Oregon Desert Trail

Oregon Natural Desert Association developed the Oregon Desert Trail to showcase the most spectacular natural areas of the less-traveled, eastern side of the state—including Hart Mountain, Steens Mountain, and the Owyhee Canyonlands—and to engage desert recreationalists in public lands conservation.

We hope you’ll spend time in these landscapes and see for yourself the value of Oregon’s high desert public lands. And, we hope this experience will inspire you to advocate for the protection and long-term care of the places you’ve come to know and love.

While we surveyed every inch of the route when crafting the Oregon Desert Trail, today it remains relatively untouched by design. We invite you to keep us informed of what you learn as you traverse the route, and we will share that information with others.

The Oregon Desert Trail is a 750-mile route located on public land and public rights-of-way that stitches existing hiking trails, old Jeep tracks, and historical wagon roads together with long stretches of cross-country travel. The route links together the most spectacular eastern Oregon landscapes where ONDA works, offering travelers the opportunity to get to know the area’s many wonders.

Whether you are looking to go out for a day hike, enjoy a multi-day trip or attempt a complete thru-hike, our Plan A Trip page has the resources you need. All sections of the trail can be explored on foot, and some sections can be traveled on horseback, by boat, by bike, or on skis. Some sections offer easy walks along well-marked paths, while many areas require GPS navigation skills, significant outdoor experience, and serious preparation—particularly for water sources, which can be very limited in the desert.

Route Development

What arose as a wisp of an idea in 2010 soon became a new long-distance trail. From 2011 to 2014, ONDA staff and volunteers kicked off Oregon Desert Trail route development by taking stock of the existing infrastructure in Oregon’s high desert, using ONDA’s conservation priorities as a guiding framework for devising a route traversing eastern Oregon’s public lands.

Several existing trail systems provided the backbone of the ODT including the Fremont National Recreation Trail, Steens Mountain Wilderness trails, and the Desert Trail. The new ODT route took shape not as a straight line from one point of interest to another, but as a winding way to pass through and experience the most scenic landscapes of the region.

After thousands of hours verifying and improving the route, the Oregon Desert Trail emerged as the preeminent desert hiking experience.

Where Recreation Meets Conservation

By connecting the remote and stunning highlights of Oregon’s desert with a navigable path, ONDA has expanded opportunities for hikers and recreationalists to immerse themselves in the landscapes we’ve been working for decades to conserve. Our intent is that by introducing more people to the wonders of the region, we’re creating new advocates and inspiring people to protect, defend and restore Oregon’s high desert.

You can support the conservation of Oregon’s desert public lands by:

• Joining ONDA as a member
• Subscribing to our e-newsletter and action alerts
• Signing up to be a Desert Defender

Most people approach the ODT bite-by-bite, experiencing parts of the route as a day trip or a weekend excursion. The route also appeals to experienced thru-hikers who are looking for a challenge and plan to take on the entire 750-mile ODT route.

ONDA curates a list of those who have completed the entire Oregon Desert Trail, travelling the route between its western terminus outside Bend, Oregon and its eastern terminus in Lake Owyhee State Park.

Have you completed the entire trail? Fill out this form to be added to the finisher’s list and receive an ODT patch!