The 750-mile Oregon Desert Trail’s western terminus is the Tumulus Trailhead in the Oregon Badlands Wilderness, some 20 miles east of Bend.
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The 750-mile Oregon Desert Trail’s western terminus is the Tumulus Trailhead in the Oregon Badlands Wilderness, some 20 miles east of Bend.
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About 30 miles in, Pine Mountain looms large on the horizon. The University of Oregon maintains an observatory at its peak, with a public telescope for summiteers.
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About 30 miles in, Pine Mountain looms large on the horizon. The University of Oregon maintains an observatory at its peak, with a public telescope for summiteers.
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A bit parched? Storm clouds cluster above the sagebrush sea.
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A bit parched? Storm clouds cluster above the sagebrush sea.
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The ODT skirts the eastern edge of the Deschutes National Forest.
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The ODT skirts the eastern edge of the Deschutes National Forest.
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Renee Patrick heard rain in the forecast, so she brought a lightweight shelter.
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Renee Patrick heard rain in the forecast, so she brought a lightweight shelter.
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About 60 miles in, hikers encounter one of their first sections of cross-country trail.
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About 60 miles in, hikers encounter one of their first sections of cross-country trail.
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The storm moves in near Diablo Rim.
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The storm moves in near Diablo Rim.
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With few shade trees at hand for many trail sections, the cloud cover is a welcome respite. Behind Patrick, the storm recedes with Diablo Rim in sight.
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With few shade trees at hand for many trail sections, the cloud cover is a welcome respite. Behind Patrick, the storm recedes with Diablo Rim in sight.
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Look closely: bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelopes thrive in these sagebrush steppes.
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Look closely: bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelopes thrive in these sagebrush steppes.
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Entering the Fremont National Forest at Round Pass.
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Entering the Fremont National Forest at Round Pass.
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Groves of mountain mahogany along the path.
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Groves of mountain mahogany along the path.
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Here, the ODT follows the Fremont National Recreation Trail—the first marked stretch since leaving the Badlands some 170 miles earlier. Cars can access various sections of the Fremont NRT, which offers a variety of day hiking options.
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The Morgan Butte Fire lookout is an active Forest Service station for wildfire spotting.
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The Morgan Butte Fire lookout is an active Forest Service station for wildfire spotting.
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Restocked? This sign points you back to the trail.
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The Oregon Desert trail follows a section of paved road into the town of Paisley, which boasts several restaurants and access to lodging at nearby Summer Lake Hot Springs.
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From the top of Abert Rim, 2,500 feet above the valley floor, a view of Lower Chewaucan Marsh and Abert Lake’s alkali perimeter.
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Restocked? This sign points you back to the trail.
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Petroglyphs near Abert Rim.
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From the top of Abert Rim, 2,500 feet above the valley floor, a view of Lower Chewaucan Marsh and Abert Lake’s alkali perimeter.
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Here, the ODT follows the Fremont National Recreation Trail—the first marked stretch since leaving the Badlands some 170 miles earlier. Cars can access various sections of the Fremont NRT, which offers a variety of day hiking options.
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Petroglyphs near Abert Rim.
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The Oregon Desert trail follows a section of paved road into the town of Paisley, which boasts several restaurants and access to lodging at nearby Summer Lake Hot Springs.
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Honey Creek, Patrick says, offers hikers a good source for freshwater.
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Small pockets of beauty all around, right under your nose.
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Aspens border an old burn near Honey Creek.
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Rock formations testify to this region’s unique geology: once a vast inland sea, repeated volcanic activity more recently shaped this landscape.
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Small pockets of beauty all around, right under your nose.
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Large boulders along the base of Hart Mountain. According to Patrick, this was a popular route for Native Americans, who carved petroglyphs into many of these boulders.
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Rock formations testify to this region’s unique geology: once a vast inland sea, repeated volcanic activity more recently shaped this landscape.
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In the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.
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Large boulders along the base of Hart Mountain. According to Patrick, this was a popular route for Native Americans, who carved petroglyphs into many of these boulders.
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High levels of precipitation last year meant Patrick encountered spots of rare lushness along the trail.
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In the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.
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At the southern edge of the refuge, a reminder of the area’s winged residents.
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High levels of precipitation last year meant Patrick encountered spots of rare lushness along the trail.
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Another resident: a perfectly camouflaged horny toad.
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At the southern edge of the refuge, a reminder of the area’s winged residents.
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Honey Creek, Patrick says, offers hikers a good source for freshwater.
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Another resident: a perfectly camouflaged horny toad.
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Old homesteads also dot this area.
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Old homesteads also dot this area.
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Near Frenchglen, the ODT follows a stretch of fence line that marks private land. That hikers respect the fence, as Patrick says, is important to ONDA’s work to promote access to these stunning public lands.
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The marker for Poker Jim Springs—a good site for replenishing water supplies and spotting pronghorn—is about 340 miles into the ODT.
56Halfway stay in Frenchglen, Oregon
About 350 miles in, the town of Frenchglen provides a nice place to rest your head. (And, as the gateway to the Steens Mountain Wilderness—the beginning of the rest of the ODT—it’s also a great place to start the trail’s second half.)
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Near Frenchglen, the ODT follows a stretch of fence line that marks private land. That hikers respect the fence, as Patrick says, is important to ONDA’s work to promote access to these stunning public lands.
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The marker for Poker Jim Springs—a good site for replenishing water supplies and spotting pronghorn—is about 340 miles into the ODT.
59Halfway stay in Frenchglen, Oregon
About 350 miles in, the town of Frenchglen provides a nice place to rest your head. (And, as the gateway to the Steens Mountain Wilderness—the beginning of the rest of the ODT—it’s also a great place to start the trail’s second half.)
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Aspens border an old burn near Honey Creek.
Renee Patrick is no stranger to serious mileage. An experienced long-distance hiker, she’s logged more than 10,000 of them in the last dozen or so years, conquering the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail. She transfers that love of the wide open to her work for the Bend-based Oregon Natural Desert Association. ONDA advocates for the protection of a huge swath of the state’s public land: the high desert that stretches from central Oregon’s sagebrush sea to the stunning Owyhee Canyonlands. Patrick, more specifically, coordinates the unofficial trail that cuts through this vast territory: the 750-mile Oregon Desert Trail.
The ODT is not, Patrick cautions, for the casual backpacker. Much of the trail is unmarked and some stretches aren’t even, well, trail. “ODT stays on public lands,” says Patrick, “which means following private fence lines in certain places—respect the fence!—and navigating by GPS in others.” When Patrick feels the need to commune with the trail she stewards, she packs her sleeping bag, a tent only if wet weather is forecasted (she’s a “cowboy camper” who prefers to sleep by starlight), some high-calorie provisions, and a lot of water.
The landmarks and sweeping vistas of the entire ODT are too plentiful for one slideshow, so here, Patrick shares a selection from the trail’s westernmost half. It’s a stretch (sections 1–12 in ONDA’s guide) that travels through the Oregon Badlands Wilderness, the Deschutes and Fremont National Forests, and Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge. Patrick navigated the entire route over several treks in the spring and fall of last year. For aspirational hikers who live west of the Cascadian rain shadow, the trail’s closest access point—it’s western terminus—is located at the Badlands’ Tumulus Trailhead a mere 20 miles from Bend. 350-some-miles later, Patrick sets the halfway point at the tiny town of Frenchglen, which boasts a cozy hotel (a state heritage site) that’s perfect for propping up some tired and dusty feet—and crossing one epic adventure off your Oregon bucket list.
Ramona is the travel and research editor at Portland Monthly magazine. A resident since 2001, she adores Portland's urban nature, activism, and eastside dives.
