(Courtesy of the Oregon Tour Route)

Trip Tips

Distance: 127 miles
Minimum time: 5-7 hours
Best Time to Visit: Late spring through the fall; passable year round

The high desert country of Harney County is a far cry from the lushness found in Oregon west of the Cascades. Covered by sagebrush and juniper and dotted by the vivid mountain ranges, visitors will be amazed by the picturesque frontier scene surrounding them; a true glimpse into the mythical Old West. The High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway takes travelers through the heart of the sparsely populated county, offering expansive panoramas of wide-open spaces few ever encounter in the present. This scenic byway serves as a gateway to breathtaking locations such as the Steens Mountain, Diamond Craters, the Peter French Round Barn, Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and the Alvord Desert. Any traveler interested in this tour should prepare beforehand, as basic services are few and far between.

The journey begins at Burns by going south on Highway 205. The first leg of the tour (A) will take visitors through the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. While traveling on this leg, the Blue Mountains can be seen to the north, while the Steens Mountain lies to the south.^[1] While skirting the marshes of the wildlife refuge (now on the second leg, B), a turnoff will appear that leads to the Diamond Loop Tour Route and the Peter French Round Barn. By resisting this potential adventure, they scenic byway runs parallel to an ancient basalt flow that ends at the southern end of the Blitzen Valley and the little town of Frenchglen.

(Diamond Valley)

Heading south of the little town begins the final leg of the journey (C). Again, another opportunity to select a new destination rears its head. A turnoff for the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge is not far from Frenchglen. Continuing south from this turnoff, the scenic byway ends in Fields, a ranching community. Here, visitors can relax in the privately owned Alvord Hot Springs and ready themselves for the journey back to Burns.^[2] Instead of retracing the route back, the East Steens Tour Route allows travelers the opportunity to see more of what Harney County has to offer as they make their way back north.

Notes

^[1] Oregon Department of Transportation, “The High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway,” last modified 2014, http://www.tripcheck.com/Pages/SBhighDesert.asp.

^[2] Oregon Department of Transportation, “The High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway.”