- Oregon County HP: #20
- Difficulty: ⭐️ (on a scale of 5)
- Summit Elevation: 9,738 feet
- Mountain Range: Northwest Great Basin Ranges
- Ancestral Lands: Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla, Nüümü (Northern Paiute)
PLANNING DETAILS
Location: Steens Mountain sits within the Steens Mountain Wilderness, approximately 90 miles south of Burns, Oregon. Frenchglen is the closest small town with services, but they are limited to a small general store and a gas pump.
When to Visit: Summer and early fall. The Steens Mountain Loop Road is Oregon’s highest-elevation road. It opens annually in early to mid-July and closes for the season in October or early November, depending on the snow and weather conditions. Visitors can check the road closure status on the Oregon Department of Transportation’s TripCheck.
Fees/Permits Required: None. However, visitors cannot drive on parts of Steens Mountain Loop Road for 7-8 months of the year. The Bureau of Land Management closes the road annually in October or November due to icy conditions and snow, and they do not usually re-open the road until early to mid-July.
Getting There: Steens Mountain is most easily approached by driving up Steens Mountain Loop Road a 57-mile gravel road that begins on OR-205 on the edge of Frenchglen, OR, and returns to OR-205 approximately 15 miles further south. The speed limit is 35 mph on the road, and driving the full loop usually takes visitors 3-4 hours.
Directions from Burns:
- From downtown Burns, head south on OR-205 for 58 miles.
- As you reach the southern end of Frenchglen, turn left onto Steens Mountain Loop Road and drive 27 miles up the well-graded gravel road.
- While ascending Steens Mountain Loop Road, there will be multiple turn offs – including a wildlife viewing loop (mile 4), campgrounds (mile 17.8 and mile 19.5), and overlooks for Kiger Gorge (mile 23.8) and the East Rim (mile 26.5).
- Shortly after passing the East Rim Overlook, the gravel road forks near mile 26.6. The Steens Mountain Loop Road heads to the right, while a 2-mile spur road continues uphill to the left toward the summit. The parking area for the Summit Trail and nearby Wildhorse Lake Trail is at the end of this spur road.
Parking: There is a small dirt parking area with room for 5-10 vehicles near the Steens Summit and Wildhorse Trailheads. The closest services (toilets, trash, water) are located at the campgrounds on the loop (Fish Lake, Jackman Park, and South Steens Campground).
Pets Allowed: Yes. However, some dogs will not tolerate the high elevation well.
Kid Friendly: The short distance of this hike makes it generally suitable for all ages. However, a portion of the 0.5-mile dirt road leading to the summit is steep. There are also sharp drop-offs near the edges of the flat summit, making it essential to carefully monitor the location of any children during your visit.
Distance: 1 mile (roundtrip)
The Summit: The summit of Steen Mountain is covered with numerous towers and outbuildings. On a clear day, the summit provides excellent views of Wildhorse Lake, numerous deep gorges, and the white sands of Alvord Desert.
TRIP SUMMARY
Date Visited: Oct. 1, 2024
Route Used: Steens Summit Trail – roughly 1 mile (round-trip)
My initial plan for reaching the top of Steens Mountain was 30-mile backpacking trip. I hoped to hike along the Big Indian Trail and Little Blitzen Trail to form a loop through their respective gorges while tagging the summit in the middle of the loop.
Unfortunately, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decided to do some seasonal road repairs on Steens Mountain Loop Road during my visit. That meant the road was closed to all traffic between Gates 3 and 4 (i.e between the summit and South Steens Campground). What’s more, they also closed the trail running through Big Indian Gorge due to the risk of rockslides from the road construction on the road above.
The news of this road and trail closure was a real bummer for me. After 356 miles of driving to get myself to the South Steens Campground, I had to readjust my plans.
I briefly considered just backpacking the Little Blitzen Trail to the summit as an out-and-back adventure. But it didn’t take long to reject that plan. Getting to the summit on that trail meant a 7.5 mile hike through Little Blitzen Gorge, followed by a 1.5-mile climb up the steep headwall on the Wet Blanket Trail, and then 7 more miles of roadwalking on Steens Mountain Loop Road to get to the summit.
I had no issue with roadwalking those 7 miles when it was part of my loop hike with the Big Indian Trail. That was just the price to pay to connect the two gorges and spend the other 23 miles hiking the two scenic gorges. But I had zero desire to roadwalk 14 miles on the gravel road as part of an out-and-back trek.
So, rather than ruining my memory of Steens Mountain by doing something I knew I wouldn’t enjoy, I spent my initial night camping at South Steens Campground. Then I embarked on a nice, long 4-hour hike on the Little Blitzen Trail the following morning. The fall colors inside Little Blitzen Gorge were fantastic, and slowly exploring that gorge was a much better option than the alternative.
After returning to the campground and having lunch, it was time to pack up camp and drive to the summit trail. I was visiting this county high point in the same fashion as everyone else – with the long drive up Steens Mountain Loop Road.
Unfortunately, the closure of Gate 4 (just above my campground) meant I couldn’t just drive up the remaining 13.5 miles of Steens Mountain Loop Road to reach the peak above me. I’d need to backtrack 20 miles back down the gravel road to Highway 205, then drive 11 miles north to Frenchglen, before beginning the 28.5-mile drive up the Steens Mountain Loop Road from that direction.
Sigh!
My car was soon going to be covered with so much dirt and dust from this drive, I might never get it clean again.
The drive up to the summit was slower than I hoped. A bunch of grazing cows decided to block the path near the entrance, and I had to get ridiculously close to them to nudge them along. Some wide construction trucks came barreling down the gravel road – spitting rocks toward my car and windshield, and forcing me to pull as far over to the right as possible to avoid them.
After about an hour ascending the Loop Road, I pulled off at the Kiger Overlook to take a much-needed break and enjoy the views on the north side of Steens Mountain. I was awestruck by the immense valley carved by glaciers. Snow still clung to one of the steep slopes where the shadows shielded it from the sun. And the gorge hundreds of feet below me was dotted with tiny trees transitioning from green to yellow.
After 10 minutes, I was back on the Steens Mountain Loop and passing by another overlook – this time for the East Rim of the gorge. While I’m sure the views were equally nice there, I decided to drive past them. It was already after 3:30 pm, and I was more than eager to get to my destination. Between my morning hike and all the gravel road driving, I was ready to see the summit.
Immediately after the East Rim Lookout, the road ahead of me forked. The left side headed uphill for two more miles toward the summit, while the right land ostensibly led to the remainder of Steens Mountian Loop. Today though, large “Road Closed” signs partially blocked the road on the right side of the fork. The road construction hindering my route up from South Steens Campground was somewhere beyond those signs.
I took the left road up to the final parking area, where one lonely white pickup truck sat parked near a barricade and some informational signs.
As I got out of my RAV4 to begin the final 0.5-mile to the summit on foot, a forceful wind hit me. It was noticeably cooler up here, and I quickly donned a beanie hat and rain jacket to combat the biting wind. It had been in the 70s when I was down near Frenchglen a little over an hour ago. And now it felt closer to the upper-40s!
As I started climbing uphill, I got great views of Wildhorse Lake. Glaciers carved a bowl into the amphitheater below me, and sapphire-colored water filled the depression’s low spot to form a lake 9,000 feet above sea level.
The slope up toward the summit seemed insanely steep. Thank goodness I brought my trekking poles. I didn’t necessarily need them for the ascent. I had stong enough legs still after my Colorado Trail thru-hike this summer. But, I knew the return trip down this loose gravel hill would be sketchy.
The trail leveled out after the initial steep hill. Up ahead, I noted a half dozen radio and cell towers sticking up from the summit. And several ugly outbuildings, solar panels, and fuel tanks covered the rest of the flat space. This might be the tallest peak in southeast Oregon, but it was not what I’d call a picturesque hilltop.
Not 15 minutes after leaving the comfort of my car, I was standing atop Steens Mountain looking out at the desert that stretched before me.
Jagged steep ridges stretched to the for miles. And, in the distance to my east, I could make out the white expanse of the Alvord Desert (which I planned to visit tomorrow).
As I turned around to take in the 360 views, I took in the jagged slopes of the East Rim Overlook before the hillside dropped to the desert floor. I was nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, and the views were awfully impressive.
I returned my gaze to my immediate vicinity, hoping to find a survey marker and summit log nearby. Unfortunately, one never materialized as I made a lap of the summit. I was somewhat surprised too. Surely the USGS would have put something up on this prominent peak, right? It was the tallest thing for miles and miles. Perhaps it was buried underneath one of the many outbuildings.
With few options, I looked around for the highest point that I could visually identify, and I took my “summit photo” standing atop a concrete footing where a triangular tower once stood.
A handful of other visitors were now joining me at the summit. I’d crested Steens Mountain solo, but now there were six new cars down in the parking lot!
I returned to the warmth and wind-free environment of my car, knowing it was time to begin the drive back down the gravel road once again. My original plans had been to camp near Wildhorse Lake after backpacking here on my Gorges Loop. But with that hike scrapped, I needed a new plan. I was super cold and windy here, and I knew I could find somewhere better.
On the drive back toward Frenchglen, I made the last-minute decision to stop at one of the two BLM campgrounds I passed on the way up. Fish Lake Campground was almost entirely empty this time of year. And the orange trees reflecting off the lake water at 7,400′ elevation would make for a serene end to this day.
It turns out this campground was the ideal place to stop for the night. Only one other camper was occupying any of the sites. A few fishermen hung out on the opposite side of the lake. But all told, It was eerily quiet, save for the howls of some coyotes in the distance.
As the sun went down over the water, I was grateful I finally made it to this far southeastern corner of the state. This was my first visit to this part of the Oregon desert – and the dark, star-filled night sky was a sight to behold!
BONUS MATERIAL
Camping Nearby:
- Fish Lake Campground is located about 18 miles east of Frenchglen, OR on Steens Mountain Loop Road. This BLM campground on the banks of Fish Lake offers 23 campsites and is open from mid-June through October. The campground has vault toilets, potable water, picnic tables, fire rings, trash cans, and a boat ramp. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Cost: $16 per campsite/vehicle.
- South Steens Campround is located 20 miles from the southern end of Steens Mountain Loop Road. This BLM campground offers 36 campsite and is open from mid-June through October. The campground has vault toilets, potable water, picnic tables, fire rings, trash cans, and a horse camp. The trailheads for the Big Indian Gorge and Little Blitzen Gorge are also located here. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Cost: $16 per campsite/vehicle.
Resources:
- Highpointing Steens Mountain (Summit Post)
- Steens Mountain Wilderness (BLM)
- Steens Mountain Loop Road (Oregon DOT)
- Steens Gorges Loops (All Trails)
- 5 Best Hikes at Steens Mountain (Oregon Statesman Journal)