GPS Coordinates: 44.0112094, -121.0009014

REGIONS > CENTRAL OREGON > OREGON HIGH DESERT

A fascinating highlight of Oregon's High Desert is the Oregon Badlands Wilderness. Badlands exists all over the world and are generally defined as arid, heavily eroded areas which support little vegetation. The term is often used interchangeably with desert and by definition they are practically the same thing.

The Oregon Badlands Wilderness Area is a small region of the High Desert located just outside Bend. There are over 50 miles (80.5 km) of hiking and horseback riding trails through an almost alien landscape of rugged basalt outcrops and soft volcanic ash carved into weird shapes by wind erosion. The types of vegetation that grow here are limited and western juniper and big sagebrush are the dominant species.

The area is a fascinating landscape for studying Oregon’s volcanic activity. Dominated by the Badlands volcano, there are remnants of lava tubes and widespread lava flows throughout its 29,000 acres. Wildlife of this rugged area can include mule deer, yellow-bellied marmots, bobcats and golden eagles.

Representative Species of the Oregon Badlands:

Suggested Activities for the Oregon Badlands: