Oregon’s Hidden Jewel: The Alvord Desert
Journey due east on Oregon’s Route 78, past the quaint town of Burns, the mountain-ringed Malheur Wildlife Refuge, and the sagebrush sprawl of Harney County, and you’ll stumble upon a diamond in the rough—Oregon’s Alvord Desert. Whispers of the Alvord’s beauty and otherworldliness have rippled through the Beaver State for generations, but only the most adventurous make this pilgrimage.
Burrowed into the southeast corner of the state, the Alvord Desert is a mesmerizing, yet lightly-traveled landscape that snags your breath and won’t let go. Landlocked by the towering Steens Mountain to the west and miles of endless high desert to the east, the Alvord’s characteristic bareness is unforgiving and enchanting all at once. Along with unparalleled stargazing, surreal hot springs, and lung-busting hikes, the desert also masterfully illustrates the paradoxes we Oregonians cherish about our home.
A Stretch of Solitude
Perhaps considered ‘God’s Own Flats’, the Alvord Desert unfurls across roughly 84,000 acres of beautiful barrenness. Shielded by the “Roof of Oregon”—Steens Mountain—the Alvord is a parched playa, a wide-open painting that stretches as far as the eye can see. Apart from the occasional ground squirrel or golden eagle soaring overhead, you’re likely to have this vast expanse to yourself.
Hot Springs and High Peaks
Field’s Station, a beloved one-stop-shop about 20 miles north of the Alvord, boasts arguably the best milkshake in the state, but the Alvord Hot Springs are a stone’s throw away and steal the show. Managed by the Davis family for over a century, the steaming pools offer a psychedelic soak amidst the crisp cool desert. As are most things in Oregon, it’s rustic—in the best way—and it’ll only cost you a sawbuck.
Beyond the desert, the summit of Steens Mountain broods, a titanic tableau worthy of a John Day Fossil Beds’ painting. If you carry a stout heart and stout boots, try your hand and feet at the steep, ten-mile round trip hike to the summit—but be forewarned, the temperature swings on the Steens could blanket a buffalo. Sweatshirt weather at dawn can make way for blistering noontime sun, only to be followed by a snow flurry. But, aye, the views from the summit! Worth every sunburn and snowdrift, those.
The Silent Symphony of the Stars
Nightfall over Alvord is nothing short of a symphony—a silent orchestra of stars echoing in the sky—a sight that every Oregonian must behold. The Bortle Class 1 night sky, a distinction given to only the darkest of places, makes the Alvord Desert a cosmic kaleidoscope. The deep silence of nights here is so profound, it seems like even the cosmos holds its breath.
Local Legends and Land Speed
As locals will tell you, if it’s a speed rush you seek, the Alvord Desert Playa is your playground. It’s no stranger to flabbergasting feats of speed. In 1976, daredevil Kitty O’Neil famously clocked a women’s land speed record here, reaching a mind-boggling 512 miles per hour in her rocket-powered car. Today, if you’ve got a fast set of wheels, a permit, and Mother Nature’s cooperation, you too can leave your signature dust trail across the playa.
Amid the high desert’s hush, Simpson’s Truck Stop in Fields also echoes a slice of yesteryears. It’s a living time capsule from when Oregon’s highway 205 was a key artery for freight trucks ferrying goods between California and the Great Northwest.
Embracing the Impossible
As an Oregon local, you’ll confess you weren’t prepared for the Alvord. In all honesty, you can never be. The Alvord Desert exists between the real and the impossible, the natural and the supernatural, the met and the unmet. It’s quintessential Oregon—strange, stark, beautiful, and indescribable. But that is our Oregon. It’s rain-slicked streets and moss-blanketed forests. It’s high desert silence stabbed by the sudden, piercing squawk of a red-tailed hawk.
When it’s time to return to civilization, the dust and sage-infused winds at your back, you’ll understand why the Alvord Desert is Oregon’s best-kept secret. Yet, we Oregonians know it deserves more recognition—like our Hells Canyon, deeper than the Grand Canyon but without the fanfare, or our Crater Lake, as blue as a certain gemstone but without the jewelers.
So, embrace the quintessential Oregonian spirit—the insatiable curiosity for unadulterated landscapes and laid-back adventures, and escape off the beaten path to marvel at the Alvord Desert. This fascinating corner of our great state is one that beckons, challenges, and rewards in a way that’s unlike any other place. The Alvord is not just a part of Oregon. It is Oregon: unpredictable, unforgettable, and spectacularly strange.