Steen’s Mountain
The remoteness of the Steen’s Mountain area is both an allure and a challenge for the serious bicyclist. But the allure of riding the state highest public roadway (9700 ft.) is dampened a bit when you find out that it is a gravel roadway. This is why most bicycle tours of the Steen’s are actually tours of the region around Steen’s Mountain.

Your group gets to decide whether your tour of the Steen’s is a mountain bike ride up an over the summit or a road ride around the area with a side‐trip up to the summit in the bus. And with a 9000 foot summit, who can deny those who want to take a bus ride up and a bike ride down. No matter what kind of tour your group decides on you will want to explore the region around the Steen’s – and that too can be a challenge.

For riders of the paved road, it comes down to riding back north from where you came or a 200 mile ride southwest to Lakeview. Those choosing to head south out of Frenchglen will be rewarded with a beautiful ride through some of Oregon (and a bit of Nevada’s) most remote country. And most groups will want to add the 50 mile side‐trip up into the Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge.

Groups choosing to ride north will be rewarded with a ride through the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and a stop at the Visitors Center where you should see a good number of the 320 species of birds that have been observed in the Refuge. Heading north from here there are more options in your choice of routes. Even if you choose to stay off of Hwy. 20 (the main East‐West route through the middle of the state) there are several paved road routes.

Routes north and northwest out of Burns can provide your group with miles of what can be described as range land, high desert, and sub‐alpine forest as you move up and down the elevations. Your group could also choose to ride southeast out of the Malheur area towards Burns Junction – a town that can rightfully claim to be “in the middle of nowhere”. From there you will head east to the town of Jordan Valley near the Idaho border.

For groups riding mountain bides or heavy duty touring bikes you can make your Steen’s Mt. tour a tour of extremes. From alpine meadows and the scenic viewpoint at 9730 feet on the summit of Steen’s Mountain to the Alvord desert – a 12 mile long and very flat playa desert almost 6000 feet lower at the base of the mountain. After a day of riding from Frenchglen to Fields on pavement, you can head north for 65 miles through the Alvord Desert.

Whatever route your group chooses t take we will be there to take care of you on your ride and support you with a camp even if it ends up in some of the most remote and unlikely places.

Given the remoteness of the area there are limited options for other events and activities.

Your group might be lucky enough for your schedule to coincide with the Harney County Ranch Rodeo in Burns or the Frenchglen Jamboree, but other than that, the activities are limited mostly to wildlife center visits.

There are opportunities to include rafting on the Owyhee River but the minimum raft trip on the Owyhee is 4 days.