Explore the magical Owyhee Canyonlands in eastern Oregon

The Owyhee Canyonlands is a place that radiates with magic.

Here, ancient lava rock erodes into honeycombs and lush sagebrush blooms from gnarled branches. Mysterious thundereggs and agates can be found embedded into the crust of the desert floor. Rattlesnakes, badgers, grouse and antelope thrive in the unforgiving landscape, often hidden away from human eyes.

Hiking, boating or driving through this landscape is a humbling experience. Towering cathedrals of red rock rise triumphantly from the earth, either dwarfing the humans who stand beneath them or fascinating us with their many forms: spires like fingers emerging from the ground, sheer cliff walls, great blobs of eroded mountains.

According to geologists, the rock came from volcanic eruptions some 17 million years ago, when an accumulation of magma from the massive Yellowstone hotspot punched through the crust of the Earth. When the thick, sticky magma cooled on the surface it became rhyolite rock and basalt that nature has sculpted over time.

One force of erosion is the 280-mile Owyhee River, which runs through Nevada, Idaho and Oregon, feeding into the larger Snake River. A stretch of the lower river was dammed in 1932, creating the Owyhee Reservoir, also known as Lake Owyhee.

Today, the area is a pristine high desert habitat, home to more than 200 species of wildlife, including the threatened greater sage-grouse and at least 28 species of plants that grow nowhere else in the world. It’s also home to an intermingling of cattle ranches, farms and rugged recreation areas.

The Oregon Natural Desert Association, a conservation group based in Bend, calls the Owyhee Canyonlands “the last great unprotected expanse of the American West,” and for years has been advocating for permanent federal protection. The area is currently owned by a hodgepodge of private landowners and public agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, which have had differing missions and plans for their land.

Recently, conservationists have seen some momentum. This summer, for the third time in four years, Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced the Malheur Community Empowerment of the Owyhee Act, a bill that aims to protect the Owyhee Canyonlands by establishing 1.1 million acres of wilderness areas and establishing a new management plan for grazing in the region. Soon after, the Bureau of Land Management issued a new proposal that would protect 417,000 acres of Owyhee wilderness.

Ryan Houston, executive director of the Oregon Natural Desert Association, said the organization’s goal is to secure permanent protection for the area by the end of 2024, before the next Congress and presidential administration is sworn in. That goal would be the culmination of decades of work for conservationists who heap praise upon the pristine desert ecosystem.

“I think it’s one of those places that 10 different people can look at it and find 10 different dimensions of awe and wonder,” Houston said.

One issue, common in virtually all land management efforts, is in defining the area. The Oregon Natural Desert Association has identified the Owyhee Canyonlands as 2.5 million acres along the lower Owyhee River, ranging from the southeast corner of Oregon to the tip of the Owyhee Reservoir. That’s not to be confused with the existing Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness and Owyhee River Wilderness in southwest Idaho, both officially designated in 2009, home to a very similar landscape just across the border.

Then there’s the Owyhee Canyonlands that Oregonians most commonly speak of when talking about recreation. That colloquial definition usually refers to the area just east of the Owyhee Reservoir, home to a collection of gulches, streams and sagebrush prairie open to hikers, rafters, fishers, hunters, campers and dirt bikers – a high desert playground set in a particularly strange and striking landscape.

It’s a rugged and remote area that’s difficult for many travelers to access. Vehicles with four-wheel drive are recommended and, in some more remote areas, high clearance is necessary. You’ll want to avoid the wet season because, when muddy, the dirt roads can become impassible for most vehicles. The dry season can get unbearably hot, and with little in the way of shade, recreation can become dangerous without the proper precautions.

Still, the Owyhee remains an alluring destination for all who seek interesting landscapes and quiet places to explore the natural world.

“It’s unique, it’s diverse, it’s intriguing,” Houston said. “If you want to get lost in Oregon, this is a great place to go.”

Here’s a guide to visiting Oregon’s wild Owyhee Canyonlands:

LESLIE GULCH

Hikers hoping to explore the Owyhee Canyonlands should make a bee-line to Leslie Gulch, home of some of the best, and most fascinating trails in the area. Leslie Gulch Road runs through the canyon, from which several smaller ravines branch out, running up into the rock.

Juniper Gulch is the most popular hike, though its biggest views require scrambling up steep walls of the ravine. Timber Gulch is an easier excursion, leading to a spectacular natural amphitheater. Dago Gulch offers an easy uphill walk with an optional side trip to a narrow slot canyon. The Upper Leslie Gulch Trail is the least popular, with overgrown vegetation and a reputation for ticks, though, like the other spots, there’s great scenery all around.

LAKE OWYHEE STATE PARK

With two campgrounds, three boat ramps and lots of great viewpoints, Lake Owyhee State Park is the best place to access the 52-mile-long Owyhee Reservoir. The park begins at the Owyhee Dam and runs along the northeastern shore of the lake. Boating is the main activity here, whether by kayak, motor boat or standup paddleboard. Vessels can be launched at the main Gordon Gulch Day-use Area or at either of the Indian Creek or McCormack Creek campgrounds.

Camping is available seasonally, from March to the middle of November. Reservations can be made online at oregonstateparks.reserveamerica.com. Anyone taking out a boat that is 10 feet or longer needs a Waterway Access Permit. The permits are available online and start at $5.

SUCCOR CREEK

Best known among rockhounds searching for thundereggs, picture jaspers and agates (an activity that is sanctioned by park officials), Succor Creek State Natural Area is also a great spot to camp, hike or stop for a picnic lunch while exploring the area. Found on the banks of Succor Creek, the state park features 18 primitive campsites that are open year-round and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

A rough dirt road across a small bridge is used by hikers and off-highway vehicles, leading to some sweeping views over the landscape. An out-and-back hike can run about 4 miles, though there’s plenty of space to roam farther.

SLOCUM CREEK

Drive to the very end of Leslie Gulch Road to reach the Slocum Creek area. Here, visitors will find a wide boat ramp into the southern end of the Owyhee Reservoir, as well as a 12-site primitive campground. The campsites, which are first-come, first-served, come with picnic tables, fire rings and sun shelters. A vault toilet is the only other amenity provided. There is no running water or electricity.

LOWER OWYHEE RIVER

Head north of the Owyhee Dam to explore the lower reaches of the Owyhee River, accessed by Owyhee Lake Road. All along the gravel road you’ll find fishing spots and dispersed campsites, many of which are occupied in the height of the season. The lower Owyhee is renowned for fly fishing, with anglers primarily catching brown trout and rainbow trout.

This stretch of the river is also home to Snively Hot Springs, a day-use area with a soaking pool on the banks of the river. Overnight camping is expressly forbidden, but the Bureau of Land Management has had a hard time stopping it. This summer, in an announcement reiterating the rule, the bureau said the destination has become a hot spot for vandalism, assault and sex crimes.

MORE CANYONLANDS

Those looking to explore more of the beautiful Owyhee Canyonlands should continue up the Owyhee River. Just south of the Owyhee Reservoir is another stretch of beautiful sites, including Chalk Basin, Jordan Craters and the Pillars of Rome. Here, the rocks come in stripes of color and have eroded into hoodoo structures, offering a different facet of the strange geology of this magical region.

— Jamie Hale

503-294-4077; jhale@oregonian.com; @HaleJamesB