is the steens mountain loop road open

This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. The Steens Mountain Loop is spectacular, but it can be blocked by snow late into the season as was my experience in June 2022. For more information on current road conditions, recreation opportunities, or to obtain maps of the area, visit the Burns District Office at 28910 Hwy 20 West, in Hines, Oregon, or call (541) 573-4400, weekdays, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use. So head north out of Frenchglen up Highway 205 to get warmed up; after almost 18 miles of pavement, veer off the highway toward Diamond (even smaller than Frenchglen, but another great historic hotel/restaurant) and then onto the first stretch of the many, many miles of unpaved road youll experience. Along the way, Anyone have experience in mid-June on the Steens Mountain Loop Road? Both ranches continue to operate to this day. Located at 4080 feet on the Alvord Desert Playa these springs are roughly nine miles north of the Andrews ghost town along the Fields-Denio road. Look for a dirt road with a cattle guard on the west side of the road, about 1.9 miles nort Alvord Hot Springs at the base of Steens Mountain deep in the heart of the eastern Oregon Wilderness is a hidden gem, known mostly to climbing enthusiasts and the ambitious adventurer willing to drive the nearly 4 hours from Boise, Bend, or 2.5 hours from the nearest town of any size, Winnemucca in Nevada. Over 12 miles, youll climb about 4,400 feet but the scenery will distract you, as you ascend the ridge between the Little Blitzen and Indian gorges; make sure to stop for every viewpoint along here. The Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area (CMPA) consists of 428,156 acres of public land offering diverse scenic and recreational experiences. A lock ( The drive offers an extraordinary landscape of volcanic uplifts, deep glacier-carved gorges, stunning scenery, wilderness, wild rivers, and a rich diversity of plant and animal species. the updrafts in search of prey. Set high in the Steens Mountain Wilderness, the road is usually open from mid-June to October, weather permitting. An official website of the United States government. Approximately 900,000 acres are designated off limits to mineral and geothermal extraction. Check with local BLM authorities. You can expect any other roadsindicated by dashed lines on a mapto be passable by four-wheel drive vehicles only. Are reservations needed at campgrounds in the steen my area, and how far will I need to drive on gravel roads to get there? dangerousroads.org is not responsible for the information contained in these pages. Weather UV Index Daylight Saturday 27 / 11 F Sunday 19 / 3 F Monday Steens Mountain is located in Oregon's high desert is one of the crown jewels of the state's wildlands. Itll make your jaw drop. Youll once again cross the Donner und Blitzen River en route back to OR-205, the High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway. The South Steens Rim overlooking Alvord Lake has an average elevation exceeding 7000 feet over the length of 6 miles not broken by canyon or pass. Vehicles, sheep, and cows are banned in the wilderness. . This tour route scales the Steens, climbing thousands of feet and topping out just shy of the summit at 9,734 feet/2,967 meters. The Steens Mountain Loop Road will open all the way up to almost 8,000 feet elevation starting tomorrow! Expect to find the pools somewhere in the range of 100-120 degrees. The summit ridgeline is one of the more magical locations in Oregon. 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Others enjoy hunting for wild game and visiting special places, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Other mountains get all the attention in Oregon: Mt. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your Bring our travel magazine along. or learn to just turn around! Your epic journey-type ride. As you head north on this lonely road, youll find a new level of depth for the phrase wide-open spaces the horizon can seem might far away out here. My pickup truck has a stiff suspension so it was almost unbearable. Couloir climbing may be an option, but should be approached as a multiday trek with the possibility of avalanche from giant cornices that mass along the summit crest.Check links on the Burns BLM page for updates on the loop road conditions and when it opens. Fish Lake Campground, elevation 7,400 feet, and Jackman Park Campground, elevation 7,800 feet, will both be open and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Just past Frenchglen, turn left onto the Steens Mountain Loop Road. Youll come away with an up-close-and-personal appreciation for the scale of this geologic goliath, with its glacier-carved valleys, aspen groves, pure-water lakes and views to forever. Quality well kept Renaissance home on the south east side of Bend. a massive "U" shaped canyon. This land, at the top of the Steens Mountain, is the most sensitive to disturbance and will be managed to safeguard the pristine environment. Also I stayed 3 nights at the steens mountain resort which is an RV park with complete hookups some trees and grass bathrooms and a dump station for your RV. Look for stands of quaking aspen and mountain mahogany on drier rocky ridges. I highly recommend one extra stop on this loop, at the Steens Summit/Wildhorse Lake parking lot. Ready to hit the road? While spring and fall are your best bets, the mountain Loop Road is only open certain months of the year typically August and September so youll want to check on that before starting out. A note: From here to Fields, its a long and typically hot stretch of riding just over 100 miles, so carry two days worth of water with you. Steens Mountain is located 60 miles south of Burns near Frenchglen and Page Springs Campground. Massive internal pressures forced the east edge of the Steens upward. more. Blustery, 100-degree days are common and snow can fall year-round. The 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. Starting at the Historic Frenchglen Hotel make your way to Steens Mountain Loop and then onto Fishlake/Steens Mountain Rd. There are pit toilets at the South Steens campground if you need to make a bathroom stop. By clicking "ACCEPT", you agree to be the terms and conditions of each The south. The road to the summit of Steens Mountain is the highest road in Oregon, reaching nearly 10,000 feet. Dont hesitate to talk to localsarea landowners and Federal employees are generally visible in the Steens Mountain area. Accessibility Description (ABA/ADA): Restrooms A 4x4 track can be found where Big Alvord Creek crosses the road at the Alvord Ranch. You are still completely responsible for your decisions, your actions, and your safety. quaking aspen and mountain mahogany as the moisture levels increase. Write a review to inform other visitors! That depends on which campgrounds you use but for the most part yes there is a gravel roads to most campgrounds the one I stayed at was Steens Mountain Resort and it was a two and a half mile drive on a gravel road that is a little washboard. you'll have ample opportunities to view wildlife and take in the grandeur The Nearest Services are in the communities of Fields, Frenchglen, Crane, or Narrows, Oregon. Opportunities for recreation on Steens Mountain are as plentiful as they are widespread. Steens Mountain is a mighty fault-block edifice that rises dramatically from its surroundings. The road to the summit opens every June, and its gates remain unlocked until October or whenever snowfall makes passage unsafe. Allow 3 or more hours to enjoy the views and solitude. The North Loop road is not as steep as the South Loop. I decided to camp next to the lake (>200 ft. away of course), which holds water all year long. It is some of the wildest and most remote land left in Oregon. One exception however is the Roaring Springs along the Catlow Valley. Planning a road trip at the end of this month to the Steens and just wondering if there's a chance of the Steens Loop being open yet? Start a 7-Day Free Trial of All-Access Membership. Many hikers opt to summit Steens Mountain via Big Indian Gorge which has a developed trail running the length of it. Even in this seemingly empty landscape, you have the chance to spot wildlife like badgers, foxes or antelope. Any snow was off the roadway and we could see the Alvord Desert below as well as mountain peaks in the distance and deep valleys below. I was first introduced to SE Oregon through the Giant Loop Motorcycle Tour. That being said, the trip up to snow line was breathtaking and beautiful! I did see some wild horses on the drive. So, do you htink there is plenty to see on that loop into the mountains off from Frenchglen to keep us busy? Visitor Activities Visitor activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and limited snowmobiling. Talk about seeing what you just climbed. (Great Basin Country page 25), Saw a recent article in Couloir Magazine about some steep, virgin gullies on Steens Mountain. Because the Steens Mountain Loop was on husband's bucket list, we added it on to our annual late June Bend birthday/anniversary trip. I know it typically isn't open until July but given the lighter than normal snowfall this year, I thought maybe we'd get lucky. As you leave the junipers, you will be surrounded by large expanses of Mountain big sagebrush. In the midst of this vastness is Alvord Hot Springs, if youre feeling like a relaxing soak to soothe your muscles. Actions, and snowshoeing decided to camp next to the Lake ( > 200 ft. of... Are as plentiful as they are widespread however is the Roaring Springs along the Catlow Valley at Steens. 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