At Plush, visitors can collect their own sunstones from the natural environment at the Oregon Sunstone Public Collection Area. This experience offers a special introduction to Lake County, where geological formations, cultural history and wide-open landscapes come together.
Lake County lies in the high desert region known as the Oregon Outback, at the northwestern edge of the Great Basin. The Summer Lake basin is a high-desert landscape framed by the 3,000-foot escarpment of Winter Rim. Viewpoints along Winter Rim offer panoramic views across the basin and are accessible by car or on foot. Road and trail conditions can vary; check them before setting out.
Rock Formations and Early History
Fort Rock is a circular volcanic formation with rock walls that rise nearly 200 feet above the desert. The rock formed as an ancient tuff ring in a prehistoric shallow sea. Fort Rock State Natural Area is designated a National Natural Landmark; visitors can hike around Fort Rock.
Fort Rock Cave was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and is also a National Heritage Site. As an archaeological site, it is associated with sagebrush sandals that are more than 9,000 years old. The cave can only be visited on a guided tour led by the state park; reservations are required. Finds from the Paisley Caves in northern Lake County reveal a different archaeological period: remains dating to 14,300 calendar years before present, predating the Clovis culture, were discovered there.
The history of early settlers is also tangible: the Fort Rock Valley Homestead Village Museum preserves the cabins, church and schoolhouse of Lake County's early settlers. Another geological feature is Crack in the Ground, a gaping tectonic fissure in the volcanic landscape of northern Lake County. It is two miles long and was up to 70 feet deep in 2021.
Water, Wildlife and Wide-Open Skies
The Warner Wetlands form a 40-mile chain of lakes, separated by arcing dunes. The Summer Lake Wildlife Area offers migratory birds a stopover on the Pacific Flyway in spring and fall. The seasons provide a clear point of reference here: both bird migration stopover periods fall in spring and fall.
The Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge is a 270,000-acre protected area for mule deer, bighorn sheep and upland birds. A natural hot spring lies there at the eastern base of Warner Peak. At the Hart Bar Interpretive Site, a 0.8-mile trail leads to an observation blind.
The night sky is also defined by a specific designation: the Oregon Outback Dark Sky Sanctuary covers more than 2.5 million acres in Lake County and is rated Bortle Class 1. The Fremont-Winema National Forest is another vast landscape. It covers large parts of Lake County and encompasses nearly 2.3 million acres of ponderosa pines, firs and high-elevation lakes. Opportunities there include camping by high-elevation lakes, trout fishing and hiking to fire lookout towers; individual sites and conditions vary.
Trails, Water and Seasons
The ten-mile Warner Valley Canoe Trail is open to experienced paddlers in wet years; conditions depend on lake water levels. When it snows, Warner Canyon Ski Hill offers downhill, Nordic and backcountry skiing. The neighboring trails are used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. Water levels, precipitation and snow thus mark very different seasonal conditions for outdoor activities.
For a drive through the Great Basin, take the 171-mile Oregon Outback Scenic Byway. It ends about 15 miles (24.1 kilometers) south of Lakeview at the border town of New Pine Creek. The Oregon Timber Trail covers a different scale: this 670-mile mountain bike route traverses the backcountry across the entire length of the state and begins in the Fremont Tier of Lake County. The Fremont National Recreation Trail runs along the crest of the Warner Mountains and offers views of the playas of Summer Lake and Silver Lake. Check trail conditions before setting out.
The Lake County Round-Up is a Labor Day tradition; the event schedule changes each year. If you want to plan your stay around it, check the dates.
Discover more destinations: Lakeview, Silver Lake, Morrow County, Deschutes, Washington, Union County, Yamhill County, Marion.
For the overall travel guide: Oregon.
