What to do in Harney County, Oregon
Harney County, in the far southeast corner of Oregon, about 300 miles or a 5 hour drive from Portland, is not the easiest place to reach (It’s a little closer if you are coming from Boise, ID…). There are few roads and the largest town of Burns, has a population of around 2800. But there are some interesting and beautiful things to see and do over a couple days or a long weekend, especially if you like a scenic road trip.
Crystal Crane Hot Springs, is a hot springs resort, a resort in the rustic Oregon resort style. There are a variety of accommodation options - camping, cabins, hotel style rooms, and even teepees. But the main draw is the hot springs pool that is open to overnight guests 24 hours a day. We arrived on a Friday evening in the dark and after we set up our tent, I spent some very pleasant time soaking in the hot pool looking at the brilliant stars. And then the next morning, after waking up to mooing cows in the surrounding ranch lands, I took another wonderful early soak in the cool morning.
There is a lot of ranching in Harney County, and that became very obvious when we were stopped by cows traveling down the road. It was pretty entertaining and we weren’t stopped for long.
Malheur Wildlife Refuge, on the Pacific Flyway, is a stopping point for many migrating birds. It is especially busy in the spring and fall. In the summer, the lakes shrink and it’s a quieter place, but still beautiful. We stopped at the Buena Vista Ponds for a short walk and nice view over the ponds.
Pete French Round Barn State Heritage Site, built in the late 1800’s, and was used to train horses to pull wagons.
The interior structure was quite interesting and there were two large owls roosting in the center.
Diamond Craters Outstanding Natural Area, an area managed by BLM, is not well marked. Other than a sign on the road indicating that you are entering the area, there is no other signage, but there is a bumpy gravel road that leads to views of the craters.
In Frenchglen there is gas and a small store, along with the historic Frenchglen Hotel, which is a state heritage site, which offers meals and a place to stay.
Frenchglen is also where the Steens Mountain Loop Road starts. The 59 mile loop drive, climbs into the Steens Mountains to nearly 10000’, where you can see spectacular views and overlook the Alford Desert below.
