The Grand Canyon is a stunning geologic wonder that everyone should see at least once in a lifetime, but it’s roughly 1,000 miles away, so it’s not exactly a day trip. Luckily for us, there’s a place right here in the Beaver State that the New York Times has called “Oregon’s Grand Canyon.” Check out the Owyhee Canyonlands:
The Owyhee Canyonlands stretches across more than two million acres in the southeastern corner of Oregon, it’s truly remote and wild…and absolutely breathtaking.
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The Owyhee River is one of several that carved this immense canyon millions of years ago.
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More than 150 miles of rivers here are designated as federal Wild & Scenic Rivers, and one way to explore this area is by taking a guided raft tour.
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The Owyhee Dam generates electricity and also helps provide farmers with irrigation water. Built in 1932, it created Owyhee Reservoir.
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Fishing is popular here, both in the reservoir, and downstream from the dam in the Owyhee River itself. Anglers also have some luck in the upper Owyhee.
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This place is truly wild and untouched, and very remote. Don’t expect to find a cell signal here - it’s quite literally the middle of nowhere.
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Roads into the Owyhee area can be difficult, and many places are reachable only by four-wheel drive. Folks traveling in other vehicles might try the Slocum Creek area, where there are 12 campsites and pit toilets (bring your own water).
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Getting here might be difficult, but it’s well worth the trip. Just don’t forget your camera!
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This wild place is home to the largest herd of California Bighorn in the country. The sheep were reintroduced to the area int the 1960, and have flourished.
Owyhee Canyonlands/Facebook
You might also catch a glimpse of mule deer, pronghorn, quail, raptors, and more. Keep an eye out for an occasional rattlesnake, too.
Owyhee Canyonlands/Facebook
If you do venture into this remote part of Oregon, make sure you’re prepared with plenty of food, water, maps, and a tank full of gas. This is not the kind of place you want to be stranded!
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The Owyhee Canyonlands is one of the last few places in the country where you can truly find solitude and untouched beauty.
Owyhee Canyonlands/Facebook If you visit, remember to follow the principles of Leave no Trace. Let’s keep this place as pristine as we found it!
Have you visited the Owyhee Canyonlands to see them for yourself? Tell our readers about your adventures in the comments, and share your photos with us! You can find out more about this incredible place on the Owyhee Canyonlands website.
Bureau of Land Management/flickr
Devin Dahlgren/500PxPlus Collection/via Getty Images
Karl Weatherly/Photodisc Collection/via Getty Images
Anna Gorin/Moment Collection/via Getty Images
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Alan Majchrowicz/Photodisc Collections/via Getty Images
knowlesgallery/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Owyhee Canyonlands/Facebook
If you visit, remember to follow the principles of Leave no Trace. Let’s keep this place as pristine as we found it!
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Address: Owyhee Canyon, Oregon 97910, USA
