graze their stock on the lush meadows that thrive there.

Abundant Wildlife 

Many animals are drawn to Steens’ unique habitats.  Bighorn sheep can sometimes be spotted negotiating rocky escarpments; pronghorn antelope, mule deer and elk also call the mountain home.  Raptors, including golden eagles, the largest raptor on Steens Mountain, can often be seen riding the updrafts in search of prey.  The end of the tour loop winds through wild horse country.  The South Steens Wild Horse Herd descended from mustangs that escaped from early explorers, Indians, settlers, miners, and ranchers.  The herd is managed by the Bureau of Land Management to preserve their wild, free-roaming nature.  Spotting one of these wild mustangs is an exclamation point on a remarkable drive.

Outdoor enthusiasts can seek a wilderness experience in the backcountry of the Steens or stay at several campgrounds with drinking water and vault toilets located along the loop: Page Springs, Fish Lake, Jackman Park, and South Steens.

Distance: 59 miles

Minimum Time:  3-5 hours

Best Time:  July through October—the road is closed in the winter months.

East Steens Tour Route

This 127 mile tour skirts along the eastern escarpment of Steens Mountain and the vast expanses of the Alvord Desert, providing a scenic study in dramatic contrasts. 

East Steens Map

Setting the Stage

Like many great plays, the drama of the East Steens Tour Route builds slowly toward a stunning conclusion.  Heading south out of Burns on Highway 78, you’ll pass the first of several hot springs just north of the town of Crane; Crane offers limited services.  A detour onto Lava Beds Road south of Crane will take you to the Diamond Lake Tour Loop.  Keep heading southeast on 78 and your perseverance will be rewarded.

In The Shadow of Steens Mountain

Near milepost 65, the Tour Route detours off Highway 78 onto East Steens Road; it’s a gravel surface, but quite passable for regular passenger vehicles.  The landscape is arid, but not without life-sustaining water.  After passing the sagebrush-covered Sheepshead Mountains to the east, you come to a series of small lakes – Five Cent, Ten Cent, Fifteen Cent and Juniper Lakes (the lakes can be dry depending on the year) -- that attract a variety of animal life.  Majestic Steens Mountain also comes into view.  It is the largest fault-block mountain in the northern Great Basin, rising a vertical mile from the Alvord Basin to an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet.  Steens Mountain is a topographical wonder, and presides over the remainder of the route.  Bighorn sheep can be spotted on the ridges and pronghorn antelope can be seen adjacent to the road with binoculars.  You’ll next reach Mann Lake, which is renowned by fly fisherman for its hefty Mann Lake cutthroat trout. 

Desert Hot Springs, A Treat in Fields

While Steens Mountain looms to the west, the shimmering salt flats of the Alvord Desert unfold to the east.  The Alvord Desert playa which can be either wet or dry depending on the time of year, is one of the largest playas in Oregon—six miles wide and 11 miles long.  The Alvord playa is also a popular venue for motorcycle and ATV riding, land sailing, glider flying and camping.  Sore travelers will find sweet solace at Alvord Hot Springs; a privately owned, no-fee hot spring that bubbles up at 174 degrees, but cools considerably by the time it reaches man-made sitting pools.  The Tour Route ends in the small community of Fields; rumor has it that the café in Fields serves some of the best hamburgers and milkshakes in southeastern Oregon.

Distance: 127

Minimum Time:  5-7 hours

Best Time:  Spring through Fall—but is enjoyable year round. 

A Note of Safety & Courtesy

We hope you enjoy your tour of the High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway. 

Please drive safely—we know you will be tempted to stop on the roads to view the sights, but please use pullouts or places that have enough shoulder room for your vehicle. 

Please consider private land owners in the area and respect their property.  If you think the area might be private property—think again! 

Come back soon to

Harney County!