Steens Mountain rises so gradually out of the sagebrush of southeast Oregon that its size arrives late, at the rim, where the ground stops and the Alvord Desert lies a vertical mile below. The Bureau of Land Management calls it the largest fault-block mountain in the northern Great Basin. It also calls the road up it Oregon’s highest.
That road is the reason to come with a vehicle. The Steens Mountain Loop Road, also signed as the Steens Mountain Backcountry Byway, leaves the highway at Frenchglen, climbs past aspen groves and glacier-cut gorges to the East Rim and comes back down to the highway farther south. This guide sets out what BLM’s Burns District publishes about the loop and its seasonal gates, the four campgrounds on it, the Alvord Desert side, and what to carry in a place where fuel, water and a phone signal are all a long way apart.
Why go
BLM’s account of the mountain is a short course in geology. Pressure forced the east edge of a block of basalt upward until its face stood one vertical mile above the Alvord Desert. Ice did the rest. Glaciers dug trenches about half a mile deep through the basalt and left four immense U-shaped gorges: Kiger, Little Blitzen, Big Indian and Wildhorse.
The Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area takes in 428,156 acres of public land, mixed with private land, and more than 170,200 acres of it is wilderness. Between the sagebrush at the base and the wind-cut grasses on top you pass through a belt of juniper, then aspen and mountain mahogany. Elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep and pronghorn live here, several herds of wild horses range the area, and the Steens Mountain paintbrush grows nowhere else in the world.
For a traveller with a vehicle the draw is simple: a public road reaches the overlooks above all of it. BLM’s list of the ones not to miss is Kiger Gorge, East Rim, Big Indian Gorge, Wildhorse and Little Blitzen Gorge.
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When to go: the gates decide
The Loop Road ranges from 4,200 to 9,500 feet, and snow at the top keeps it from opening all at once. BLM runs four seasonal gates and opens or closes each on snow conditions, typically from late spring through early winter. It publishes a general timeline of access by section, and means the word general.
BLM’s general timeline
- 01Page Springs Campground to Fish Lake and Jackman Park: mid-June to early November
- 02Fish Lake and Jackman Park to the East Rim and Steens Summit junction: late June to mid-October
- 03East Rim and Steens Summit to Big Indian Gorge Overlook (a roadblock, not a gate): early July to mid-October
- 04Big Indian Gorge Overlook to South Steens Campground: early June to mid-October
- 05South Steens Campground to Black Canyon Gate: mid-May to early November
- 06The full loop: early July to mid-October
Do not skipBLM describes blustery, 100-degree days as common, says snow can fall in any month, and tells visitors to be ready for sudden lightning, rain and high wind. For the state of the gates on the day, it points to the Oregon Department of Transportation’s TripCheck map or the Burns District Office.
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The Loop Road in the order you drive it
From Burns, BLM’s directions run about 2 miles southeast on State Highway 78, then 60 miles south on State Highway 205 to Frenchglen. Just past town, turn left onto the Steens Mountain Loop Road, the 52-mile Steens Mountain Backcountry Byway.
Page Springs Campground comes first, about 3 miles in, across the Donner und Blitzen River. The road climbs from there to Fish Lake, which its BLM page puts about 17 miles from the highway, and to Jackman Park 2 miles farther east, near the Kiger Gorge Overlook and, with luck, the gorge’s herd of wild horses. The gate sections give the rest of the order: the East Rim and Steens Summit junction, Big Indian Gorge Overlook, South Steens Campground and Black Canyon Gate, before the loop meets Highway 205 again. BLM places that south entrance about 9 miles beyond Frenchglen, up the grade it calls P Hill, with the South Steens turn-off just over 18 miles in from the highway.
The byway also reaches trailheads, wild horse range and the Riddle Brothers Ranch National Historic District. Inside the Steens Mountain Wilderness, motor vehicles and bicycles are prohibited.
Do not skipDriving off road is prohibited. BLM’s rule for the whole area is to obey road closure signs and stay on designated open routes, which are the ones shown on its current maps, and to get permission before going onto private land.
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What your vehicle needs and what to carry
BLM sets no vehicle requirement for the Loop Road. It makes a recommendation, and a specific one: high clearance or 4x4 vehicles for the area’s primitive roads, including the steep and rocky portion of the Loop Road near South Steens Campground. The rest of the loop, in its words, can accommodate passenger cars at lower speeds. It asks for high quality tires on every vehicle, even on maintained routes, and its visitor page adds that most roads in the area are rough and primitive.
Elevation can change from under 4,000 feet to over 9,000 feet in a few miles, and much of southeast Oregon is open range, so expect cattle, deer, pronghorn and wild horses on the road.
What BLM tells visitors to bring
- 01A full tank before you leave the highway. BLM says fuel may be available in Fields, Frenchglen, Crane or the Narrows and tells visitors to call ahead, so confirm before you go.
- 02Water and food for the whole trip. Water sources are limited and BLM says not to drink from untested ones.
- 03A current map of the area. BLM calls it essential and notes that even experienced travellers get lost here.
- 04A plan left with someone at home. Phone service should not be relied on for emergencies.
- 05Protection against ticks, mosquitoes and rattlesnakes in spring and summer.
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A side road worth the clearance: Riddle Brothers Ranch
On the south side of the loop a spur leads to the Riddle Brothers Ranch National Historic District, where three bachelor brothers settled in the early 1900s and built a livestock operation by gaining control of the water. BLM bought the property in 1986 and manages it for its history.
It is the kind of road the agency’s vehicle advice is written for. BLM recommends high clearance and four-wheel drive, and generally permits driving access Wednesday to Sunday from mid-June through October. On foot, by bicycle or on horseback you may go in at any time. The turn-off is about 20 miles from Highway 205 by the loop’s south entrance. There is a vault restroom and little else: no drinking water, no overnight use areas and no phone service.
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Camping on the mountain
BLM runs four developed campgrounds on the loop: Page Springs, Fish Lake, Jackman Park and South Steens. All are first come, first served with no reservations. Page Springs, Fish Lake and South Steens have drinking water; BLM’s page for Jackman Park lists none. South Steens keeps horses and other stock out of its family loop and gives them 15 sites of their own with tie posts and small corrals.
Away from the campgrounds, BLM says most of the remaining public land is open to dispersed camping unless it is posted closed, conflicts with another authorized use or harms wildlife or natural resources. The general limit is 14 days within any 28 consecutive days. Use a site that has been used before. Do not leave property unattended for more than 10 days, pack out all refuse and sewage, and ask the Burns District Office about local limits and fire restrictions.
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The Alvord Desert side
The east face falls to the Alvord Desert, a playa BLM measures at six miles wide and 11 miles long, one of the largest in Oregon. A lake almost 200 feet deep covered it tens of thousands of years ago. BLM’s directions reach it from Burns by State Highway 78, about 65 miles southeast, then roughly 40 miles southwest on the East Steens Road, also called Folly Farm Road, to the Frog Springs access road.
The playa is accessible year-round, but BLM says ideal conditions run June through November, when the surface is usually dry enough for vehicles. There are no designated camping areas, no potable water and no phone service, and the only public facility is a single vault restroom at Frog Springs. Bring shade, shelter and water, tie everything down against the wind and pack out all waste, human and pet included. Fields, about an hour south, is the nearest town. BLM says food and fuel are available there and tells visitors to contact the station for current hours.
BLM lists no fees. Weddings, races, speed events, overland vehicle rallies and other large gatherings may need a special recreation permit, and commercial filming or staged photography may need a film permit.
Do not skipDo not drive anywhere on the playa that is wet or even looks slightly wet. BLM warns that the fine clay turns slick and then to thick, sticky mud with little warning, and that a tow from here is costly. If in doubt, stay off.
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Permits, fees, winter and who to ask
BLM says most activities on and around Steens Mountain are free of charge. The developed campgrounds charge a nightly fee per vehicle, paid at a kiosk once you have occupied a site; each campground’s BLM page gives the current amount. Organized group functions may require a special-use permit.
In winter the mountain belongs to skis, snowshoes and limited snowmobiling. To drive the north Loop Road to the snow line above the Page Springs gate you need a winter recreation permit and a gate key from the Burns District Office. BLM issues them free of charge, in person only, first come, first served, during business hours, and only to groups of 2 or more people. It also limits the number of groups on the mountain and the number of wheeled vehicles through the gate each month. Anyone who hikes, cycles or skis past a closed gate needs no permit, and motorized cross-country travel is not permitted.
Before any trip, check the Loop Road on TripCheck and call the Burns District Office in Hines at 541-573-4400. It is the office that opens the gates.
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Questions people ask
How long is the Steens Mountain Loop Road and how high does it go?
BLM gives the Steens Mountain Backcountry Byway as 52 miles, with elevations from 4,200 to 9,500 feet. In a 2023 notice it called the loop Oregon’s highest elevation road.
When is the whole Steens Mountain loop open?
BLM’s general timeline has the full loop open from early July to mid-October, with the lower sections opening earlier and closing later. Four seasonal gates are opened and closed on snow conditions, so check TripCheck or call the Burns District Office before you go.
Do I need four-wheel drive for Steens Mountain?
BLM recommends high clearance or 4x4 vehicles for primitive roads, including the steep and rocky part of the loop near South Steens Campground, and says the rest of the loop can accommodate passenger cars at lower speeds. It asks for high quality tires on every vehicle.
Can I camp anywhere on Steens Mountain?
Outside the four developed campgrounds, BLM allows dispersed camping on most public land for up to 14 days in any 28, unless an area is posted closed. Driving off road is prohibited, much of the area is private land, and motor vehicles are not allowed in the wilderness.
Can I drive on the Alvord Desert?
BLM says the playa is usually dry enough for vehicles from June through November, and warns never to drive where it is wet or even looks wet. There is no water, no phone service and one vault restroom, at Frog Springs.
Where is the nearest fuel to Steens Mountain?
BLM says fuel may be available in Fields, Frenchglen, Crane or the Narrows, and tells visitors to start with a full tank and call ahead. Confirm before you go.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
US Forest Service (USFS)
National Park Service (NPS)
US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
Department Of Defense (DOD)
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
Other Federal
State
Local
Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
Alaska Native Allotment
Road
Primitive Road
Road
Primitive Road
Trail
Roads open to all Vehicles, Yearlong
Roads open to all Vehicles, Seasonal
Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Yearlong
Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Seasonal
Special Designation, Yearlong
Special Designation, Seasonal
Trails open to all vehicles, Yearlong
Trails open to all vehicles, Seasonal
Trails open to vehicles 50" or less in width, Yearlong
Trails open to vehicles 50" or less in width, Seasonal
Trails open to motorcycles, Yearlong
Trails open to motorcycles, Seasonal
Special Designation, Seasonal
Trails Open to Wheeled Vehicles Only < 50" in Width, Yearlong
Trails Open to Wheeled Vehicles Only < 50" or Less in Width, Seasonal
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Study Area